Small Business Owner

Being a small business owner can be a little overwhelming. There is so much to learn, so much to do. I am not only the maker of the items I am selling, I am also copywriter, photographer, advertiser, web designer, blogger, shipper, accountant, and supply purchaser. It is a lot and it gets to be overwhelming at times. I have over 160 items in my Etsy shop right now, with more in my bin to be photographed and listed. Add in being a parent and having a full time job, there simply are not enough hours in the day. So before starting a small business, whether you are turning a craft hobby into a business, or you are a photographer wanting to start your own studio, or you are a new franchise owner opening your first store, you have to realize that this is a 24/7 job. When you are the owner and employee, everything falls on you. I am not saying this to discourage people from starting their own business, but many people start their own business with unrealistic goals.

All the hats you wear as a small business owner is the reason it is so important to have a good organizational system. I am constantly writing myself post-it notes at work on things I need to do, ideas I have, things not to forget. I then go home and spend an hour (if I have it) going over my notes, putting them on the appropriate to do lists and goal planning sheets. Write it down! Once it is written down and you know you will go over it again at a later point, your brain will be free from having to think about it again. Giving it the power to think of more things, or concentrate on the task you should be working on.

Once a week, I go through my lists. Did I complete the task I needed to? If so, what is my next task?  How can I move this project along? What time commitments do I have this week? What orders need to be shipped out in the next week?

Seriously, I need about 36 hours in a day. And I probably still will only get about 5 hours of sleep.

I keep telling myself, “When I get more successful, I will be able to hire someone to do some of my tasks”. Then I think “Will I be able to give up control of a task to someone else?” I am an A+++++ personality, with OCD tendencies and I am a bit of a control freak. However, at the same time, I do realize that there are people out there who have more experience taking pictures. Maybe they can take a better picture than I can without all the edits I have to make. Right now I have someone building my stand alone website for me (because I have no clue where to start). It is driving me crazy not being able to see every piece of it being built, but I allow myself 5 minutes of fretting before I move onto the next task. 5 minutes every day of wondering how it is going to look. That’s all the time I can afford to waste.

I remind myself that I have to be a duck on the water. On top of the water, serene and relaxed. Raindrops just rolling off the back. Everything is fine. Under the water – legs paddling like crazy to stay afloat.

So just remember when you start to compare yourself to other people. They may seem calm and serene and have everything together. But you don’t see them at home when they are rushing to be at soccer practice on time, or working late to finish an order for a client that needs it right away. Small business owners are some of the most stressed out people in the world, because they do it all. If they are successful, they might be able to hire people to help, but they are still constantly worrying about every little thing. 

Here's to all the small business owners I know. I'm right here with you!