Being A Business Owner Is Really F***ing Hard
Whether you’re a business owner like me, an independent consultant or you’re responsible for a company’s bottom line – our jobs are really hard. We have a ton of responsibility. We work really long hours – and even when we’re not working, we’re thinking about it. And for those of us who are business owners, on top of all that, we have no security net; no regular pay check, no vacation days, no sick leave, no 401k…. nothing. Yes, it’s really f****ing hard!
And lately, things have been especially difficult. The whole country seems to be in a funk – and who can blame us? With health care reform confusion, government shut-downs and a congress that acts like a bunch of spoiled 4 year olds, who feels secure? No one is spending, and we’re all feeling it.
Despite all this economic and political turmoil, as the entrepreneurial go-getters we are, we tend to blame ourselves when things get tough. And I’m going to share a secret with you – I’m no different. My critical demons sit on my shoulder and taunt: “You’re not doing enough; you need to be selling more, speaking more, writing more, emailing more, networking more…More. More. More”. Honestly, it’s exhausting.
We work extremely hard for every customer and every sale. We know the big wins don’t come every day. In fact, they can be few and far between. So when I got an email this morning from a contact I made last week, that can potentially lead to some business, asking ME when we can meet (instead of me having to chase him down), I took a moment to recognize the victory – and I celebrated. I got up from my chair, voiced a victorious “YES!!!” (Even though only my dog Capone was here to hear it), and I even did a little happy dance. I won! It was small, but it was an accomplishment! This contact saw something in me – and Fortune Marketing Company – that made him want to follow up with me– I didn’t have to chase him down and beg him to meet with me – that’s HUGE! Yet all-too-often we miss these. We take them for granted, we move on too quickly. We forget to stop and recognize it for what it is – an accomplishment – a shimmer of hope amid a sea of let-downs and disappointments!!! A WIN!!! 
As small business owners the big wins can be few and far between. We’re not going to land every new contract, nail every presentation, or reach all of our sales goals. So it’s absolutely crucial that we celebrate even the smallest accomplishments. If we don’t get in the practice of recognizing and celebrating the little victories, it’s too easy to get down on ourselves and feel like we’re not accomplishing anything while we’re waiting for that next big win.
So if you need a win – here are 5 things you can celebrate:
- You didn’t give up today. It was hard, but you kept on going! Give yourself a pat on the back!
- You didn’t let a client down today. Despite all your stresses and struggles, your clients are happy! Congratulations on a job well done!
- A new colleague / strategic partner asked to meet with you (because he/she obviously admires and/or respects you). Wow, that’s awesome!
- You did something that took you out of your comfort zone because you knew it would be good for business. Way to go, you brave soldier you!
- You did something kind for someone else today. You’re busy and stressed, but you still took the time to volunteer, make an introduction, or give someone a compliment. You rock! Celebrate it!
What are some of the small victories you celebrate? Please share them with us, so we can all recognize our own accomplishments. After all, being a business owner is F***ing hard and we could all use more reasons to celebrate! 🙂
( *Disclaimer: As hard as it is to be a business owner, I wouldn’t f***ing trade it for the world :-))
I’m a business owner too. 3 years now, still haven’t gone belly up in this economic mess, quite a miracle.
It’s hard, very hard. Everyday I am stressing over what I could have done, and what I shouldn’t have done.
Every lost lead, every complaint, every lost opportunity I blame myself. I try not to take it out on my employees, and recongize if they aren’t achieving to the level I want them to be it is because I haven’t trained them well enough. As a business owner, I want my employees to all earn more, and being able to balance pay raises, bonuses and cash flow is stressful. Only I and very few know our bottom line. Everyday I sit here, wondering when am I ever going to surface, when will this fight ever end. Then I realised the fight never ends for an entrepreneur. Something they never trained you in school, as having endurance. To be able to make it, you gotta be able endure, you gotta have grit. On top of that, don’t let the problems, and stress take away your creativity. More than anything, creativity aside from endurance is the most important aspect of being an entrepreneur. It is what makes you stand out from the competition.