Starting up your own business is an amazing, terrifying and ultimately very rewarding experience. Working for yourself, setting your own hours and doing a job you love is surely what each of us wants. The truth of it is, it can be tough, really tough and you may find yourself working harder than you ever imagined to reach your goals.
While there are plenty of pitfalls best avoided, the achievements mean so much more when they are down to your own hard work. There are also some stark truths to take on board.
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All Work And No Play
Firstly, you have to put the time in. You might be able to work anywhere in the world but to really build up your customer base, at least in the first few months you’ll be sleeping, eating and thinking business night and day. For the inside track on business tips, including how to handle stress, click here.
Of course when you’re putting your all into making your business work, it’s inevitable that something has to give and it’s usually your personal life that takes a hit, if only for a little while. What’s comforting is that this stage of business set-up won’t last forever so your loved ones are going to have to be patient as you do what it takes to get up and running.
Failure Can Be Good
There’s also the possibility that you might fail. A hard lesson to learn but failure is not necessarily all bad it just feels it. The trick to dealing with failure is to change how you see it. If it drags you down to a point of inertia then a swift change of attitude is needed. Figuring out why your venture went wrong, learning the lessons and taking the next step forwards is the way to success. After all many successful entrepreneurs have gone through similar.
For many people quitting the drudgery of a desk job they hated to set up their own business was a way of cutting down on stress. The fact of the matter is that you may still experience stress and anxiety and as the boss find the responsibility resting squarely on your shoulders. When you care so much about seeing your company succeed, it’s hard to simply shrug off the feelings of pressure.
The irony of seeing your business go from success to success is that growth can actually be rather scary. Knowing that you’re in charge of a thriving entity and all that comes with this great responsibility. Make sure you have the support you need around you, from fantastic staff to an amazing accountant all on your side. There are hundreds if not thousands of online resources offering advice for start-ups, find some that speak to your situation.
You’re on a fascinating and often terrifying voyage but don’t stop doing what you love when times get tough, instead dig down to find those deep reserves that will see you through from start-up to thriving company and watch your success grow and grow.