We’ll Get Together Then

Yesterday Wil Shroter on the GO BIG network wrote a post about how a startup should never close. The gist of the article is that entrepreneurs need to get the 8-5 mentality out of their heads. When you are starting a business, you are always on the clock, and you need to put in tons of extra hours to pull it off. The idea of starting a business because you want to have your own schedule, work your own hours, and have more free time is probably more fantasy than reality.

However, and this is a big however, I think Mr. Shroter has overstated his point. His post reads as if you will be so absorbed in your new business venture that you won’t have any time for family, friends, or yourself. While this may be true in some circumstances, it is very possible to start your own business with out neglecting your spouse or your children.

The simple truth is that you will be working more than you would at a regular corporate job. The following are some steps to help your family feel like they are still more important than your business.

Use an online task management application like Remember the Milk, and share your to-do list with your spouse. Letting him or her see exactly what you are working on will ensure open communication, and foster some flexibility.
Have some evenings where you will do no work at all. This should be on the same night or nights each week, but you can shuffle the schedule if you have more work on a particular day. By the same token, have other nights where it will be known that you will be working until you are done, sometimes late into the night.
Eat dinner with your family. Make it a priority, and go back to work after dinner. While you are at dinner, turn off the crackberry and other communication devices. Don’t rush the meal, and catch up with the goings on in your house. And while running the office of the US President is not a business, it is similar in time demands. President Obama is reported to be encouraging his staff to eat dinner with their families and then come back to work.
Take your family on occasional business trips. Recently I had a Friday meeting in New York. I took along my wife and kids, and spent the weekend with them touring Manhattan. This isn’t always possible, but look for opportunities.
Have an exit strategy. Much like the Iraq war, you need to know your end game ahead of time. Do you plan on burning the candle at both ends forever, even if you continue to earn less than what you would make in a corporate position? When will you shift your schedule to a more sustainable one if you have success? Do you know what success will look like? Sticking to your strategy will be one of the hardest things you face.

You can have a family and start your own business. But, you should be aware that this is no small undertaking, and sacrifices will have to be made on a daily basis.

The video below is a nice reminder: