while there are many reasons to go out on one's own: the control, the ability to make your own schedule, having the vision and following your own plan, starting out can be hard in ways we never expected.
for one, i find it hard to answer the question "what do you do?" even now. i have been at the helm of remabulous coaching for nearly a year, have worked with numerous clients, run groups, written this site and participated in conferences and workshops, yet still it feels new and strange. it is a bizarre thing to find yourself contained only within your own vision. and sometimes that can be quite scary.
i am often comforted by hearing that i am not alone. i attended a meet and greet evening with the leads group that i a part of this evening and was touched to hear that the economy has made things difficult for many different entrepreneurs in a wide range of industries. as a new business owner, i often feel that i am having an experience indicative of my newness, rather than one that is common to many. taking the risk to talk to others in your field and find out how things are going for them can be helpful rather than thinking a difficult experience is yours alone. in my experience, that is rarely the case.
i find reading others' stories to be a helpful source of support as well. when i read in the ladies who launch newsletter that the founder of vosges chocolates made $13,000 her first year and was worried about how long she could live on pretzels, i gave a sigh of relief. it is hard to begin a business. and it is hard to generate the income and clientele necessary to keep going. still, continuing forward is the only way we get to go- we can't go back, so it's all about next steps.
make sure you find ways to stay inspired. when inspiration hits, the scary parts don't bother me so much. ways i have found that help me: networking groups that are supportive, good reading material, inspiring films and lots of time out of the house with friends. whatever works for you is the best thing. make sure you give yourself the gift of space not to worry about how everything will turn out. it is in these gaps that i have had my best ideas and have been able to start making them happen.
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