Death of a Business – Part 4
For the fourth and final part in the series of closing your business – it’s time to move on.
We’ve gone over three parts so far – what to expect when closing your business, the business closing process, and the emotional stages of closing a business. Now it’s time to get on with your life.
Now that your business is closed, you probably want nothing to do with work or having a job. You just want to crawl under a rock and hide from everyone. No one understands what you have been through, and the loss you have suffered.
So – go ahead! Take some time off. Try not to think about your business – there will be time to go over what happened and to learn from it.
If you are anything like the rest of the world, though, you are probably low on money and can’t afford to take too much time off. I sat around for two months after I closed my shop. Luckily it was during the summer, so I sat around at the neighborhood pool with my kids. We really had to cut back on our spending, since my wife’s income could barely support us.
So, assuming you are not independently wealthy, you will eventually have to start making money. I wanted nothing to do with starting another business, nor did I have the money to do so anyway.
So I started looking for a real job. You should too.
I was at first concerned with the reactions I might get having “worked for myself” on my resume. But, if you word it correctly, it is actually a great asset. I prefer working for a small company, and by then, I knew the ins and outs of running a small company, I could wear many hats if I needed to, and I was comfortable selling – which basically is what you will be doing – selling yourself and your skills.
Working for “the man” again, on one hand, is really frustrating. Back with company politics, no one wanting to take responsibility, simple actions taking weeks and countless meeting to get done, and having to answer to a boss who does not really know what is going on.
On the other hand, there is not really any stress working for someone else. A steady paycheck is great. Letting other people worry about payroll, paying the bills, ordering parts – whatever it is that is outside your job function – you don’t have to do. It is a really nice break from having to do it all. Still frustrating, but it’s a nice break. And you definitely need one.
And – you never know – you might just find an opportunity waiting for you there.
Just because you had to close one business doesn’t mean you can’t start another somewhere down the road.
So get a real job, at least until you can catch up on some bills and save some money. Think about your business, and what happened. Remember what you did right, and what you did wrong. You can probably think back and see the warning signs that you ignored the first time around. Don’t think of having to close your business as a ‘failure’ – realize it for what it is – a great learning experience.
Most importantly – don’t forget your dreams.
Recent Comments