We all know that running a small business is not for the faint of heart.
Most of us expected certain challenges when we made the decision to become entrepreneurs. We suspected that launching a small business would require long hours for low pay and living with a certain degree of uncertainty, at least in the beginning.
But here are four hurdles that often blind-sight novice entrepreneurs
Other people’s negativity
Successful entrepreneurs tend to be optimistic by nature. When embarking on the adventure of starting a new business you might assume that everyone around you will be supportive. Unfortunately, this will not be the case.
You will encounter all kinds of resistance, and it will come from different places. People who truly love you may be negative because they fear for your well-being and starting a business just seems too risky and scary to them. Others will just be flat-out envious. And a precious few will despise you because your courage and initiative makes them feel inadequate.
Regardless, you cannot afford to be around negative people when you are an entrepreneur. Negativity is both toxic and infectious.
Protect your vision and spend as little time around negative people as you can afford. Find your true supporters and find real strength within yourself. Your success depends on it.
Your health may suffer
Now that everything is on the line and the success of your new business rides solely on you, you are going to feel immense pressure. If you are not careful, your physical health and mental well-being will fall to the wayside.
Be very conscious of your health habits. Unless you make diet, exercise, and sleep priorities in your life, you run a real risk of burning out. And then not only will you fall apart, but the business you sacrificed your health for will fall apart as well. Don’t let this happen.
You have to learn how to work ON your business
Up until you started your own business, you were a Worker Bee. You provided a service or created a product and that was all you had to worry about. Those days are over once you decide to run your own business.
Now you’re the Queen Bee. There are countless other tasks that are required of you. In time, that product or service might not even be a part of your workday, because it will be more cost-effective for you to delegate it to a team of Worker Bees who answer to you.
Your time will be more valuable working ON your business as opposed to IN your business. And unless you learn to make this distinction, and wear the Queen Bee crown, your business will only go so far.
It can get lonely
In a hive, there are many Worker Bees but there is only one Queen. All around you, you will see people with nine-to-five jobs and the lifestyles and priorities that come with living a nine-to-five life.
Inevitably, there will be times when you will feel like an outsider. You will feel like no one understands what you’re going through. You will feel like a Lone Wolf.
Do your best to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs like yourself. You need to build a community of support.
And always remember… being a Queen Bee is better than being a Worker Bee. And being a Lone Wolf is better than being a Sheep!
Need a hand with your business’ brand? Call Kim Speed at Purple Moon Creative today!
