Conceiving, building and growing a business are the reasons most often sited by entrepreneurs for striking out on their own. They want financial freedom. They want control over their time. They want independence.

The lucky ones build enterprises that far exceed their expectations. However, it is at this point that they begin to face some of the challenges they left behind in the corporate world.

The three challenges that surface most often are:

1. Leadership challenges - in their industry as well as in their organization. Many entrepreneurs have not had the opportunity to learn leadership skills before launching their businesses. However, leadership is a required skill even if you are a one-person company. Or, I should especially if you are running a one-person company.
2. Communication challenges - When an entrepreneurial organization grows beyond one or two people, communication challenges begin to surface between individuals, between departments and often with clients. These challenges must be addressed quickly to keep the company moving forward.
3. Immersion challenges - Most entrepreneurs find they are working all the time just to keep up with the day-to-day demands. Being immersed in the business means there is very little time dedicated to working on the business from a strategic perspective. And, very little time away from the business.

Burnout and overwhelm are the results of the challenges not being addressed quickly and effectively.

When you find yourself facing these any of these challenges, it is a good idea to get an outside, objective opinion about the challenges you are facing and how to address them. Then, realign components of your business to function better and to eliminate your challenges. Last, you must allocate time each week to work on the business from a strategic perspective.