Part One: Jeff Usner Shares on Communication

This is part one of a three-part series on communication.

I like to compare starting a business to starting a journey. Imagine yourself in the driver's seat of your car.

Now, first of all, some of you who are reading this may be single. In that case when you start a business you might be alone. That's how I started out. I was the one driving and I didn't have to worry about anyone else.

On the other hand, if you have a family, part of what happens when you start your own company is that you have a whole crew of people with you. So when you get in the driver's seat of that car, your wife is right beside you and the children are in the back seat.

You should tell everyone where you are going and then warn them that it's going to be a pretty bumpy ride. Everyone needs to buckle their seatbelts because it will take a little bit of time to get there and there will be roadblocks along the way. Tell them it's worth it to endure a bumpy ride because when you get to your destination you and your family will spend time together and have fun.

It's like that when you start a business. You wouldn't tell your family to pack up and get in the car without telling them where you are going and why. Likewise, when you are starting out in your business, you should let them know what's going on.

What you need to do is work as a team. The team is often your family if you are married but it can also be the people that you work with in your business. You have to tell them what to expect. Discuss what your destination or goal is and how it will benefit the whole team. Try to prepare them for the roadblocks ahead. That way your family or team will remain positive and supportive throughout your journey.

We will continue this discussion in the next part of this series on communication.