Starting your own business requires the proper mindset to ensure success.  Often times, people lose interest in their business altogether.  Our next guest shares his story.

Please introduce yourself to our readers…

My name is David Sheets, and I am PR and communications manager for Perficient, Inc., a global IT consulting and management services company headquartered in St. Louis.

You once started your own business – what was it?

Before my current position, I ran my own content management firm, Fast Edits LLC, which provided writing and editing services for assorted digital and print publications.

What made you decide to go out on your own vs work for someone else?

I had worked for others for many years and harbored a strong urge to start working on my own, so after I was laid off from my longtime employer I actively sought clients instead of job offers.

Did you take any outside funding?

No. I had saved enough seed funding to avoid taking out a loan.

Did you have any partners?

My wife was a silent partner in the business.

What was your vision/goal for the company?

In my former life as a newspaper reporter and editor, I often received business and corporate communications material marred by poor grammar and incorrect spelling. The problem is far more common than you would think, and it bruises a company’s image. My goal was to help enterprises look better in print so that they would subsequently look better to potential clients.

What was your company culture like? Did it ever change?

It was a relaxed culture – just me (and my three dogs) working out of my home office.

Why are you not with that business anymore?

I found after a while that I really didn’t enjoy running my own business as much as I expected. Being your own boss requires demands on your time and patience that can be more stressful than anything found in the workplace. As with any job, self-employment requires the proper mindset to ensure success.

Would you do it again?

Perhaps, but not the same kind of business.

What are you doing now?

I manage media relations and internal communications for a fast-growing company. My role requires many of the same skills that were demanded by Fast Edits LLC but includes a wealth of other responsibilities that keep me learning and growing as a media professional.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting their own business?

Expect to work harder than you ever imagined possible. And remember, the only person to blame when things go wrong is the one staring at you in the mirror each morning. Summon the courage and fortitude to accept that, and you’ll do fine.

What is your favorite song?

I don’t really have a favorite, but classical music puts me in the mood to work and swing music puts me in the mood to play.

Thanks for sharing David!  You can follow David on LinkedIn.