How to tackle the third major stresses associated with all home-based businesses

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Owning your own home-based business is by and large a very rewarding, exciting endeavor. You can set your own schedule, and be where you want, when you want. You can oftentimes forego the commute to a "regular job" and save money on gas and other "niceties" that are expensive in the work-a-day world, such as lunches, parking fees, etc.

There are unexpected pitfalls and disadvantages, though, in the owning and operating of a home-based business. Some are psychological, some are emotional, and others are purely physical. The unexpected stresses of a home-based business are really one of the major obstacles that need to be overcome by business owners. Many new business owners are unprepared for just how much stress is involved, actually.

Home-based business stresses usually fall into three overall categories:

1. Psychological : Employees, Finances, Legal, and Operations

2. Emotional: Family, Friends, Change of Personal Routines, Personal Disruptions, Isolation

3. Physical: Sedentary Lifestyle, Poor Eating Habits, Overwork

Many business owners, in order to prevent the psychological stress will have plans in place for dealing with these particular stress factors, prior to their occurrence. This is a proactive approach that is infinitely better than having a reactive approach to these occurrences.

Each business owner should have a financial plan in place for the times when orders or clients are few and far between (slow times), as well as a good accountant to call when necessary. Each business owner should also have a lawyer who they trust and can turn to for advice if necessary (we do live in a very litigious society). And each business owner should have a plan for sickness among employees and hiring and firing protocols firmly in place. Machinery and replacement of business supplies should also be well planned in advance, and purchased according to well laid out plans for expenditures.

Leadership skills will need to be developed, as a new business owner who is used to being part of a team, will find working alone and "being in charge" a somewhat difficult transition at first. Books on leadership skills abound and it is a good idea to do readings on the development of these to proactively avoid the psychological stress that comes with this change in roles. Working alone and making decisions alone is quite different from the conformity and decisions made within a group.

If a proactive approach is taken, the psychological stresses of a new business can easily be prevented, or at least lessened.

The emotional stresses of a home-based business are usually a bit more difficult to ascertain and tackle when they occur. Some of these stress factors can come directly from well-meaning family and friends, unfortunately, and the approach is of course, much different. Since a home-based business is directly tied usually to the home life of an individual, there is less chance to escape these stresses, than with a traditional method of employment. A new birth in a family, a death of a loved one, illness, or simply a change of schedule of another family member, can greatly impact the daily workings and routine of a home-based business.

In addition, family and friends may view the business owner as "being at their disposal" all day now, as the business owner is now "home" much of the time. These well meaning individuals may call or visit all the time, and also expect the business owner to take care of their needs before the needs of the business. This is simple human nature, but is very distracting for the business owner. The only way this can be successfully overcome is to make plans well ahead of time for any changes in routine, if possible, and adjust the schedule accordingly as the changes occur. Well meaning family and friends need to be told with certainty that there are "business hours" and "personal hours" and a business owner needs to remain firm in their resolve in regard to these issues.

Stressing over emotional stress will just escalate an already stressful situation.

Another unexpected emotional stress comes many times from the feeling of isolation and loneliness that business owners may experience. Business owners many times are unprepared for the time they now find they spend alone within the parameters of their home-based businesses. A home-based business owner, while relieved to leave the workforce, sometimes does not realize that the workforce provided social opportunities that are now missing from their lives. Many hours may be spent alone each day, which can lead to loneliness and even depression in some cases.

The best approach to combating this type of isolation is to actively plan social opportunities. Planned outings with family and friends should be made regularly. Business owners may also join community groups that expose them to other business owners or others within the community. The local Chamber of Commerce and other volunteer groups are a great way to make connections for the business and also enhance the social experiences of business owners. No one can exist in a void, so the social aspects of a business can't be ignored.

Finally, owning and operating your own home-based business brings with it some purely physical stresses. Like most office jobs, a home-based business can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, as owners may spend most of their days in the running of the business, either slumped in an office chair, or hunched over a computer, depending upon the requirements of the business. Because of the long hours involved in any business, business owners may also eat "on the run", grabbing whatever is at their disposal, rather than planning meals, which compromises their nutrition. The sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits can lead to weight gain and other physical ailments associated with poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles: high cholesterol, lack of energy, loss of muscle tone, and a deficiency of vitamin D from being indoors more than usual.

The sedentary lifestyle is the easiest however, of the stresses to avoid or to change. All it takes is a dedication to an exercise routine that includes some form of daily physical exercise, and an adherence to a diet that is well planned and nutritious. Just some planning is needed and some will power in order to stay focused on achieving physical activity daily and good nutrition. It would be beneficial, if at all possible, to join a gym or health club, as the physical and emotional stresses can be avoided by belonging to one, as a gym also provides social opportunities. Even a simple walk each day can increase exercise, exposure to sunlight, and create social opportunities.

A tendency to do too much each day, is a syndrome many business owners fall prey to also. Overwork can leave anyone run down, and open to many diseases as the immune system becomes compromised. A business owner is of course, very excited and energetic about the business, which can lead into this syndrome of overwork. A schedule should be maintained to combat this syndrome, with set hours for "doing business" and set hours for "relaxation" included in each day. Trying to do too much all the time just leads business owners into a decrease of productivity, rather than an increase of productivity.

