My daughter is about to turn 20 soon.  As the time gets closer, I’ve found myself reminiscing on my journey into being a business owner. 

I could easily turn this into a fluffy feel good article about the joys of being a business owner, how much things have changed, the freedom I have now, how wonderful life is, or paint you a rosy picture of what being a business owner is like.

Picture the “vomit” emoji if AI was writing this for me.

It was 19 years ago that I became a partner in an accountancy practice.  I was so excited about the future for my career, myself and my family.  We took out a mortgage against the house to fund it in September of that year.  Then December rolls around, and there aren’t enough funds to “pay ourselves” over the Christmas break while the office is closed.  Apparently, this wasn’t uncommon back then for accountancy practices.  I didn’t know that when I bought into the business though.

Extra funds had to be found to put into the business to make sure the staff were paid over the Christmas break.  Holy!  Can you imagine the fireworks in my household when I had to go home and explain that one?

Being in business is hard.  The stuff that goes on behind the scenes that cause the stress, the sleepless nights, the headaches, the martial arguments, the worrying about how you’re going to pay the bills or pay your staff, where the next job or contract is coming from, that ugly imposter syndrome that pops his friggin head up when you need it the least, the challenges of managing staff and different personalities.  Oh, and don’t forget the loneliness, isolation and jealousy that owning a business can cause when your friends all have jobs with salaries and are able to plan their holidays and entertainment with ease.

I don’t think we talk enough about how messy being in business can be, especially when you only see others in business posting their highlights reel. 

So get off social media, stop comparing your life/business with someone else’s highlights reel and focus on your own stuff. 

Find yourself a business mentor, advisor or coach to help you work through the messy stuff and sort out the wood from the trees.  Someone who is going to point out the stuff that you do well when you get down and frustrated with being in business.  Someone who reminds you to celebrate your wins instead of only focusing on the losses.  Someone who will listen to you when you feel like you can’t go on – or don’t want to go on, someone who will offer suggestions and help you focus on what really matters.

Because being in business is messy – and you’re not the only one who feels like that.  The key is to have the right people in your corner to remind you of the wins and your progress. 

If you would like someone in your corner who knows what it’s really like, reach out for a chat.