From PTSD To Success - Is It Possible?

June 23, 2008

I know that many people who have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) read this blog. But can you really go on to suffer PTSD and achieve success? After all, if you’ve read much about PTSD, you’ll probably have heard that if you haven’t recovered within the first year, your life will never return to normal.

Hearing this can be terrifying. But it’s important to know that even though you may not recover completely, your life can be a whole lot better than it is now. And you can be successful in whatever you choose to do.

I personally have a long way to go to reach something that I would define as a successful life. But I suppose that getting to where I am now, from where I was at when I first began to suffer from PTSD is a success in itself.

If you’re suffering from PTSD and you’d like to go freelance, or start a business, let me share a few things I’ve learned over the past 14 years, 6 months and 11 days that may be of some help to you.

1. Running a business is tough. And coping with PTSD at the same time can make it even harder. If you’re unable to get help and support from family and friends, do make sure you get help elsewhere. I know it’s difficult to ask for help when you’ve already been rejected by those around you, but ask your GP and he may be able to arrange for you to attend counselling sessions, or group therapy.

2. If you’re in any type of abusive relationship - whether it be with a partner, family member or even a so called friend, break it off and simply don’t see that person. Bullies are experts at taking advantage ot those who are vulnerable and this type of relationship will be detrimental to both your health and your business success.

3. In some ways, starting a business can initially seem quite simple if you have PTSD. If you’ve suffered for any length of time, you’ll probably be used to experiencing avoidance - immersing yourself in a hobby, interest, or work completely, to avoid dealing with the pain. This can seem great when you first start a business, as it makes it easy to concentrate on your business 24/7.

But, the trouble is, it’s also easy to ignore the fact that you’re doing this and to actually believe you’re cured, when you’re not. And this can cause problems later on in your business.

4. If you’re on any medication, don’t stop taking it when you go freelance, or start a business - even if you think you don’t need it anymore, as mentioned in point 3. I did just that and when I began to experience additional stresses and triggers, I developed a habit of using alcohol and painkillers to numb the pain instead. And I’m guessing that I don’t need to tell you how dangerous that can be. It’s amazingly easy to forget how long it is since you took your last pain killers, especially if you’ve been drinking.

I was surprised that it happened to me. For many years I barely ever used alcohol to cope with PTSD, so I didn’t think it would be a problem in the future.

5. Do seek out people who will help and support you - even if they really don’t understand. Business can be really stressful at times and if you’re already suffering from PTSD, sometimes the additional stress can become overwhelming. For example, I was going through a really busy and stressful time in my business about 3 years ago, as well as a lot of stress in my personal life. Then one day, I had an appointment with the bank and they told me they were freezing my account (long story) and I wouldn’t be able to take a single penny out.

My reaction was to totally freeze. I could barely speak, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t even remember where I’d parked my car. Luckily, I had someone I could call to come and get me and help me to sort things out. When things like that happen, you don’t necessarily need someone who understands what is wrong - but it’s useful to have someone who’ll help you, without needing to understand.

6. No matter how many times you fall down, keep trying. It’s easy to give up and believe you’ll never be able to make it because you have PTSD - especially when you suffer huge setbacks. This happened to a friend of mine. He had a hugely successful business and he spent almost every waking hour working (as mentioned in point 3). Then one day, two things triggered him to become terribly ill again - neither of them were work related. He was extremely poorly for several months and in that time, his business went down the pan - he lost everything.

I wish he’d started up again but he decided to go and work for someone else, as he was concerned that the same thing would happen again. It’s a shame, as he has what it takes to build a great business.

7. Every time you do have a setback in your business, tell yourself you’ll never be as far back as you were when you first became ill. When you first begin to suffer from PTSD, you’ll probably be at your worst and you’re unlikely to have a lot of confidence. But every little success you have in that business will help build your confidence back up again. And even if you become quite ill again, the chances are, you’ll never wind up back at square one.

8. Don’t isolate yourself. If your business is going to involve working from home all the time, do try to make an effort to get out and see people. And think twice before moving to another part of the country or world alone to start a business, if you’re suffering from PTSD - especially in the early days. I did exactly that - moved to the other end of the country (I didn’t intend to live alone, but that’s another long story) and it was fatal. Although I didn’t have a lot of support from people around me when I first became ill - at least I still saw people sometimes. But when I moved, I was completely isolated.

If you suffer from PTSD and you’re thinking about working for yourself, I hope this advice has helped a little. In terms of coping and recovering, I’ve probably made some of the biggest cock ups in the book. I’m still nowhere near where I want to be and I still do suffer many symptoms of PTSD. But I’m much further on than I was all those years ago, so just think what you could do.

