This Week on “Confessions of a small business owner”

July 2, 2024 - It’s Okay to have set backs

Welcome back to another vlog/blog of Confessions. It’s been a while since the last time I posted a blog/vlog, like two months. I had to make a lot of changes in my personal life and business. I have a lot going on in my business life and personal life. In making changes, I decided to pivot how I wanted to do Confessions. Originally I started out posting weekly vlogs and daily blogs, but I wasn’t feeling that. My heart wasn’t in it. Really the universe was telling me to pivot. As a business owner, I wear a lot of hats and run a lot of businesses. I found myself getting distracted, discouraged, unmotivated so I had to sit back and decide what I really want. I’m still deciding but I am working on a few goals. One of the things I enjoy is sharing my Confessions of a Small Business Owner, especially because people have messaged me and told me they found my stories and tips helpful. As I work out my plans/goals, I will be posting vlogs/blogs randomly. My goal is at least two times a month.

I’m not going to sit here and lie. I have not been okay. I’ve been looking at jobs but also dealing with not wanting to compromise with life and do something I don’t want to do. If you have a small business, especially in California, you know things are difficult, a little different. You may be experiencing less sales. You know they (not sure who they are, maybe big companies, the government) are not for small business, they can’t be with all of the taxes, fees, we have to be. It was especially evident during COVID when mom and pop spots had to close while Walmart/McDonald’s stayed open. But that’s a conversation for another time. 

It’s okay to have set backs, pivot, and start over. Shift focus when you need to. Redirection is often protection. Redirection is often God (the Universe, whatever higher power you believe in) telling you're going in the wrong direction. Setbacks are God’s setups for something bigger.

One thing I highly recommend as a business owner is to write down your goals. Write down goals in order of primary, secondary, tertiary. Write out what you want, what you want to accomplish. Write out your why. What is your why? Why do you want this business? 

Start each day by planning your day. What are the goals you plan to crush today? Also, use this time to write down what you are grateful for and say your affirmations.

I’m really attempting to focus on and stick to the motto, “don’t quit when you're tired, stop when you're done” (David Goggins).

I had a moment recently where I started thinking about how difficult it is for me to put eight hours in for my business but I did it for a company with no problem. Is it because we aren’t meant to work eight hours? I decided I will make more of an effort to work at least eight hours on my business. 

Show up for yourself everyday. It’s discipline to show up even when you don’t want to. It’s remembering why you started. It’s having goals.

One thing I’ve had happen recently is someone DM me about how much they love my product, and would love for me to send them something so they can promote it. **facepalm** The wild part is if you love it buy it, but also, don’t follow me and 2.7 seconds later send that DM. I am a firm believer in followers do not equate to sales or business success but you can’t possibly love a company as much as you say and follow them only to get something for free.

Do you have a return policy? Do you stick to your policies or is it a case by case situation? I recently had someone ask if they could return something because they brought two and like one more than the other. OMGGGGGGEEEE. Really!?!?! Pero like….. What do you do in this situation? My return policy is all sales are final unless there is an issue on my part. I need to find balance between getting taken advantage of for being too nice and wanting a happy customer and sticking to the policies. People really are wild sometimes. Imagine they work, they get paid, then the boss says two weeks later, you know what, I changed my mind about paying you, give me your pay back.