Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Managing the Stress of Starting Your Own Business Stop spieling off platitudes about risk. Instead, develop a strategy to offset the oof, ugh and ouch! that can tag along with a risk-taking life.

By Joe Robinson

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Seattle-based architect Milan Heger was on the edge of the abyss. Before the economic downturn, Heger had a thriving business designing residential and commercial properties and, in 2005, launched a furniture line. His work appeared in store windows and magazine articles. Then came the Great Recession and the housing bust. Heger's contracts vanished. He had to cut his staff from five to one. By 2009, he was waking up nights in a cold sweat, worrying about his family's future.

Architect Milan Heger moves forward in spite of setbacks.

"The biggest pressure is the status of my mortgage, college payments," Heger says. "I felt not like a failure, but like a father who wasn't doing what he was supposed to do. I'd sit in the car in the driveway and not want to get out. It's hard and continues to be hard."

This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

'Beware': Tom Hanks Warns of AI Danger After Advertisement Uses His Likeness Without Permission

The actor shared a screenshot of the false advertisement to his 9.5 million Instagram followers.

Business News

These Great-Grandparents Booked 51 Back-to-Back Cruises Because It's 'Cheaper Than a Retirement Home'

Retirees Marty and Jess Ansen hopped on a cruise ship nearly two years ago and never left.

Business News

Walgreens' Battle Over High-Tech Cooler Doors Heats Up

The lawsuit, initially filed in June, is seeking $200 million in damages.

Business News

'It's Getting Worse By the Week': Kevin O'Leary Issues Grave Warning About Commercial Real Estate Industry

The "Shark Tank" star spoke to impending devaluation of stocks in the industry on FOX Business' "Varney & Co."