It’s lonely at the top
September 18, 2008 by ShannonCherry
Filed under Entrepreneurship, Online Business
I think one of the toughest things about starting a business is the felling of isolation. And this is especially true if you start your business from home.
It’s as if your world suddenly shrinks and your computer soon becomes your best friend on the job. (Never mind the poor cat who often has to site on top of my desk, listening to me talk through a press release!)
Here are some ways bust through the loneliness of being an entrepreneur:
- Find entrepreneurial groups that you can meet with. Meetup.com is a good start to searching for them.
- Plan a weekly launch with another person who is in the same boat. Just about every week, I meet with SEO strategist Rebecca Murtagh. Together we’ve been able to commiserate, as well as build our businesses.
- Get out of the house and work somewhere else - a library, a coffee house or anywhere you can do some work. Just being out of the ‘office’ and in a new environment for a few hours can really help.
- Meet others online. I’ve used Facebook to make connections with other small business owners online. It helps just to connect with others, even if I never see them face-to-face.
I fully agree! nice post!
I discussed about it on Haarg
You are certainly right. For years, I’ve been doing business at home. On one side, I set my own schedule but on the down side, sometimes I feel a bit isolated and unproductive.
It is hard to be disciplined when you have no one watches over your shoulder. Well, just sometimes, but it is enough to make me feel guilty.
Regarding social life, I still hang out with friends every so often, I think finding a balance is necessary for everyone to enjoy life and get a real meaning of working from home.
It’s definitely lonely at the top. A big part of my job as CFO is to advise and listen to the CEO who cannot turn to anyone else. CEOs are targets, always having to answer to many stakeholders. Its a tough job.
I couldn’t agree more that it’s incredibly lonely at the top. While the money is certainly an attractive piece of being an entrepreneur, the creative and often independent lifestyle is what most really enjoy. In fact, we’re addicted to it. Unfortunately, a side effect is that we’re often working around the clock and forget to sit up and breathe and meet others!
I try to reach out to as many other entrepreneurs as possible. I do it by writing articles (http://www.kevinelliott.net/blog/), going to conferences (as I mention in my latest post), and reaching out to friends who are entrepreneurs too.
Frankly, there’s nothing like a coffee, glass of wine, or a few beers with a fellow entrepreneur or two, because chances are, you’re very similar! We’re wired in such an unusual but similar way.
Thanks for the other suggestions (like about the entrepreneur groups). I’m sure to try them out.
Kevin Elliott
These are great points. I would add one more. Get a business coach. As much as I network with other entrepreneurs, they don’t push me as much as my business/personal coach. Coaches don’t feel bad asking the “tough” questions and getting in your face. That’s a good thing that we should all welcome.