It's Just Emotion Are your feelings helping or hindering the start-up process?

We like to think that we're devoid of emotions in ourprofessional lives--that we make critical decisions with a businesshead and not a bleeding heart. The truth is that our emotionsfollow us wherever we go. In fact, for most entrepreneurs, bothpositive and negative emotions become even more acute during abusiness start-up.

It's a rare individual who doesn't get excited uponlanding his first account, or who doesn't feel the pain ofdisappointment when the business suffers a setback. Business is nota constant. Like life, it changes. When those changes correspondwith our desires or exceed our expectations, we're happy; whenthey don't, our emotions take a more negative turn.

Ann James, one of the founders of AmeriGyn, an OB/GYNphysician-practice management company in Nashville, likens goinginto business to being on a roller-coaster ride. "It's anextremely up-and-down situation," says James. Still in thestart-up phase of her business, she describes her current demeanor:"At the core I feel very confident, but on any given day Imight wake up and think, `Oh, my God, what am I doing?'Sometimes you have these tremendous fears. They're not rationalfears. They're not even fears you can resolve. I thinkthat's just part of leaping off into the literal unknown:trying to create a very significant business."

James cautions against exhibiting your fears, though. "Nomatter how often I might wake up in the middle of the night in apanic, it's not okay for me to share those fears with myteam," she says. "I have to project that the company ison course and growing well."

James left a highly successful and profitable law firm to runher own company in July of 1996. She describes what manyentrepreneurs are up against today. "What generally happensis, you've left something in order to do something else, andthat something else is an unknown quantity," says James."You know the former systems. Now, not only do you not knowwhat the systems are, you may not have a system. Maybeyou've been used to the structure of a big corporation, whereyou've had somebody taking care of details. Suddenly, youcan't just say, `We need x' and expect x to appear. Justgetting unlined 3-by-5 index cards can become a big production.When it comes to deciding company policy, there's not a cadreof people or a precedent of prior decisions that you can turn to.Everything is harder now because you have to think about how to getthese things done yourself. You will feel frustrated attimes."

When this happens, James suggests, "Take a few minutes foryourself. Take a walk, work out, read a poem--do whatever you needto do to give yourself a time-out. When you return to the issuesyou're facing, you will have gotten them inperspective."

Sharon D'Orsie admits that the number-one emotion she feltwhen she started Eagle Environmental Health Inc., a Houston- andNew Orleans-based industrial hygiene and occupational-healthorganization, was fear. She worried, "What if the idea ofstarting this company turns out to be incredibly stupid?" She,too, had left a secure position. Although she had extensiveknowledge and background in her field, she admittedly had nopractical business experience.

D'Orsie thought long and hard before acting on her burningdesire to have her own business. "I had to examine my valuesystem and ask myself which is the greater sin, failure or livinglife by default?" she says, explaining, "I believe thatmany people live life by default; like a leaf in a river, theyallow the river of life to determine where they will travel. To me,living life by default is cowardly. I decided that failure isinfinitely better than never trying at all."

As Neil Balter states in The Closet Entrepreneur (CareerPress, $14.95, 800-CAREER-1), rejection--and the fear ofrejection--are big barriers along the road to success."You'll be faced with rejection in every stage of yourbusiness," he says, "but that's what business is allabout. Rejection is the single most common reason business ownersgive up. Don't let rejection do this to you; use your rejectionas motivation to get the job done. Many people run at the firstsign of adversity. They start a business and when things don'tgo right, they give up and go on to something else. You must betough enough not to take rejection to heart. Don't be sensitiveevery time things don't go your way. Draw upon yourself-confidence. You need to be thick-skinned. If you know yourcompany is doing its best by providing good service and products,don't let rejection intimidate you. Be resilient and handle therejection in a professional manner."

Those who dare to try their entrepreneurial wings usually findthe experience to be more personally enlightening than theyexpected.

"My husband warned me that having a business would bringout every area of weakness I had," says Andrea Gold, founderof Gold Stars Speakers Bureau, a Tucson, Arizona-based company thatbooks speakers for meetings and events all over the globe. "Infact, fear and anxiety were my constant companions in the first fewyears of business. I remember becoming frustrated because thingsweren't happening within my preconceived time frame."Looking back, Gold says, "I consider perseverance to be one ofthe most important qualities necessary to starting and growing abusiness. When you're experiencing a business slump andyou're not sure whether to continue, ask yourself, `What'sthe alternative?' Are you ready to go back to work for somebodyelse?"

Humility is another trait essential to entrepreneurship.According to Mary Embree, founder of SPAWN (Small Publishers,Artists and Writers Network), a Ventura, California-basednetworking organization for creative individuals and businessowners involved in the publishing field, "When you'restarting a business, you must feel it is more important to succeedthan it is to be right. You're bound to be wrong sometimes. Tolearn from your mistakes, you have to be able to see yourmistakes--and that takes courage, integrity and humility. Thesearen't just character traits, they're deep, intensefeelings."

