Running a business can add plenty of stress to your life
Business Technology | March 20, 2014
Opening a business has long been the goal of people that have an entrepreneurial spirit. And why not? Running your own business means freedom. You won’t need to follow the orders of a boss. You’re able to grow your business on your terms. However, running a small business is hard work and stressful. A recent story by Business Insider ponders if running a small tech or other business is just too stressful for some.
Ecomom
The Business Insider feature starts off with the story of Jody Sherman. He had built the online business Ecomom, which sold environmentally-friendly products for children. The business was having cash flow problems. Then Sherman shot himself. A few weeks after the suicide, the business closed down until a new owner brought it back in the summer. Business Insider posed the question: Did the stress of running a business contribute to Sherman killing himself?
A cautionary tale?
The truth is, running a small business is a pressure-packed task. The hours are extremely long. The decisions you have to make are all big ones. And even you get everything right, there’s no guarantee that your business will be successful. Most small businesses, after all, fail in their first three years.
Ups and downs
As the Business Insider story says, creating a small business is like riding a really violent roller coaster. Life turns into a series of high, highs — Our business is open! — and low, lows — We lost how many dollars last quarter? This kind of emotional up-and-down is not healthy. That’s why not every person is cut out to be the owner of a small business. It takes a certain temperament, confidence and a willingness to log long, long hours to have success as a small business owner. The bottom line is, it’s a job for a risk-taker, not for the average person.
Opening a business has long been the goal of people that have an entrepreneurial spirit. And why not? Running your own business means freedom. You won’t need to follow the orders of a boss. You’re able to grow your business on your terms. However, running a small business is hard work and stressful. A recent story by Business Insider ponders if running a small tech or other business is just too stressful for some.
Ecomom
The Business Insider feature starts off with the story of Jody Sherman. He had built the online business Ecomom, which sold environmentally-friendly products for children. The business was having cash flow problems. Then Sherman shot himself. A few weeks after the suicide, the business closed down until a new owner brought it back in the summer. Business Insider posed the question: Did the stress of running a business contribute to Sherman killing himself?
A cautionary tale?
The truth is, running a small business is a pressure-packed task. The hours are extremely long. The decisions you have to make are all big ones. And even you get everything right, there’s no guarantee that your business will be successful. Most small businesses, after all, fail in their first three years.
Ups and downs
As the Business Insider story says, creating a small business is like riding a really violent roller coaster. Life turns into a series of high, highs — Our business is open! — and low, lows — We lost how many dollars last quarter? This kind of emotional up-and-down is not healthy. That’s why not every person is cut out to be the owner of a small business. It takes a certain temperament, confidence and a willingness to log long, long hours to have success as a small business owner. The bottom line is, it’s a job for a risk-taker, not for the average person.