Your Feedback, Please
 

Hi:
I'm a psychologist helping people create and run successful small businesses, including home based businesses.
Over the years I've worked with management teams in larger businesses (and of course many other issues), but obviously the entrepreneurial life is a quite different thing, with its own challenges and rewards.

I'm asking for your help in defining what the psychological or personal challenges are that people want to solve and need to solve in order to become highly successful. I'm quite aware of the abundant literature on these topics, but I want to ask the people who actually live the life of the entrepreneur small business owner what you think and what you think would be useful.

So if you have any responses to this, I'd greatly appreciate your comments

1. What are the number one and two main personal challenges that entrepreneurs and small business owners face?

2. What are the number one and two main interpersonal (family, friends) challenges that entrepreneurs and small business owners face?

Thanks very much,
Dr. Max (Vogt)

Here's my non-doctoral but worthwhile input
 

Hi,

You wrote:
> 1. What are the number one and two main
> personal challenges that entrepreneurs and
> small business owners face?

My excellent message at:

http://www.sowpub.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=11505

... and also the 'rust never sleeps' followup covers your first question. A search of the sowpub.com archives for my messages will produce some goodies as well.

> 2. What are the number one and two main
> interpersonal (family, friends) challenges
> that entrepreneurs and small business owners
> face?

Your spouse pretty much has to be behind you 1,000,000%. Also, don't get parents or siblings involved unless they're dying to be involved and unless there's a perfect place for them in your organization.

Hope this helps,

- Boyd
--
Boyd (a Dr. in his own mind) Stone

Here's is some feedback for ya...
 

> I'm a psychologist helping people create and
> run successful small businesses, including
> home based businesses.

> I'm asking for your help in defining what
> the psychological or personal challenges are
> that people want to solve and need to solve
> in order to become highly successful.

Before answering your questions, first let me say... unless you have a medical degree or have a Ph.D in pychology (something my father has), then you are not a Dr and passing yourself off as one is illegal.

Of course, the title Dr can be given to someone as a mark of respect... but that is up to the individual to bestow upon the relevant person... not something you can automatically bestow upon yourself.

Next, I find it interesting that you are the one claiming to be the psychologist whose business it is to help the home-based business owners, and yet you are asking us how to do so.

This indicates a lack of training on your part. And also means you are "practicing" in a field when you are insufficiently trained to do so. And that is another No No.

Nevertheless, you do at least ask a couple of interesting questions...

> 1. What are the number one and two main
> personal challenges that entrepreneurs and
> small business owners face?

I could tell you what my main personal challenge is - but - that doesn't mean diddly squat to the entrepreneur up the road. He has completely different personal challenges that He Thinks are his main personal challenges.

Psychology is about diagnosis of the individual in front of you. You should know this.

Are there elements that all business owners face and have to deal with?

Sure there are. But they aren't all psychological in nature. Some are. Some aren't. And many can be equally challenging in different ways. Which is to say... the same challenge can be perceived differently by two different entrepreneur's.

Think in terms of phobias... some people are literally cripled by their phobia, others "suck it up and deal with it", and some wonder how anyone can have that phobia in the first place.

To find out what personal challenges someone has you have to ask them. Of course, ask them again in a month's time and that personal challenge might be different.

> 2. What are the number one and two main
> interpersonal (family, friends) challenges
> that entrepreneurs and small business owners
> face?

Again, this is a depends question. It depends on the individual and can only be found out for that individual by one on one diagnosis.

It would appear, however, that a lot of people complain about family support and the roles of individual family members within a business structure.

The husband who thinks the wife can't do anything and "nags" her about it while she tries to get her business going. The brother who joins the business after five or six years and who then resents not also being a boss. And so on.

But there are other issues which can vary depending on the situation... maybe the husband is over-supportive and somewhat pushes his wife at a speed she is not comfortable with. Maybe the brother is happy to be a worker but doesn't do the required work because he feels he can "slack off" some. He then ignores his brother's/boss' pushing.