Entrepreneurial mistakes and shortcomings are often pointed outby others. According to Embree, "When faced with negativecriticism, our first response is to defend our actions. To besuccessful as an entrepreneur, you must remain open to criticism,and see it as an opportunity to fine-tune your product, proceduresor services. While it is important to stand by what you think worksbest, accept the fact that almost everything can be improvedupon."

A fledgling business owner may be an expert in the product orservice they offer, but they can't know everything there is toknow about operating a business from the outset. Research is key.As Gold points out, "A business owner has to be receptive toevery source of information available to them."

Melvin Powers, founder of the highly successful Wilshire BookCo. in Los Angeles, firmly believes in utilizing availableresources. In fact, the two techniques he has found extremelyvaluable during his 40 years in business are brainstorming andseeking expert advice. He says, "If it isn't working, youmust find out why, and then take some constructive suggestions fromqualified people. You can't expect to get that successovernight if you don't do your homework."

Many entrepreneurs admit to often feeling overwhelmed during thestart-up phase of their businesses. Embree describes herexperience: "In the beginning, there are a lot of ideas beinggenerated, which means a lot of work and a lot of decisions tomake. It can certainly be overwhelming at times. I find it helps tohave a very clear idea of what you want to do--a plan--but it'salso important to be flexible. If you aren't flexible,you're setting yourself up to fail."

What drives these entrepreneurs to forge ahead when so manyothers would turn tail and run when faced with such fears anddiscomfort? Don Hagge, CEO of 3C Semi-Conductor Corp. in Portland,Oregon, says, "I think the underlying characteristic of anentrepreneur is a fire in the belly, or passion. It's difficultto be successful in a business start-up under the best ofcircumstances. There are so many unexpected and unanticipatedproblems. Without passion and a strong sense of urgency, yourchances of success are reduced significantly. I don't mean thatone should go forward with one's head in the sand, but it isnecessary to have a strong focus and not let detractors get you offcourse."

D'Orsie agrees and advises others, "Do not start abusiness unless you have a passion for the subject matter;otherwise, your life is going to be hell. The hours and thefinancial demands are so incredible that, unless you really have apassion for what you're doing, you will have a miserablelife."

Michael Kramm, founder of the two-year-old Capresso Inc., aCloster, New Jersey company that specializes in producing andmarketing high-quality coffee makers and espresso machines, adds,"It's not enough to know what you're doing; you mustlike or love your work. From that, not only will you be morecreative, you will also have the strength to go through theinevitable negative emotions. And I don't think you'rereally an entrepreneur without emotions."

Success in business is not just about making money. It'sabout enrichment of life. It's about the sense ofself-satisfaction you feel when you're following your dream.It's about facing the negatives in business along with thepositives, because you're doing what you want to do inlife.

There are disappointments in business. There are setbacks.Despite careful planning, things don't always happen when andhow you want them to. You will suffer from feelings of frustration,fear and anxiety. You will sometimes feel overwhelmed. This is why,every year, hundreds of men and women give up their dream of owninga business and go back to the security of the corporate world. Weknow why businesses fail, but what makes them successful? ForPowers, it's a positive attitude.

Having published more than 500 titles (some of them million-copysellers) and having experienced success in a couple of sidebusiness as well, Powers offers this insight: "My attitude is,if there's a problem, solve the problem. I'm neverfrustrated about it. I simply take one step at a time. There areups and downs in any business. In a slow period I say, `Okay,it's slow; what can I do about it?' I don't look at itas a failure. Anybody can quit anything, but if you quit, nothingis going to happen. If you want to learn how to play the piano,practice. If you want to learn how to ride a horse and you getthrown, get back on. It's the same with growing a successfulbusiness: You have to stay with it."

While some may still argue that the concept of "emotions inbusiness" is an oxymoron, it's obvious by the commentsfrom our experts that there's still a lot of heart at the helmof American enterprise. The fact is that as long as businesses areoperated by people, there will be emotions in business. Byacknowledging and accepting this fact, and learning to direct yourentrepreneurial emotions, your business has a much greater chancefor success.

Patricia Fry is a homebased freelance writer living in Ojai,California. She has written numerous magazine articles, as well assix books on various topics.

Contact Sources

3C Semiconductors, 618 N.W. 12th Ave., #406, Portland, OR97209-3002, (503) 221-0512.

AmeriGyn, 1900 W. Loop S. #300, Houston, TX 77027, (713)964-4006.

Capresso Inc., 231 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ 07624, (201)767-3999.

Gold Star Speakers Bureau, P.O. Box 37106, Tucson, AZ85740-7106, (520) 742-4384.

SPAWN, P.O. Box 2653, Ventura, CA 93002-2653, (805)643-2403.

Wilshire Book Co., 12015 Sherman Rd., North Hollywood, CA91605, (818) 765-8579.