Photo by WOCinTech
Leading the entrepreneurial life takes guts. You are standing out on your own to create/design/build something new and unique. The start up phase is thrilling. You get to wear multiple hats and make all of the decisions. You burn the midnight oil when the creativity flows and take a nap when you exhaust your powers. You are your own boss and the world is yours!
What happens when you get stuck in a rut, or need solid business or financial planning advice? Turns out, googling every business question you have only gets you so far and your mom can’t be your sounding board for everything. There is a point when your lone wolf approach to running a business becomes overwhelming. The point when you wish you had support. There are great resources for young entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs, retail entrepreneurs (Hint: Maker’s Row). Real people who have created product, grown successfully and are now running efficient and profitable businesses.
3 Support Channels Worth Investigating:
- Join a Group: About 3 months into starting my company, Racysuits, I joined Savor the Success, a women’s entrepreneur group connecting “accomplished founders, creators, connectors, and movers & shakers” across the US.. I am now in my second round of Circles where pods of up to 6 women work together to achieve 90-Day Visions. What is this like? It’s my very own board of directors. A group of intelligent and driven business women who have all set benchmarks for their own businesses meet once a week to receive high level support, collective brainstorming, and accountability. That decision that you have been mulling over in your head on your own for a month is now up for discussion. The motivation and genuine interest in each other’s success is very powerful. Decisions get made and the needle moves.
- Attend a Networking Event: As much as we like living and breathing our business it is important to come up for air and see what everyone else is up to. Yes, there are name tags involved. MeetUp is an online source that will lead you to your niche market. Maker’s Row has events throughout the year promoting local New York entrepreneur engagement. I personally attend the Savor the Success events here in New York and the turnout is always productive.
- Find a Mentor: If you are looking for 1:1 time with an expert a professional mentor is a great idea. This could be seen as a business coach or specialized strategist but the underlying theme is they are dedicated to helping you accelerate your business and overcome bigger hurdles. Here in New York Seem Alexander is a fantastic choice for women entrepreneurs. She even has a workshop called The Transition Lab to help you transition from the corporate background to an entrepreneurial life.
We are each creating a unique product or service but the path to success does not have to be lonely and frustrating. There are people who have done this before us and who are doing it with us now. Find them!
“In order to improve your game, you must play with teammates that can hit the ball back just as hard (if not harder) as you so you can grow.”
Creativity and success are infectious. Surround yourself with people who are doing it right, and you and your business will benefit.
You May Also Enjoy
- An American Success Story: RacySuits
- Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap
- From Side Hustle to Full-Time Entrepreneur: 5 Tips to Build Your Business to the Next Level
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