Suzanne Muusers

Why Entrepreneurs Need a Support Network

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely road.  We’re never sure which way to go when we get to a fork in the road.  That's why having a support network can be crucial.

I had a tough time understanding my father growing up.  He was the quintessential entrepreneur.  Big ideas, grand schemes, and risky projects permeated his persona.  At first it seemed to me that if he would just get a “real” job he could have regular income and not be so worried about money all the time.  But in time I realized he was a pretty smart guy and luckily he had my mother to listen to him.  She supported him and his ideas.  In 1973 my father said “Let's move to Hong Kong to be closer to the jewelry business."  Never mind that we had never lived outside Australia and my Dad had been running a trucking company or growing tomatoes for a living for the past 10 years”.  He was right of course.  Living in Hong Kong helped him position himself for success.  He always knew how to make money and he had a support network: his wife and family.   

The work entrepreneurs do is lonely.  We are often big thinkers without a sounding board.  Our spouses don't understand us.  Our friends don't understand us.  Having someone to bounce our ideas off can help us to sort out what makes sense and what should be thrown out. 

How to tell if you're an entrepreneur in need of a support network:

• You're busy.
• You wear a lot of hats.
• You can't see the forest for the trees.
• You have an innovative vision for the future, but don't know quite how to get there.
• You're not exactly the most organized person you've ever met.
• You feel different from your friends and family.  They don't think like you do.
• You’re not a stranger to risk and others can't understand this.
• You wish you had someone to talk to about your ideas.
• You feel lonely.

What you can do:

• Ask your spouse for support.  Invite your spouse to take an interest in your passions.  Often we don't realize how important it is to ask our loved ones for help.  In most cases, they will be there for us.
• Find a networking group with regularly scheduled meetings where you can meet like-minded individuals.  When you put yourself in front of business owners like yourself, you will get the support you need.   
• Form a Mastermind Group for entrepreneurs.   This is different from a discussion group in that it is made up of people who have different areas of non-competing business expertise and members are encouraged to offer their opinions in support of one another.

Entrepreneurs have many projects that don’t seem to get finished before moving on to the next project.  Some of our ideas are just plain silly.  Imagine selling flowers in Thailand and shipping them off to Holland, the flower growing capital of the world?  That’s exactly what my father is doing now.  Talk about selling ice to Eskimos!  But being a true entrepreneur that is exactly what my father is doing.  My father had a support network that helped him move forward.  Do you have the support you need?

©Copyright 2007- Suzanne Muusers - All Rights Reserved 

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