Any ADD/ADHD Entrepreneur’s out there? | ADHD Information

I have dabbled years ago with my own biz and they were not the right one's, but I LOVE doing MY OWN thing!  I recently put up a website from a passion of mine, cosmetics/skincare. I have never liked following others rules, don't authority, always wanted to do my own thing and this time it will succeed. (positive thinking!   )  I still work my FT job while getting my site rolling, so I still following some rules/regs.

If you have ADD/ADHD and have your own business, did you always want your own? OR due to the ADD found it too hard and hated the corporate world and find yourself much happier doing your OWN thing?

***I always wanted my OWN thing, but always hated rules and following others.

Do you also find that some tedious/reading type tasks frustrating, BUT!  have a nautral ability (since the ADD brain is ALWAYS moving) to think OUTside the box and you also just *know* how to run your own thing and it comes naturally vs following corp rules/regs?

What do you find the hardest about running your own biz and what do you find the easiest? (I wonder if we all have similiar issues)  I attend an Adult ADD group session once a week and things like this come up.

I sometimes wonder how much is my ADHD (probably the creative part) and what is really just *me*. I find it hard to seperate the two, as was brought up in one of our sessions.

I hope this post hasn't confused anyone? LOL  thanks!

 

 

I would love to own my own business, but I'm still in college, going the MD route right now, but I definitely would love to start a small business on the side whenever I get enough money. dieburnbot38267.5446875

hi,

yes, but you are doing the college route which is great! I am not a book learner, hands on. I hate to sit still even to read, although I do read boards!  Medical will have lots of restrictions etc. which would be hard for me.

Yeah it sucks, but luckily I'm in my senior year and will graduating soon.  I hope all this BS I put up with pays off though.  It been extremely difficult for me to get through this with my ADD and everything.

I find the accounts and paper work the hardest thing.  Gettnig taxes paid and organising putting tax a side as income comes in.

Also, not saying stupid things to clients, controlling the mouth and not saying things that are just thoughts out loud. 

Thanks for your comments and I hope your business goals work out. I admire you for doing it! I couldn't and I KNOW how hard school is, as I had to re-read things over/over for it to stick. GOOD for YOU!

YEP, I procrastinate the paperwork & accounting!

What do you do Rae?

If you didn't have these symptoms all your life then it's not ADHD. It's most likely just stress from all the lifestyle changes. You can either wait it out (when things settle down again your life will probably be back on track) or see if your doctor will give you something for depression or anxiety. The only way to suddenly get ADHD later in life is from a severe head trauma, usually a frontal lobe injury.Okay I am going to jump in with both feet here. I have been running an internet business since 1998.
In 1996 I was separated. I received the marital home, sold it & bought a vending business,the stock from a retail business and a duplex to live in & rent the other half. I made some careless mistakes & bad decisions. I bit off more than I could chew.
Anyway, I lost it all. I would be homeless right now if my son had not taken myself & his younger brother in. My only assets are the retail stock I have. And, I have a lot of it-over 80,000 units. Now, here's the kicker. I
only have 4000 units for sale on the internet. A nice little business, but not enough to support me. I love what
I am doing with a passion & work at it 24/7. I start each day knowing my priority is adding stock listings to my
website. I go to bed each night thinking tomorrow I'll do better. Tomorrow has not come yet. The best day I have had in a long time I added 11 items (3-4 hr.work) but so many days I add none-to under 5. I am living in poverty. We run out of food all the time. I have considered welfare many times. But I don't want to do it. In order to qualify for public assistance I cannot have business assets. The thought of giving up my business devastates me.
I have the solution staring me in the face. Why am I not getting my stock listed? It makes no sense.
This may or may not be relevant. Before we separated my husband gave me a list of 5 things I had to do everyday in order to save the marriage. Sweep the floor, come home right after work, have meals on time,- all domestic stuff or time related. My point is I did not manage to do that list. Any thoughts on what my roadblock is? Thanks.     If someone told me: do this list or lose the marriage I would have kicked their ass twice and then walked out.

Here's my post from the Adult Coaching forum, titled "Too much stress or ADD?":

I'm a thrity-something entrepreneur who's life went haywire sometime in the last 3 years.

At the moment, I'm trying to figure out if I'm suffering through ADD or too much stress.  Right now I'm the classic can't-focus-long-enough, can't-follow-through, can't-remember, poor-time-organizer, procrastinator, etc.  I wasn't always like this.  I did well in school, had great focus, great friendships.  While working during the day I studied at night for 10 years and received an MBA and a masters in engineering.  I loved what I did for a career (still do).  I was the king of planning.  Feeling pumped, four years ago I chose to go out on my own and start a construction business.

Here's how it and I all unravelled:

1.  Our inexperience and the crimp on business that 9/11 produced put us in a position that we never recovered from (poor cash flow).

2.  I chose a business partner who put in less than half the effort I put in.  I ended up working 100-hour weeks for 2 years to cover for him.

3.  This same business partner fell off the wagon and sank back into alcoholism right when the company needed him most.  He also very publicly attempted suicide and put the company's image in the crapper.

4.  The company, not able to recover from its cash flow problems and the arrest of my partner for DUI, closed down operations last month.  I lost my shirt. 

5.  In all this time, I got married, bought a house, had 2 kids (number 3 on the way).

I never had problems with focus or procrastination or follow through until the last few years.  My executive coach is on the fence as to whether it's ADD or just stress.  He feels it's better to just start the process of developing coping mechanisms to get through it and move on.

My question is this: can stress produce the same symptoms as ADD, and if it is stress, can the treatments and coping mechanisms for ADD be helpful?  Where can I start?

As far as my career goes, I found two people who wanted to start a new company doing the same thing.  These guys are great.  They are the hard working go-getter partners I always dreamed of.  I have asked them to hold me accountable for "resharpening" my edge, and they have agreed.  I feel recharged, but I want to get my edge back quickly.

Any suggestions?

Yes stress can produce the same symptoms as ADHD and so can depression.

Also anxiety causes some of these symptoms.

Consult your doctor, perhaps you may need to just go on a course of anti anxiety/depression medication for 6 months, which would be a more positive outcome than being diagnosed with ADHD.

ADHD is not a late onset disability.  It would have been prevalent all your life.

I had my own business a while back. I actually am in the process of finding a new business venture right now. I have major authority issues and found it impossible to work for someone else. Even on the days that I could make myself follow the boss's orders Inside I would be so angry and hate them for telling me what to do. It was not a healthy way to make a living so I had to strike out on my own.

The hardest part for me is the deadlines that only come up every so often. Like taxes I have months and months to prepare but never can. However I have no problem shipping out customers orders on time or ordering supplies and products for the business. It's weird.

I definately need to be my own boss though. I'm a super hard worker just can't get over someone trying to "controll" me (what it feels like anyway).

huh?