For a lot of people the working week is a strictly defined period of time. It starts on a Monday and ends on a Friday. The working day is usually over by 6pm.
Not so for the entrepeneur.
If you deal with entrepeneurs on a regular basis you can throw all those ideas of work schedules out the window.
It doesn’t really matter how big or small their organisations are as it’s more a state of mind than anything else. You could call it dedication or you could call it obsession. However it’s a characteristic of most entrepeneurs that I have come across.
If you look at the activity on mailing lists, fora and blogs outside office hours it can give you some indication of the level of work that goes on outside office hours.
Of course those are only the public facets of their activity, but I know from the emails and IM conversations I have with people that there is probably as much work done outside office hours as there is during them.
I can empathise with that.
So, maybe it’s time to found a new organisation for workaholics. Let’s call it Workaholics Anonymous!
Yup, thats me in a nutshell… even when i’m at home ‘chilling out’ watching TV, I usually have my laptop with me and use the distraction of TV to remove the boredom of doing proposals, plans, and various other ‘lots of typing’ chores.
I also check our site stats across all sites several times daily, every day – especially when we launch new ones so I can monitor activity.
A lot of it is probably because our businesses are 24/7/365 ones, therefore its important not to keep ones eye off the ball.
Not to mention, one is far more likely to work late and hard if they are the one who gets the largest gains from it.
That for me is the best part of being your own boss.
M.
Nice blog. Problem is that sometimes they ‘entrepreneurs’ miss the wood for the tree’s.
I contend that sometimes oppertunity exists in the 9 – 5 ratrace and an entrepreneurial lack of sync causes opportunity to slide away.
Have seen this in numerous cases. Many entrepreneurs are pure capitalists, in for the dosh and are s**t are running organisations, of an size over 12 for example [May be a prerequisite of a takeover]. Others who you may know are purists, live for the work ….but can’t innovate and produce.
The Irish stereotype:
Nail biter, Smokes 40 cigs per day. Involves family in the business too much. Feels moderately displeased with career to date. Never mentions past endeavours for fear of shun.Likes fastfood. Problems dealing with the world.
Remedy: Hook up with someone with vision. Flog business for a few million. Start again.
Join rat race on pain of death.
Jack – Some very valid points. I’m not sure where I fall in all of that. Hopefully somewhere positive 🙂
Michele
You mentioned that there ought to be a group called Workaholics Anonymous. There is, although it is devoted more to moderating work in a healthy than encouraging people to do tons more of it. And yes, it does have a lot of entrepreneurs who are driven there from lack of boundaries between work and life and the need to take calls all the time.
Now I just hope that employers (such as mine) quit pushing *Crackberries* on everyone.
Alice
Pity there isn’t an Irish chapter 🙂
Thanks for letting me know about it
Michele