How to have a successful business

[susands68]

Hello all, I am 50 years old and really don't know how to manage my life with ADD. I'm a single mom, all my kids have moved out now and I'm still struggling every month to make ends meet. I have a from home business, which is not the best idea for me probably, but after being a stay at home mom forever, I don't have the skills to get a decent paying job. I love the business that I have, but I still manage to suck at it. And, I've started and stopped it, (and many other businesses) I don't know how many times. I want to make it work, (I NEED to make it work) I just don't know how to make myself follow through on all of the things I get excited about, plan to do, talk about, etc. I'm great at making lists, making a plan, a schedule, getting excited about it, but within no time at all, it's gone by the wayside. I'm tired of being a failure, of letting down my family and myself. Honestly, it seems really hopeless.

[dgs2018]

Hi susands68, and glad you found this board. You are most definitely not a failure. You've raised 4 assumedly well-adjusted children who have moved out, that doesn't disqualify you from being successful in the area of business as well. You have a specific set of skills, in having ADHD, that you can hone in on to tackle these challenges. No matter what kind of business it is, it's concern is solving a problem for others who are willing to pay you for your service. Please seek out others in this type of business who have gained experience and some advice. By the way, most of those on this board totally sympathize with your feelings of inadequacy which sometimes are accentuated by outside forces. Hang in there!

[susands68 in reply to dgs2018]

Thank you for that. Yes, my kids are wonderful people, although they all have ADD as well, unfortunately. That's a good idea to seek out others in my business with ADD (I think that's what you meant) I have taken lots of training on how to have a super successful business, (that's when I get super excited and fired up)but none of them deals with how to do it with ADD, I'll look into that. Knowing there are others that deal with the feelings of inadequacy does help, thank you.

[Hidden]

Hi susands68,

Congratulations on having 4 wonderful kids with ADD that live out of your home! That is a HUGE accomplishment. Congrats for finding something that you love to do, btw. As a former recruiter, that is hard to do. Also, congratulations to reaching out in this board for help and support.

I'm wondering if you could benefit from a Business Coach who specializes in ADHD for small business owners/entrepreneurs? It sounds like you have the passion for what you do but the details and the completion of tasks is challenging. A Business Coach who knows ADHD may be able to help you sort everything out. I am a ADHD coach but don't specialize in business. I just Googled "ADHD business coach" and a few came up.

(Putting my coach hat on. No need to answer publicly.) When you are feeling down, I suggest looking at the areas of your life that have gone well. What is it about YOU that made them go well? How can you apply those strengths to your business?

Good luck! You can do this.

[susands68 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the kind words and great ideas. (I have 3 kids, not 4...not sure where someone came up with 4, lol) I never thought of a business coach that specialized in adhd, that is a really great idea. It will have to wait til more money is coming in, but definitely something I will look into making happen.

I will think about your last suggestion as well, although those areas are extremely few and far between. And, I'm not just trying to be "poor me, such a failure", but truly, other than my kids somehow being great people, everything I've attempted has not succeeded. No need to reply to that!

[Hidden]

Please try to be gentle with yourself about not knowing how to have a successful business. Many people struggle. It's hard even for neurotypicals! Many hire Business Coaches for help.

[daybyday365]

You can do what ever you set your heart on. If you can raise a family then you most certainly can hold a job. This is just a bump in the road. Keep working towards your goals and you will make it.

[susands68 in reply to daybyday365]

I can hold a job -when it's an outside, someone telling me what to do - kind of job. It's the home business where I'm in control of everything that happens that I struggle with. But, that's what I really want to figure out how to make happen successfully.

[Attentiondefdiff]

First of all do not think of yourself as not having marketable skills. Raising kids and getting them out of the house is an accomplishment. Some companies actually appreciate that experience.

I am a teacher with a great idea for a business. I am having the same issues as you. I’m excited and confident one day then feeling like I can’t do it the next. I have reached out to SCORE and have a mentor. We have a small business free service in our town and I keep telling myself to reach out to them. One of my obstacles is frustration over learning new things and being slow to get it. The frustration of messing up and have to go back to the beginning. Plus as I have have failed at many things throughout my life before knowing what I do about ADHD the voice in my head keeps telling me, this too shall fail. I do not have supportive friends and family as they have witnessed the failures or too many things started and never finished. And of course being at home I find other things to do! I had this great plan to have the business up and running by time school starts back and I am at the stage I planned to be at 2 weeks into summer and now I have 3 weeks left of summer

I am making progress just slow . I have not quit I am confident in my ability to do this I will enjoy the work once I figure it all out. I am learning many new skills. I am beginning to accept as long as I have forward movement I’m not failing as well as knowing I will make less mistakes taking it one slow movement at a time. I am determined to see this through for my own confidence. I did go to college and got my degree in my early 40’s That took 5 years so I know I can do this