Growing an international business is exciting but it’s not without its moments; especially when you don’t have the same support, given you are in a different country. Not many entrepreneurs tell a story about the less glamourous side of business…so I’m going to tell it.
The first month in Singapore has been just as challenging as the first week and is a bit of a blur – lots of juggling meetings and my ever-increasing workload with looking after my girls and ensuring that they’re getting the most out of their distance ed program.
Before leaving Sydney, I had someone lined up to help me with the girls in Singapore, but I arrived to find that to have fallen through. The first couple of weeks I juggled by taking them into the Centre so I could get on with work while keeping an eye on them. I was starting to get worried when it was the weekend before the Trade Mission, and I still didn’t have any help! Fate would have it that after many calls and asking for help, I found someone last minute – the day before the kick off of our Singapore Immersion week. Talk about last minute. My support person started not only the first day of our Singapore Immersion week but it was also the first day of our new home schooling regime!
If this alone wasn’t challenging enough, the cherry on top was waiting 5 weeks for an internet connection. With my girls’ distance ed program being a digital program requiring internet access, you can imagine the challenges this presented. In the end, the internet kerfuffle meant we lost all the girls’ school work from the first week, resulting in us spending a whole weekend redoing their work – which wasn’t fun for them or me!
I wanted to throw in the towel, get on a plane and go back home where at least my girls can go to school and I have family around me. Having an absolute melt down outside the Centre in Singapore, like I did, isn’t a story every entrepreneur shares; however it’s the reality of a situation like this.
Needless to say I had to close my eyes and take a deep breathe and dig that little bit deeper.
After a rocky first couple of weeks, I am still here, pushing forward and things are starting to settle.
Things I’m grateful for after this experience are planners, support and internet, internet, internet!
This article was first published on my LinkedIn page here.