Your Feedback, Please

> 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