As you can see, having a home-based business, while very rewarding in many ways, can have many deleterious effects on the physical, mental and emotional states of business owners. Many business owners fail to plan for these changes, and yet, if planning is done, the negative effects can be minimized to a great degree.

If a business owner takes care of themselves and their own needs, overall, the business will also profit from this positive behavior! A happy, healthy business owner means a happy, healthy business!

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Vishal P. Rao is the owner of Work at Home Forum, an online community of people who work from home.
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Main reasons companies Fail 7 and How to overcome them

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This year, over 800,000 of the approximately 2,000,000 start

up businesses will fail!

Nearly 1,000,000 of those remaining will fail within 3 years.

Why do so many businesses fail? Many studies show that

approximately 98% of all failures occur because of the

owners. The other 2% are a result of acts of God. Here are

the key reasons and actions owners can take to avoid and

overcome business failure:

Reason #1: The owner is not mentally prepared or

motivated to run a business. There are three different ways

to use your energy, and your physical and mental efforts to

earn money. I call them the three "Games of Work.," and

they define the types of relationships between people and

their work. The rules that players have to follow to succeed

for each "Game" are shown below.

1. Bureaucrats,: Do what it takes to protect or expand their

position; Will divert responsibility whenever possible, but

will take credit for desirable results of others; The success

of the organization is secondary to kissing up to those who

make decisions about promotions, salaries and job

security; Have virtually no control over their job security; And

are compensated for basically showing up.

2. Partial Entrepreneurs: Choose to be responsible for work

performed or results achieved in their specialized field, but

do not want responsibility for the total business. Have more

control over their job and its security; And are paid for the

specific results they produce. Examples of Partial

Entrepreneurs include; commissioned salesmen, multilevel

marketing members, franchisees, and real estate agents.

3. Business Owners: Take full responsibility for their

business; Are in full control over their job and its security

(whether they know it or not); Have no one in the

organization to kiss up to; Learn to pass on as much credit

as possible; Constantly focus on the success of the

business; And are compensated only from the profits of the

business.

As you can see, the rules of a Bureaucrat and a Business

Owner are completely opposites in all categories, and the

Partial Entrepreneur is basically in the middle. The mental

effort it takes to convert from Bureaucrat or Partial

Entrepreneur to Business Owner is much greater than most

people realize. Many business owners never fully make the

transition.

Action: Before becoming a business owner in the first

place, determine if you truly want and will operate under the

Business Owner "Game Rules." If you choose to, do so

IMMEDIATELY, and COMPLETELY! To survive, let alone

succeed, you must commit to operate under the Business

Owner Rules 100%. Otherwise, you should seriously

consider playing one of the other "Games of Work" that best

suits your desires.

Reason #2: The business owner is unable to operate a

business. The success or failure of a business depends

on the owner. As the head goes, so goes the body.

Running a business is completely different than any other

"Game of Work," but, believe it or not, the rules are the same

for all types of businesses. Far too many owners fail to take

the time and energy to improve their own ability to run their

business. This means that they need to grow as a person

first and enrich themselves and discover their true passions

and priorities to be able to have the maturity, drive, and

energy to allow them to manage themselves and a

business simultaneously.

Action: You will greatly enhance your chances for success

by finding methods of self-improvement in all aspects of

running a business, and continue the process throughout

your entire business-ownership career. Obviously, as you

become better at running your business, the success of

your business will also get better. Many resources are

available to you, including respected advisors, mentors,

partners, "Godfathers, " and coaches.

Reason #3: The business owner thinks he knows what it

takes to run a successful business and is convinced he is

fully prepared to jump in. This is rarely true. The

fundamentals of owning and operating a business

sometimes referred to as the "rules of the game," are rarely

taught in the U.S. school system. (See Global

Entrepreneurship Monitor, published by Babson College

and Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, July,

1999.)

We are led to believe that an education fully prepares us for

running a business. In truth, the U.S. school system only

prepares us to get a job, not create jobs. The fundamentals

of successfully owning and operating a business are very

different from getting and keeping a job. Unfortunately, most

business owners are left to learn these fundamentals

through the age-old process of "Trial and Error" with an

emphasis on error. This "Trial and Error" dependence

causes far too many serious and fatal errors, and leads to

stress, financial damage, and eventual failure.

Action: Learn the rules of the game of business, other than

through the "Trial and Error" method. The very best way is to

find and use trusted mentors, advisors, and/or coaches to

guide you through the process of learning how to improve

your capability to run your business to avoid the many errors

others make. Frankly, the rules are simple, easy to learn,

and are based upon common sense, and high integrity

Reason #4: The business owner tries to execute all three of

the three basic functions needed for a business to succeed,

alone and without help. (See The E Myth Revisited by

Michael Gerber).

The three key functions a business must have executed to

succeed are:

The Technical function, which is the execution of the actual

service or product provided by the business. For example

the drafting action of a drafting company, the auto repair

actions of an auto repair company, the production of a boat

of a boat building company.

