A very personal account of business expansion

Success came easily and there were no major confidence blows.

I felt like the world was at my feet. And it was.

Today, it's a different story. I have a lot to lose and miss out on. The latter is important to consider. My family and friends are in Australia. To make a big move, I have to leave them and it will be only every few months that I get to touch base with a select few.

There is also alot to lose. Market share, money, confidence and positioning.

Will my Australian operations survive without me there face to face daily? I have put all the procedures in place and we are still learning as we go, but it seems to be still going strong.

Money, well that's a given. It is obscenely expensive to expand your business. There are bills that you never knew existed for everything from setting up your business, immigration, insurance, a home, accounting, office space, telephones - the list is endless. It costs a bomb!

Confidence is something that is more personnel. When you are flying high and have been for quite some year, you get quite comfortable in your 'lot' in life. I was comfortable. But here I am, putting myself out there like I did when I was 25 and it's scary, intimidating and a cause for much anxiety. I have been terrified that with my Australian accent, no-one will understand me. That they won't trust my company because we are a 'startup' here. That the people I employ won't turn out. It goes on and on. I am truly pathetic! I can't remember the last time I had to walk into a room of strangers and present myself and my business.

Positioning is surprisingly personal too. When you achieve a certain amount of traction with your business, people see you in a particular light. What if it fails and all of a sudden they see me as a failure? As an entrepreneur, I am expected to embrace failure, but who am I kidding? Although I deeply want to be that person, I still don't want to fail. I have learned enough hard lessons - so please, don't throw any more at me!

I feel like I am up and down like a yoyo. One minute I am full of beans and excited about life, the next I have my head in the sand asking myself "what am I doing?"

I want this. I really do. I can't tell you how much I want this. More than anything, I have to do this. It's on my bucketlist. It's also my dream.

Amazingly, I love so many things about America, that excitement mounts every time I go outside and breathe in the fresh air. It cheaper - number one (Atlanta that is!). People are new and exciting with interesting stories to tell. They all seem quite happy to share experiences and it inspires me. It also gives me ideas.

How have you accepted major change in your life? I am interested in you sharing your stories whether its about business or life. Sometimes, sharing is the only way to make peace with change.