If you are relatively new in business, you may find that one of your biggest challenges is facing the reality that the people in your life aren’t taking your entrepreneurial endeavors seriously.

This can show up in a variety of ways which undermine your success, including:

• Interrupting you when you’re trying to focus on your business;
• An unwillingness to invest their time, energy, attention and even money in your business;
• Belittling comments about your business;

If you are not supported by the important people in your life, your professional confidence is at risk. And your confidence and willingness to persist in the face of challenge is probably the single greatest determiner of your business success.

So, what can you do if your family, friends or spouse treat your business as if it’s a hobby rather than a serious, real business venture?

First, it begins with you. When you treat your business as a real business, the people around you will begin to shift how they view – and treat – your business.

Start by using time blocking to structure your work week so that even if you are working from home, you have clear working hours.

If you are interrupted during those hours, kindly, yet firmly, state “these are my working hours and even though I am home, I am working and I need my time for work focus to be honored. I’ll be available to play/talk/run errands at [insert time].”

Next, get your legal, insurance, financial and tax systems in place.

When you’ve set your business up like a business (rather than running it as a hobby), it sets the tone for yourself and everyone around you that you are serious about your success.

We’ve seen it time and again when our clients finally decide to incorporate their business, get contracts in place, set up their team members properly, protect their intellectual property, get insurance in place and have financial systems and tax strategies planned out: their businesses consistently hit their revenue and life objectives.

It may surprise you to know that a lawyer can help you with these types of things, but that’s exactly what we are here for. We aren’t like ordinary lawyers who simply draft legal documents for you or that you only call when you have a problem. We are trusted advisors who support you to get the systems you need in your business so you can have a life and business you truly love.