Group Therapy for Entrepreneurs
The importance of networking with fellow business owners
By Sean Fitzgerald, publisher, New North B2B magazine
As a small business owner, you’re the Mr. or Mrs. Do-It-All of your firm. You make all of the purchasing decisions, do all of the human resource compliance, manage the do-it-yourself I.T. network, make the coffee, clean the toilets, lick the stamps, plow the fields, yada yada yada.
But you still have those pull-your-hair-out days.
Like the network configuration you set up in your office keeps automatically switching back to “unfunctional” on its own, particularly after you already thought you fixed this problem earlier in the week. You don’t think you can afford the $100-plus an hour fee to have an I.T. consultant come in to fix the problem, so you take another crack at it – again.
Or that nice man who signed a lucrative two-year contract with your business – one of those “now can pay the utility bill” customers all new entrepreneurs feel relieved to land – is now 93 days behind on his payments, so you get up the nerve to call and ask nicely is he can promptly pay his bill. He tells you it will go out in the next batch of checks next week, you wait ten days for the check, and nothing arrives. After another two weeks, you drive down to his office in Menasha, walk to the entrance, only to find the door locked and office cleaned out. You call, and receive an operator message that the line has been disconnected. What do you do?
These are the not-so-glorious stories of entrepreneurship often not highlighted in movies or reality television shows. But if you’re in business for any length of time, we all face these hurdles in some form or another. They keep us up at night occasionally, and make us think we must be insane for going into business on our own.
“You Need to be a Little Crazy” is one of the mantras and one of the book titles of author and entrepreneurship guru Barry Moltz, who returns to the area as the keynote speaker for the Unstuck Workshop during the upcoming Northeast Wisconsin Entrepreneur Networking Day on Wednesday, June 22 at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton. Moltz was in Green Bay five years ago for an early NEW END event, and returned again last September for the 5-year anniversary of the Venture Center at FVTC.
The event marks an opportunity to “network like crazy” with other entrepreneurs about the hair-pulling issues that occasionally keep you up at night. That’s the value and the charm of these rare large-scale, business owner gatherings like NEW END – to hear the tales of how fellow entrepreneurs have dealt with the experiences you might be currently facing, and to receive the serenity and peace-of-mind to know that you’re not alone – that others have faced and are facing the same problems running a business as you.
Those entrepreneurs who operate in a silo can go a little stir crazy. I know – I’ve spoken with plenty over the years. They think they’re the only business owner to ever have a difficult employee situation, or the only entrepreneur with a critical vendor concern. They’re embarrassed to share these challenges because they consider them failures of running a business. Fortunately sooner than later, most business owners get help from one another by sharing their trials and receiving feedback and support from others who’ve been around the same proverbial block.
Now entrepreneurs don’t get a chance to network together all that often in such a large group in northeast Wisconsin, so put NEW END on your calendar for June 22, go online today to register at www.thenewend.biz, and get your dose of entrepreneurial therapy. You’ll feel like a hundred bucks the entire next week after.
Sean Fitzgerald is the founder, owner and president of Winnebago B2B LLC and the publisher of New North B2B magazine, a regional business media. He’s been involved in starting three companies over the past 10 years and more than a dozen publications throughout the course of his career. You can reach Sean by email at sean@newnorthb2b.com.
Taste the world of entrepreneurs!
Food entrepreneurs are some of the shining stars in the New North. NEW END – 2011 features five Taste of Entrepreneurship participants for the evening networking from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Leonard’s Gourmet Cookies, a Taste of Entrepreneurship veteran, will be serving her tasty gourmet cookies of course. Watch for the treats KC Candies brings from their line of gourmet toffees, caramel apples and caramel pears. Great Harvest will be serving up cookies and bars made pure and simple with ingredients you can pronounce and never any additives or preservatives. Attendees of the Taste will have the opportunity to try sweet treats provided by Plum Hill Café. You may be more familiar with their great sandwiches but wait until you try the treats! And last but not least artisan cupcakes from Bake Cupcakery and Catering. They go to great lengths to include as many organic and local ingredients as possible and the flavors, oh my!
How can you sample the best food entrepreneurs in northeast Wisconsin? Just visit www.thenewend.biz and register for a day completely dedicated to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Or, visit their websites to find out more about each entrepreneur’s different specialty and so much more!
NEW END friends and partners
A big thank you to Venture Center friend, Jeff Lindsay, for getting the word out about NEW END on his blog, www.innovationfatigue.com. If you’re an entrepreneur or creative business thinker, do yourself a favor and spend some time on this thought-provoking site. Jeff is the Director of Solution Development at Innovationedge (Neenah, Wisconsin) and former Corporate Patent Strategist at Kimberly-Clark Corp. He is an innovation enthusiast with over 100 patents in numerous areas, holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is a published author. When he’s not innovating business, you might catch him at one of his favorite restaurants in the Fox Valley area.
Thanks Jeff!
And while we have your attention, we’d also like to thank a few media sponsors who are helping to get the word out about NEW END. Specifically, WHBY-AM radio, Insight magazine, The Business News and New North B2B are all exited to participate in NEW END. These community-minded businesses know first-hand how vital entrepreneurs and small businesses are to the New North. Watch for more from them in the coming weeks!
SAVE THE DATE for NEW END 2011
Hundreds of entrepreneurs will join together for Northeast Wisconsin Entrepreneur Networking Day—or NEW END—Wednesday, June 22 at Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton. The event is dedicated to the specific needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners by packing networking, education, and collaboration into one day.
This is the seventh year for the influential business meeting which has been attended by hundreds of entrepreneurs annually. NEW END features nationally known author, speaker and entrepreneur, Barry Moltz, who will conduct a workshop specifically designed to get business “un-stuck.” Moltz has been a featured speaker at NEW END in the past, but this year’s event will provide more one-on-one learning with Moltz.
NEW END is sponsored by the FVTC Venture Center, the leading entrepreneur center in Northeast Wisconsin. In the last five years. The Venture Center has helped launch more than 200 businesses through the E-seed and Pro-Seed programs. Executive Director Amy Pietsch says this event is not only popular with entrepreneurs, but is a critical element of their business plan.
“For years, one of the most popular events at NEW END has been the ability to network in person with other entrepreneurs and business resources,” Pietsch said. “Entrepreneurs who attend will connect with the people and information they need to be successful.”
New for NEW END 2011, the “Pop-up-Pitch.” Entrepreneurs may register to be part of this competition in which they could win $2500 by telling a panel of judges in only 60-seconds who they are, what their business is, and how they will use the $2500 to advance their enterprise. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to come prepared for the “Pop-up-Pitch”. A limited number of registrants will be presenting their ideas in front of the entire NEW END conference and are urged to register early.
“Start-ups are constantly pitching their business idea to investors, partners or lending institutions,” Pietsch said. This is a fresh, creative way for them to hone their pitch into a short, specific message.”
In addition to the Pop-up-Pitch, NEW END 2011 will feature:
- Day long workshop with Barry Moltz
- Afternoon Networking session with business owners and other entrepreneurs
- Taste of Entrepreneurship featuring area food entrepreneurs and their finest fare
Hello World!
Fox Valley Technical College – Appleton Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011.
