This Week on “Confessions of a small business owner”

Week of March 18, 2024

Kindness for weakness

Hey, hey, hey, welcome back for another week of Confessions of a Small Business Owner. I already have a few stories for you and it’s only Monday!

Last Friday evening I received an e-mail from a customer who I have been going back and forth with about a missing package. Yep, shipping issues again. USPS tracking information has shown her package in one location since March 1. It’s March 18. She contacted USPS and they said her package was missing so she filed a claim. Because she was so kind in her e-mail I am going to replace her item at no charge. This message is not only for small business owners but customers as well. You can get wayyy further in life with kindness than you can being rude or having an attitude. Today, because so many people don’t know how to communicate, you don’t really know if people are being rude or just don’t know how to talk to others. It’s also hard to tell tone over text or e-mail.

Speaking of shipping issues, I’m still dealing with shipping issues from last week. One of which is the one above, but the other one is a missing package shipped to Dubai back in November 2023. Have you ever used GoPost? I wouldn’t recommend them. When it works, it’s good, but when it doesn’t, good luck locating your missing package or getting a refund. Because it’s been over 90 days I can’t get a refund and my package is apparently lost. So where da fook is my package? So what do I do? These are the types of issues I hate dealing with. Do I reship and take a chance of another missing package? Do I refund her? Do I explain and follow our shipping policy? I hate for people to not get their stuff you know. Especially today, people will be quick to rant on social media if they have a bad experience but don’t have the same energy with a good experience. I will keep you posted on what I decide.

Are people stealing packages more? USPS employees? Should I change my packaging to a more discreet packaging?

This morning, someone asked me if its hard to start a business? Short answer, No. It’s not hard to start a business, now running a profitable business and having as successful business is another story. Running a business takes determination, discipline, focus, late nights, early mornings, sacrifices, stress, patience

I got another question this morning. Someone asked me what is the type of material I use for a particular product, one of my signature products. Do I help? It took a lot of trial and error it took to perfect my product. Do I just give away the “secret sauce”? Do I say babe keep trying you’ll figure out what works for you.

Last week I talked about when do you say enough, this business isn’t working, what’s ironic is I listened to a podcast episode with Jay Shetty and Ed Mylett on the Motiv8 podcast. The episode was called “Changing the Trajectory of Your Life”. It was wild to hear this considering I talked about when to give up and resting. The episode also talked about resting, which I talked about last week.

How do you focus on work when you’re dealing with personal issues?

It’s Wednesday and I have an update!!! Apparently, according to an e-mail from GoPost, the package was delivered to Dubai in January! So is this customer trying to get over since the system hasn’t updated showing undelivered. This would make sense because she didn’t respond to my December 31, 2023 message about her package until March 7, 2023. I really hope she wasn’t trying to get over. This makes me think about the other alleged missing package. I hope people aren’t trying to take my kindness for weakness.

Yesterday was my first day of work at my new job. It was pretty awesome. I was very tired at the end of the day, which had an effect on my business because I didn’t want to do anything!!! That’s one of the issues about working for someone else while working on your dream. You give your energy to someone else’s dream/goals and then don’t have the energy for focus on your own.

This week I felt really lose. I’m having weird energy when it comes to my businesses. Sort of in a funk. Like what am I doing? Is it time to pivot? Do I want to switch businesses? What is my purpose? Why am I so tired?

Why does checking my business e-mail give me the worst anxiety?

I worked over the weekend. I don’t really like working over the weekend but its like that sometimes.

As I wrap up the week, one thing I've known my whole life but have seen more displayed this week is some people will really try and take advantage of your kindness so just be aware.

“Evolving means eliminating” - Erykah Badu