Life happens. While we can plan as much as we want to, we know that life does not always go according to our best-laid plan. Unexpected derailments on the road to entrepreneurship could lead you to have to push back your dreams of becoming your own boss or to take time away from your company. These events can include family changes, mental health issues, and physical ailments that make the road to entrepreneurship a little bumpier than we expected.
How does one handle such events as these? While it can be easy to throw in the towel and just think that it wasn’t meant to be, I can assure you, that just because unexpected hurdles come you way that it doesn’t mean it’s time to give up.
Let’s take a look at some of these life events that may cause you to derail your plans of owning a business or taking time off, but ones that don’t mean the end of your lifelong dream of entrepreneurship.
Family Changes
This can encompass so many events, but anything such as having children, to divorce, to having a child whose health has some complications are just a few. In this day, businesses around the world recognize the importance of families and taking care of them. The same should go for you and your family as well.
If you are on the verge of starting your business, or just opened, and something like this comes up, it is important to surround yourself with people who you can trust to help with your business at this time. Certain changes may require you to be out of the office for a little bit, or at least to not be as available as you want to be. That’s okay. Be honest with your team, and let them know about your situation. It is better for them to hear it from you than through the figurative “grapevine” at work. Your honesty will help them appreciate your need to be away, as well as be willing to assist you in any way possible.
If you are just in the planning stages of your entrepreneurial journey, you may have to take some time away from your dreams based on the family changes that arise. This is not the moment where you give up everything. You just have to realize that this is just a small setback while getting ready to take the entrepreneurial plunge.
If you don’t think that you will be in the right mindset to be fully involved with your business, then setting aside the time to take care of yourself is what you need to do. This may not be the easy answer, but it will definitely be the right path to take.
Mental Health or Physical Ailments
Whether you face a physical issue that leaves you on bedrest or your mental health is not the best it could be, one needs to take the proper steps to feeling better in both arenas to help manage your company.
While physical issues have a better timeline on when you can be your feet again, mental health issues are harder to give a timetable to, but that is why we need to seek help when feeling out of the ordinary in our mental capabilities.
Physical health problems are easier to be open about, and in some cases, one can still do work while laid up. Based on the injury and sickness that one has, your ability to manage your business is up to you. In any case, be prepared to have your business needs and responsibilities looked after should something serious or mild happen to you. This will not only help alleviate the pressure you feel to recover, but also makes your healing process smoother and healthier for you to get back to 100%.
As for your mental health, that can be a little tougher to explain or feel comfortable opening up to others about. That is not because people do not get it; I think people are more understanding than you think. However, mental health issues or setbacks need to be treated just as seriously as facing a physical ailment, and being open about them should not make you feel bad.
Seek the help you that need, because as a society we are much more open about counseling and treatments for mental health setbacks. Confide in someone trustworthy or close to you about your emotions. Opening up about struggle may be the first step you need in getting the help to feel like your old self again.
It may be easy to throw yourself more into your company, thinking that it will help take away the sadness or anxiety you feel. In reality, you are just covering a wound with a Band-Aid, hoping that it will hold. For the sake of your business, your team, and your health, seek the professional help you need before it becomes too much and the Band-Aid comes off painfully or too late.
Financial Setbacks
For many, the idea of having financial setbacks is subjective. Some people think a few hundred is too much money to risk, while others could easily go into the thousands without blinking an eye. Regardless of an actual figure, facing financial setbacks is something you have to decide when too much is too much right now.
Entrepreneurship is about risks. However, you have to make calculated and thought-out risks before taking the dive. If you find yourself in debt more than you are comfortable with, then you may have to step back and really think about your future. While it may be hard to push back your plans, it can be imperative to do so for the future of your business and its success.
Start laying out a budget or tracking your expenses versus your profit. This can help you better understand where your money is going, or at least help you pay off your debts in a reasonable and timely manner. This will also give you a better timeline on when you can launch your business and get ready to pursue your dream in a better financial light.
If you find yourself facing a financial issue while in the midst of your entrepreneurial dream, then working with someone such as a financial planner or accountant can be instrumental in making sure that you get back to a solid place. It would be best to ensure that you have someone with a financial background on staff or retainer that you trust so that you can be prepared should a financial crisis arise.
Final Thoughts
Do not let the hurdles that life throw at you stop you in your tracks. While things don’t always go as planned, that doesn’t mean you stop completely. Keep going and believing in yourself and your entrepreneurial dreams. The true testament of your passion lies in your ability to keep positive and not let the bad moments take away from doing something extraordinary.
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