The Managerial function, which is the organization,

coordination, and supervision of the people assets and

activity of the business on a day to day basis.

The Visionary function, which is the discovery, setting and

communication of the future goals and purposes of the

entire business. The leadership to get all parts of the

business flowing towards the long term goals established.

The level of success of a business is limited to the level of

the execution of the weakest link of the three business

functions described. A business that has two of the

functions executed in an excellent manner and the other in a

poorly manner will eventually level out no higher than poor.

Yet, entrepreneurs (budding business owners) and

business owners try to personally perform all three

functions themselves. One single person will have an

extremely difficult time performing all three functions at a

high enough level for the business to eventually succeed.

Michael Jordan, one of the best basketball players of all

time, could not translate his huge basketball skills into a

successful baseball career. He proved that the skills

needed to succeed at the game of baseball are much

different from the skills needed to succeed at the game of

basketball. And when he returned to basketball, he had to

work extra hard to re-sharpen his basketball skills to his

previous levels. Likewise, the skills of owning and

operating a business are specific and very different than the

other two "Games of Work."

Action: Get help from someone, a partner, an employee or

an outsourcing resource to perform at least one of the two

functions for the business. This way that function can be

executed at a very high level and will allow you to focus on

executing no more than the other two at a similar high level.

Normally entrepreneurs initiate businesses where they

bring the technical skills and motivation to the table.

The three skills necessary to win in the business game are:

Technical Skills of the business; Managerial Skills to

manage yourself, time, things, concepts, and people; and

Visionary Skills to set future goals and organize the

business so that current activities will contribute to them

(See The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber).

You probably bring Technical Skills to the table, but to

succeed, you will also want to master the Managerial and

Visionary Skills. You are not born with these skills; you

learn them. You are born with natural talents towards

certain skills, but you have to work to perfect them. Michael

Jordan, and Tiger Woods were obviously born with

unbelievable talents, but they became successful only

because they worked very hard at developing the skills they

needed to win. Likewise, you will want to work to develop

your Management and Visionary Skills (from the Business

Owners Perspective) and continue the process throughout

your business ownership career.

Reason #5: The owner starts a business for the wrong

reason: "No one can boss me around;" Or; "I will create my

own job;" "If he/she can be successful, so can I;" "I will buy

a business and enjoy the fruits of ownership;" "I want to

pursue my passion for serving others." And so on. The

stresses and problems resulting from running a business

for the wrong reasons can become overwhelming,

especially when you generate little or no profits.

Action: "The only reason to have your own business is to

Make a Profit." Though this may sound cold and greedy, you

will realize rewards and compensation only from your

business profits. If your business doesn't make a profit, you

get nothing. You might even discover you have been

working for nothing, or worse, working to increase your debt.

This does not mean you have to avoid meaningful, and

emotional reasons for living. Not at all. The profits and

personal time gained from the business will provide you the

resources to pursue your life goals. Even religious

institutions require profits and time to pursue their passion

of serving others.

Reason #6: Business owners do not completely consider

the perspective and motivations of potential customers.

Customers' perspective must be addressed so owners can

entice enough customers to buy their products or services

at a price over their costs to produce the desired profits.

From the very beginning, owners should be focused on

enticing customers to buy. Owners who do not know,

understand, or appreciate their potential customers'

perspectives will most likely see their business fail.

Action: Learn as much as possible about your potential

customers. Design and provide products or services,

delivery methods, pricing, and ways to communicate with

them around their perspective. This might require that you

get help stepping out of your own perspective and into

someone else's.

Reason #7: Business owners insist on going it alone

without asking or accepting outside help. The sole

business owner has one of the loneliest positions in the

world. Many owners have difficulty confiding in their

employees, vendors, customers, lenders, or competitors,

for fear that any one of them will take advantage of revealed

weaknesses. Most owners try to go it alone by working IN

their business, and not near enough time working ON the

business. Consequently, they are not aware of what they

are doing, where they are going, or why! (the "Trial and

Error" method).

Action: Find and use Advisors, Mentors, Coaches, and/or

Trusted Partners who have the knowledge and desire to

educate and guide you, with your best interests at heart. All

professional athletes have one, if not several, coaches,

advisors, mentors, who help them become much more

successful than they ever could be on their own. Coaches

evaluate your ability to run your business. They will bring

you outside the stress, money, and time pressures you feel

from working IN the business, to help you make the

changes to result in improving your profits and reducing

your pressures. You will become much more successful

with advisors. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but

a sign of your desire to improve. Learning from the trials

and errors of others is an enjoyable and profitable

experience. Once you find the right advisors, you learn to

prevent and correct mistakes you might otherwise make.

Provided as an educational service by Bill Dueease of The Coach Connection, where ?connecting great people with great coaches? is their goal. You may receive a free copy of the article ?10 Insider Secrets Most Business Owners Never Learn? by contacting The Coach Connection at 800-887-7214 or 239-415-1777 or coaches@findyourcoach.com, or at http://www.findyourcoach.com/0o-business-coach.htm