Team Effort

For a number of aspiring entrepreneurs, taking the leap from employee to entrepreneur can be a daunting task that even a solid business plan and investment resources can't help overcome. More often than not, people fail to follow through on their dreams for years, despite there being more resources available to entrepreneurs now than ever before. Business consultant Suzanne Mulvehill attributes the problem to personal insecurities.

"We forget to address our feelings of insecurity and vulnerability and to build emotional endur-ance," says Mulvehill, author of Employee to Entrepreneur: A Mind, Body and Spirit Transition. "This is about the ability to withstand the emotional challenges of starting and growing a business."

In January, Mulvehill launched Employee to Entrepreneur discussion groups, a nationwide support network for prospective entrepreneurs. Based on the ideas and principles in her book, the groups are led by a trained facilitator and focus on helping members talk through self-esteem issues, fears and other emotional challenges that might be behind business hurdles.

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For Janette Stoll of Paso Robles, California, working as a facilitator for these groups has helped her rediscover her passion for running her direct-sales fashion and accessories company for women. As the owner of ChicBoutique At Home, Stoll decided to volunteer as a facili-tator to help others make the transition from being employees to being their own bosses.

"Having someone available once a month to listen to their struggles or help steer them in a particular direction can make a big difference," says Stoll, 37. "We use specific questions to help people rediscover their dreams, their passions."

Working with the group members gave Stoll motivation and inspiration, too, and her company is expecting sales of $150,000 for 2008.

To learn more about these groups and find one in your area, visit emotionalendurance.com.