Separate fear from anxiety and think positively, said small business expert
Running a small business, especially a startup, is difficult enough in normal circumstances, much less during a recession.
As a result, many entrepreneurs find themselves with mounting stress, which can seem unmanageable at times and can even detract from the entrepreneur's ability to run a small business.
To help them reduce their stress, Jay Goltz - who has started five small businesses in the U.S. - gave entrepreneurs some guidance in an article in the New York Times.
Among other suggestions, such as keeping perspective and forgiving oneself, Goltz told entrepreneurs to separate fear from anxiety.
Fear, he wrote, is a "rational healthy emotion" that can actually help keep entrepreneurs focused and grounded. Anxiety, on the other hand, is "unwarranted and irrational," and should be eliminated, as it is only a negative influence.
Above all, entrepreneurs should think positively about their venture, he wrote.
"Entrepreneurship is not easy, and it is not for everyone," wrote Goltz. "It can provide great rewards. It does get easier. It should get easier. It takes time."
Despite the stress of starting a small business, entrepreneurship was reported to be Canada's most valued - and rewarding - career path, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
