The trials and tribulations of doing your own thing.

 If you are anything like me your brain is a constant state of movement.

This is the curse of the small business owner.

One minute your having a groundbreaking idea for how you can improve your product and the next you're sitting in front of your partner and not taking in a word they are saying because your only thought is where payroll is coming from this month.

I haven't been in the game too long (4/5 years) but I think I'm slowly coming to realise that the ups and downs are what make it fun.

What if the point of our business is not about earning more money, more freedom or even to make our customers life better?

What if it's to shine a light on your strengths and weaknesses as an individual?

Over the years I've become very aware of a major contradiction in business.

Your team is SO important and will dictate your success but as the owner if you have unresolved stuff going on or you aren't on your game it will majorly impact the business.

Strange huh?

Your beliefs about the world will shape your business and service in ways you hadn't even considered and it's not just the obvious things like undercharging (although we all do that when we start out and it comes back to bite).

There are so many things we need to know as small business owners. We need to know our product inside out, how to manage and lead a team, sales, marketing, admin, creating content, building relationships, financial awareness, negotiating with landlords and vendors and that's just a few.

If you are the type to read this blog you are probably also the type who is paying for courses and mentors and regularly consuming education in the form of books and podcasts.

It's a lot of time, money and effort and it's f*****g hard.

Now while I truly hope these skills build your business into what you hope it becomes I don't think that's really the point.

I think the point is learning these skills.

It's learning to go and just introduce yourself to the coffee shop owner because they would be a good client.

It's having that tough conversation with a underperforming staff member or troublesome client.

It's doing those sales calls when you've just been hung up on for the 10th time in a row by someone who 'didn't enquire' on Facebook despite the fact you have there name, number and email infront of you (IYKYK).

It's the ability to show up when we you've got all your own shit going on at home but still bringing the energy your clients expect.

It's finishing painting your new site at 10pm and being so exhausted you could fall asleep standing up but knowing you need to post on Instagram and deal with those emails.

Yes we hope these things help our business but I'm sure as hell they are going to make you a better person in the long run.

So what if the point of running a business is the person you become along the way?

I think too much business content now comes from people who are at the peak.

Whilst I'm sure that like me you find this inspiring it can also be a bit past where we are at in our business and thus hard to relate to so with that in mind I am going to bring you some weekly lessons and thoughts as a small business owner in the trenches.

If you hadn't already clicked they are basically letters to my younger self:)

Sean.