Posted by cathlawson | Filed Under Running a Business | 9 Comments

Another Bloody Good Reason To Delegate

June 21, 2008

Delegating or outsourcing some tasks in your business can be a smart move (once you’re actually making some money). And it’s also a good idea to outsource certain aspects of your personal life. But aside from time saved, there’s another bloody good reason to outsource.

Have you ever noticed how some small jobs or tasks have the potential to affect your mood for several hours, or even the whole day? These are the ones you need to think about ditching first, unless you like being miserable at work.

For me, one of the worst offenders is the school run. And do you know what - I don’t do it - haven’t done it for several years. It’s not that I dislike driving, or children. I just don’t like the gossips who hang round the school gates.

Another pet hate is the mobile phone - or any phone for that matter. I hate being interrupted, so I just get someone else to answer for me or switch it off completely.

What things do you hate doing in your work or personal life that you would love to outsource? Would you go out of your way to avoid having your mood affected for the day?

Posted by cathlawson | Filed Under Running a Business | 7 Comments

Are You Chasing Customers Away?

June 19, 2008

Have you ever turned customers away because you didn’t have what they needed in stock, or you were too busy to provide the service they needed?

Did you offer them an alternative? Or did you point them in the direction of someone who could provide them with what they needed? If not, chances are you’ll never see them again.

No matter what type of business you have, you should always offer an alternative. And if you don’t have one, save your customer some time by suggesting someone who does.

Some people hate recommending competitors to customers. But most people will remember you for the help you give - not what you manage to sell them and they’ll be far more likely to remember you next time they’re in the market for what you do offer.

Just remember these points:

1) If you have alternatives, always try to offer more than one.

2) If you have a website, make sure you offer alternatives on the pages of out of stock products.

3) Don’t recommend a competitor who sucks if you don’t have a suitable alternative. Many people do this, because they worry about losing a customer to a competitor. But do you really want to be remembered as the person who made a bad recommendation?

4) If you offer a service on your website and you work alone, remember to set up an autoresponder message to let potential customers know this. And do recommend an alternative service provider.

5) Don’t send your customers to random businesses who might have what you stock - especially if they’re a brick and mortar shop. This can be more annoying than receiving no recommendation at all. But your customer will love you if you call up a competitor to check if they have a particular item in stock for them.

6) Even if you never offer the particular product or service that a customer wants - always remember to let them know what you do offer. Chances are, they might remember and come back.

Posted by cathlawson | Filed Under Running a Business | 7 Comments

Make Your Business Seem Amazingly Popular

June 16, 2008

Nothing breeds success like success. And if your business already appears to be amazingly popular, you’ll find it far easier to attract more customers.

Now, we’ve all got to start somewhere and it’s unlikely that customers will be lining up in droves from day one. So, it’s often useful to give them a nudge in the right direction. The majority of people are like sheep, so if your business is seen to be popular, hundreds more new customers are liable to follow.

Some people would say it’s wrong to exaggerate the popularity of your product or service. But, personally, I would rather do that than be drowned in a sea of other similar businesses.

The important thing to remember is that it’s fine to exaggerate the popularity of your business, so long as you’re able to deliver what you promise.

If You Don’t Stretch The Truth Slightly You Might Sink: In “Anyone Can Do It”, Duncan Bannatyne explained that the bank would not release the remainder of his loan until his nursing home was full of residents. This could have really landed him in the shit, as the final touches were still being added to the building and he was running out of cash.

So, he simply got his mother to bring a load of her friends round when the bank visited and make it look like they were residents and he got his cash.

Size Does Matter: If you appear to have a huge workforce, you’re liable to get more work. So, a few years ago, I put together an impressive prospectus, slightly exaggerating our size. I didn’t lie, but I just counted part-timers and temps as full time employees.

It brought us a lot more work and it was a no brainer, as I knew I’d be able to recruit extra people and temps to cope with the extra workload.

If You Don’t Exaggerate, You’ll Be Invisible To The Media: A guy I know set up in business in a premises leased from Duncan Bannatyne. He was asking me how to get the attention of the press, so I advised him to say that he wanted to expand into several other places throughout the country and make out that he knew Duncan Bannatyne personally.

He was a bit unsure about doing this, but it worked and it made far more interesting reading than X has opened a Y type business - end of story. Many local newspapers will print that type of stuff, but it doesn’t really make interesting reading. Use a bit of imagination and you’ll stand out far more.

Have you ever exaggerated to attract more customers, or get media attention? Do you know anyone else who has? Or would you prefer not to do it, even if it was to the detriment of your business? Please share in the comments section.

Posted by cathlawson | Filed Under Misc | 10 Comments