Ethics and Values: January 2005 Archives

When I teach about entrepreneurship, I stress the importance of starting with one's aspirations and goals. For more and more people, these aspirations go well beyond financial goals they hope to achieve through their new business. Lifestyle and family issues are increasingly being identified as key issues as new entrepreneurs plan their businesses.

For many of the young women I work with, planning for a business that allows them to be active mothers for their children is a fundamental goal for their entrepreneurial careers. An article in today's Tennessean highlights this trend.

"You can't swing a diaper bag on a playground without it landing firmly at the foot of a woman running, or thinking about running, her own business - whether that business be knitting blankets to sell at a craft fair, selling cookware at home parties, or nailing down advertisers for a franchise entertainment coupon book that grosses six figures."

There is a popular website that offers support and ideas for women looking to integrate entrepreneurship and motherhood called MompreneursOnline. (Caution: Some opportunistic person associated with this site made sure that they trademarked "Mompreneur"....).

Entrepreneur.com recently offered a guide to the myriad of technology that can link you and your employees to your business twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, and around the globe.

"From home offices to hotel rooms, technology is the wind beneath your business wings, the premium gasoline in your work tank, the foundation of your building-you get the idea. Slews of laptops, wireless solutions, remote software and cell phones await your use."

True. But, technology can also become the chains and shackles that make many entrepreneurs feel like slaves to their businesses. The very freedom that such technology can create also leads to resentment, burn-out, and fatigue in many entrepreneurs. For many, the only escape is when the flight attendant closes the airplane door for take-off. Alas, even that escape may soon be taken away if cell phones are allowed for use on commercial flights.

I would like to offer some possible "connection free" zones that entrepreneurs can create to restore a little sanity to this high-speed world:

-Church
-Your daughter's dance recital
-The bathroom
-The golf course
-Your son's choir concert
-Dinner our with your wife
-Family reunions
-Movie theaters
-The tennis court
-The dentist's office
-Family vacations
-Walking the dog
-Public rest rooms
-College campus visits with your teenagers
-Family dinner

Connectivity is an amazing tool that can allow businesses to grow more effectively. You can keep better communication and coordination with branch offices, traveling staff, customers and suppliers.

But, give yourself some time for family, for rest, and for leisure. Disconnect from the connected world. You, and your business, will be healthier.

Paul Orfalea, Founder of Kinko's, spoke at the USASBE conference I attended this past weekend. Here is his definition of success:

"Success in life is having kids who want to come back to visit you when they've grown up."