There are two possible responses to the closing of your business.

• Congratulations! What are you going to do now?
• I am sorry to hear that. What are you going to do now?

Either way, you will eventually have to answer the question, “What are you going to do now?”

If you’ve been successful, you may imagine yourself on a beach, tropical drink in hand, admiring sunset after sunset.  But don’t kid yourself, if you are not old and sick, that beach will lose its interest quickly.

Admit to yourself that you are blessed or cursed with the entrepreneurial bug and, as you bathe in the setting sun, use your mind to create a vision of your next endeavor.  If you are wondering how, take a copy of my book with you.

If you sold or closed your business because you realized the return no longer justified the investment, take time to grieve.  A business is a creation, a creation just as meaningful as a work of art. You created something complicated, meaningful and important.  Seeing it go is a loss.

Take time to grieve but don’t stop there.  You have several choices:

Start a New Business

Evaluate your past failure and learn from you mistakes.  Find a mentor to help you with the analysis.  Start all over with my self-coaching guide.

Get a Job

This may be difficult.  The entrepreneurial spirit is not usually seen as a plus in an employee and it may be difficult for you to find your place in a corporate hierarchy.  You may choose to return to the self-evaluation tools in my book and, with a deep appreciation for how your time as an entrepreneur has changed you, reevaluate you career choices.  When you are sure of your skills, talents and abilities, you will be better able to convince a potential employer of your value to the organization.

What’s Next?

No matter the outcome of you latest business venture, in the process you have grown, matured and gained wisdom.  Look around at the world you now inhabit.  Now is the time to discover a new vision for yourself, develop a new mission.  Consider who you are now and how this new you can contribute to the world.

Photo by Igor Kasalovic on Unsplash