The "stress of success" only sounds ridiculous to those who have never succeeded. For anyone managing a small business the phrase makes perfectly good sense. In particular, the manager of a business that has grown from one person to ten or more employees will likely experience the peculiar stress that comes with succeeding. How can this be?
Consider what happens when your small business "takes off."
You become famous.That is to say now your neighbors and friends know about you. You are assumed to be successful because of getting the breaks, knowing the right people, stealing and cheating, selling drugs out the back door, inheriting money, playing the angles and presumably doing other unknown but shady or illegal deeds.
You become visible. The ad in your local phonebook or newspaper means you are no longer anonymous. Your customers know your address and phone number. There is nowhere to hide. You have become known. That also makes you a bigshot.
The whole world thinks you are rich. You must now respond to requests for sponsorship of every good cause known to mankind. Why aren't you interested to help the local brotherhoods and orders of police, firefighters, ambulance attendants, Moose, Knights of Columbus, auxiliaries, church fundraisers, the United Way, Jerry's Kids, UNESCO and various other worthy efforts that are only possible with your support? Don't you care?
The whole world seems to think that you need immediate help to do your business successfully. Why aren't you ordering all the business advice publications designed just for you? Why aren't you joining all the business organizations there to speak for your interests? Why aren't you going to the conventions, renting exhibit booths and hiring consulting firms? Why aren't you signing up with investment funds that will multiply your great profits?
Every bank and lending institution on earth wishes to lend you money, especially with business credit cards. You are successful, so start borrowing. (Of course, if you really need the money, never mind.)
Several dozen insurance companies think your situation is just right for their products. Their products might be health insurance, long term healthcare insurance, life insurance, accident insurance, home insurance, auto insurance, supplemental Medicare insurance, product insurance and credit card insurance. The truth dawns: if you are in business and have been successful enough to get noticed you will spend the rest of your life hearing about insurance.
So, lucky businessperson that you are, in charge of a successful and and growing small company, get with the program! Admit it: you are rich, slick, a borderline criminal, in need of help from all directions to become richer. You are stingy if you do not contribut generously to all causes. You should be out there in the community giving leadership in all your spare time. You should be happy to receive mail by the pound. You should be a pillar of the church, a model for the community. You should join organizations. You should go to conventions and spend hours reading business advice columns after you finish devouring the Wall Street Journal every day and reading blogs like this piece.
Bottom Line: the bottom line to this attempt at humor is to make two points.
First, the transition in small business from the one-person operation to even a small number of employees and the beginning of success brings with it profound changes in how you are perceived. You can expect to become a target of marketing and soliciting. You can expect to be perceived as wealthy, powerful and influlential.
You are still the same person you always were but it may seem like no one else believes that. It can be very confusing and stressfu. Expect the stress. Keep your eye on the ball. Developing a business is hard work and the first priority of time and energy is to your business, not to anyone else's cause or propositions.
Second, two of the easiest and quickest ways to manage the stress of success is with humor and by talking about it out loud. So make the jokes and do the exaggerating. Keep saying it and listen for the feedback from anybody who will truly hear what you are saying. Ignore the rest.
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