Welcome to the week to celebrate something near and dear to our hearts: small businesses!
Not only are we a small business (wearing many hats in one day!), but we exist solely to support other small businesses. And while the challenges and successes small businesses face exist 365 days a year and any time of the day, this week is a great occasion to regroup, rally and set out empowered to conquer another year of your small business. (Psst: If social media is on your list, check out our post!)
On days when we’re wearing our accounting, IT and HR hats, on top of what we actually exist for, we’ve learned a few life lessons from our own journey and from awesome mentors. And what are life lessons if you (or someone else) doesn’t benefit from them? If you’re a small business owner, you might already be nodding your head to along with these. Even better: You might also want these in your back pocket if someone near and dear to you is a small business owner!
Streamline:
Time and productivity can be a love/hate relationship when you’re a small business with few or no other employees. The balance of priorities and tasks can be incredibly frustrating, and when it’s your business, it can be even more difficult to draw the lines on work boundaries and allow things to blur past the 8:00-5:00. Just one more e-mail could make or break your goals. Squeezing in that extra appointment or networking could be the serendipitous connection. While every business has their own challenges to navigate in this realm, it really helps us to use apps and tools.
Our favorites: Trello (plus check out this list they compiled!), Canva, Zoom, Zapier
Ask:
For help, whether it’s in the form of referrals, brainstorming, mentoring, education, moral support or whatever the issue is. It’s so easy to shoulder problems or challenges alone as a small business owner because:
- It’s your business
- You may not be surrounded by a larger staff to help you navigate these issues
However, even as a soloprenuer, resources are out there to help, whether it’s a pre-existing tool, or utilizing your connections to find that help. One humbling lesson small business life will teaches: You can’t go it completely alone, unless you want to burn out and drive yourself (plus, family and friends) crazy.
Our favorites: Calm, community events & classes (Eventbrite, Meetup, city government), other small business owners!
Celebrate:
Spoiler: Not every day is confetti-worthy in small business life, and often, the major milestones you do have might not mean as much to someone outside the process. For example, correctly filing your taxes is a huge win, but others might not recognize just how important that is to you and your small business process. Let’s face it: Not everything is going to be an anniversary, website launch, new product or award, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of acknowledgement–especially by you as the small business owner. This is especially true during the days (or months) that things just don’t seem to be going well.
Take a moment to appreciate the good things that have happened and appreciate the successes, big or small. Not only will it help put things into perspective, but it will also remind you of how far you have come–and it’s sometimes those little wins that get you to where you need to be. (Bonus: Don’t forget to document those wins and milestones!)
What are some of the lessons or tips you’ve learned in small business life?
