By Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk

I’m relatively new to this whole “entrepreneur” thing. I started my company, BBR Marketing, on August 31, 2009, after a really miserable summer where I felt the need to take control of my life. I’d always wanted to start my own company and decided now was the time.

I have 20 years of business experience, so I didn’t come into this blind. Before I hung out my shingle, I talked to many talented and experienced people, and got input on everything from the name of my company to the niche I should serve to even whether this was a good idea or not.

Nearly all of them said that now was the perfect time to start my own company. When the market is down, companies and firms are looking for ways to reduce their costs, yet still grow their bottom lines with reduced revenues. Marketing in down times is even more important, and many studies show that the firms that continue to market their services and people are far ahead of the curve once the economy improves.

So, I jumped in with both feet. My advisors had told me to watch out for certain things as I started my company, but no one warned me of the extreme ups and downs I’ve experienced in the last six months. Most days are great. I love meeting new people and getting to know more about them and the companies for which they work. I don’t even hate the day-to-day tasks of scheduling and managing my books. I especially enjoy the work I do for my clients and hearing their appreciation for my skills and services.

But the business development part of it can be a real ride. On days when I have a great prospect lunch and get to meet with a truly interesting person, all is great. I can’t begin to explain the excitement that comes with walking away from these meetings with some fantastic prospective, or real, work. The rush I feel when I can share some simple tips that will help a firm in small or large ways is exhilarating. When I leave a meeting with a stack of potential projects, it’s like Christmas morning.

However, that’s not the whole story. There are days when I wonder why I chose this path. Will I ever be able to replace my previous salary with my new company? Why won’t the person who was so excited to talk to me last week respond to my emails? How will I continue to populate my pipeline with viable prospects? I can easily create negative scenarios in my head, many of which lead to doom and poverty.

I know I’m not alone in this. And for those of you out there on the same roller coaster ride, take heart. On those days where the path seems a bit foreboding, don’t forget why you did this in the first place. Get out of your rut by calling a fellow-entrepreneur friend and go to lunch to brainstorm ideas to grow both of your businesses. Or simply go for a walk around the block to clear your head and get the blood pumping.  Write a blog post about it with some ideas for how to get the coaster heading back up the hill. Oh wait, I just did that.

I’d love to hear what you think and hear your tips for dealing with the daily roller coaster that is entrepreneurship. Please post your thoughts and you just may help someone.