When you are starting in business or changing direction, your friends and family can so often be your enemy - even when deep down they are well meaning.
Parental Family
An ex-colleague of mine was blessed with loving parents. Some of their friends had their own businesses and as she grew up she became interested in starting her own business. Her Mum & Dad (a school teacher and bank manager respectively) would tell her that you could earn a lot of money too.
However they would occasionally make comments that hinted at the fact that subconsciously they saw entrepreneurs as somehow different and perhaps a little shady. Later, both when she wanted to go into a sales job that was heavily commission loaded and when she announced she wanted to set up her own business, her parents were somehow discouraging as though it wasn't a proper job.
Fortunately by the time she set up her own company for the first time she had managed to earn some credibility in business and her father even lent her some money to help get her started. Despite this it took several years and a few more tangible successes before the language patterns that eluded to scepticism dispersed.
Your Family
My wife & I share an entrepreneurial spirit (Just as well as we work together too!) and it is great to see that it is aleady rubbing off on our kids. However I have heard many stories of marital pressure amongst entrepreneurs, especially where after several years of employed togetherness one of the couple decides that business is for them.
On this one, just remember that if it wasn't your business giving you pressure, it would probably be your job (becuase you disliked it enough to leave it) or your unemployment (which turns many ex-employees in to entrepreneurs). You need to communicate together to get through it.
Friends
Many people can be discouraging of entrepreneurial friends. They don't think you have a proper job until you are successful, and then they think you've changed!
As a business person though, you have to remember that the mindset of most people is different to ours.
The point is this. You need to understand that they don't understand! Only 5% of the population will ever run their own business. Of them, over half are small sole traders who do little to advance their empires. If you're reading this then the chances are you are pushing your organisation forwards and it is likely that 98% of people will think you are mad or are jealous!
Things to look out for
By far the worst comments early on are about possibility. You can't do that; people like us don't run businesses; what do you know about selling; but you can't possibly... These comments come from all kinds of people.
Jealousy often plays a part when fruit starts to bear. Even trusted, well meaning people will say things that will reveal their inner feelings. Believe in yourself.
You need the support of those around you and you need to talk through with the people closest to you what you feel that means. Learn to ignore anything that you don't find helpful and most importantly find and join a group of like minded people.
This is very important. You could join the IoD - the Institute of Directors, the FSB - Federation of Small Businesses (they take companies with up to 200 employees), or a trade organisation.
Parental Family
An ex-colleague of mine was blessed with loving parents. Some of their friends had their own businesses and as she grew up she became interested in starting her own business. Her Mum & Dad (a school teacher and bank manager respectively) would tell her that you could earn a lot of money too.
However they would occasionally make comments that hinted at the fact that subconsciously they saw entrepreneurs as somehow different and perhaps a little shady. Later, both when she wanted to go into a sales job that was heavily commission loaded and when she announced she wanted to set up her own business, her parents were somehow discouraging as though it wasn't a proper job.
Fortunately by the time she set up her own company for the first time she had managed to earn some credibility in business and her father even lent her some money to help get her started. Despite this it took several years and a few more tangible successes before the language patterns that eluded to scepticism dispersed.
Your Family
My wife & I share an entrepreneurial spirit (Just as well as we work together too!) and it is great to see that it is aleady rubbing off on our kids. However I have heard many stories of marital pressure amongst entrepreneurs, especially where after several years of employed togetherness one of the couple decides that business is for them.
On this one, just remember that if it wasn't your business giving you pressure, it would probably be your job (becuase you disliked it enough to leave it) or your unemployment (which turns many ex-employees in to entrepreneurs). You need to communicate together to get through it.
Friends
Many people can be discouraging of entrepreneurial friends. They don't think you have a proper job until you are successful, and then they think you've changed!
As a business person though, you have to remember that the mindset of most people is different to ours.
The point is this. You need to understand that they don't understand! Only 5% of the population will ever run their own business. Of them, over half are small sole traders who do little to advance their empires. If you're reading this then the chances are you are pushing your organisation forwards and it is likely that 98% of people will think you are mad or are jealous!
Things to look out for
By far the worst comments early on are about possibility. You can't do that; people like us don't run businesses; what do you know about selling; but you can't possibly... These comments come from all kinds of people.
Jealousy often plays a part when fruit starts to bear. Even trusted, well meaning people will say things that will reveal their inner feelings. Believe in yourself.
You need the support of those around you and you need to talk through with the people closest to you what you feel that means. Learn to ignore anything that you don't find helpful and most importantly find and join a group of like minded people.
This is very important. You could join the IoD - the Institute of Directors, the FSB - Federation of Small Businesses (they take companies with up to 200 employees), or a trade organisation.
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The Internet
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