Again, only one on one dignosis will tell you what the interpersonal challenge is for that individual.

> Thanks very much,

You're welcome. :o)

Michael Ross

He's a Ph.D
 

Hi,

Some easy net research discloses that Dr. Vogt of N***** C*** is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

Best,

- Boyd

BTW, very well said, Michael [DNO]
 

dno
> Before answering your questions, first let
> me say... unless you have a medical degree
> or have a Ph.D in pychology (something my
> father has), then you are not a Dr and
> passing yourself off as one is illegal.

> Of course, the title Dr can be given to
> someone as a mark of respect... but that is
> up to the individual to bestow upon the
> relevant person... not something you can
> automatically bestow upon yourself.

> Next, I find it interesting that you are the
> one claiming to be the psychologist whose
> business it is to help the home-based
> business owners, and yet you are asking us
> how to do so.

> This indicates a lack of training on your
> part. And also means you are
> "practicing" in a field when you
> are insufficiently trained to do so. And
> that is another No No.

> Nevertheless, you do at least ask a couple
> of interesting questions...

> I could tell you what my main personal
> challenge is - but - that doesn't mean
> diddly squat to the entrepreneur up the
> road. He has completely different personal
> challenges that He Thinks are his main
> personal challenges.

> Psychology is about diagnosis of the
> individual in front of you. You should know
> this.

> Are there elements that all business owners
> face and have to deal with?

> Sure there are. But they aren't all
> psychological in nature. Some are. Some
> aren't. And many can be equally challenging
> in different ways. Which is to say... the
> same challenge can be perceived differently
> by two different entrepreneur's.

> Think in terms of phobias... some people are
> literally cripled by their phobia, others
> "suck it up and deal with it", and
> some wonder how anyone can have that phobia
> in the first place.

> To find out what personal challenges someone
> has you have to ask them. Of course, ask
> them again in a month's time and that
> personal challenge might be different.

> Again, this is a depends question. It
> depends on the individual and can only be
> found out for that individual by one on one
> diagnosis.

> It would appear, however, that a lot of
> people complain about family support and the
> roles of individual family members within a
> business structure.

> The husband who thinks the wife can't do
> anything and "nags" her about it
> while she tries to get her business going.
> The brother who joins the business after
> five or six years and who then resents not
> also being a boss. And so on.

> But there are other issues which can vary
> depending on the situation... maybe the
> husband is over-supportive and somewhat
> pushes his wife at a speed she is not
> comfortable with. Maybe the brother is happy
> to be a worker but doesn't do the required
> work because he feels he can "slack
> off" some. He then ignores his
> brother's/boss' pushing.

> Again, only one on one dignosis will tell
> you what the interpersonal challenge is for
> that individual.

> You're welcome. :o)

> Michael Ross

Re: Your Feedback, Please
 

Thanks, guys, for these great responses, and for being thoughtful and conscientious enough to help protect my profession's titles and licensing requirements.

Even though I know what some "experts" say on these topics I ask about, I'm interested in hearing more from people who are actually practicing in the field; also from people who are not my clients, to help me refine my perspectives. I hope others will comment as well.

Dr. Max (Vogt)

Re: Your Feedback, Please
 

1a: Self-belief. The enormity of the spread of required tasks & skills doesn't become apparent until after you've started. Must be easy to feel overwhelmed and decide to give up.

1b: Ability to learn. Particularly in the young and very dynamic online business world, things change so fast that anyone who isn't constantly listening and learning will be at a serious disadvantage within 2-3 years.

2a: "Never a prophet in one's own land". Until you invite them all to the party on your yacht, family & friends won't take 'your little hobby' seriously. That's likely dispiriting for extroverts.

2b: Social time. It's difficult for people who have evenings & weekends free--never mind take annual holidays--to believe your excuses for never turning up when you promised.

3. The stigma of getting help from a shrink :D

Mike.




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