Small business owners are a special breed. I’ve had a while to reflect on this. I’ve seen both sides of the fence (so to speak). I’ve been involved in ventures that did well and a few ventures that failed miserably, been the employee and even, the boss.
Life comes full circle. I’ve been here before. The first time around, it was with small children in tow. Try talking to a potential client over the phone with a crying baby in the background. Many moms do it. It’s hard!
Why did I decide to turn my focus back on this venture that I started 10 years ago? Personally, my kids are in middle school now, my life has settled down. The atmosphere is ripe for just a teeny bit of risk. The most important thing that I can give my family nowadays is my time and it’s called ‘Work/Life balance’.
At the same time, I find myself following a slightly different path that has unfolded before me. Going back to school at 39 for my second diploma/degree in a complimenting business field has been challenging. It’s opened some amazing doors that I have yet to fully walk through but it’s nice to stretch my skills as a Computer programmer and designer rather than my accounting which gets a daily work out.
Professionally, the internet has come a long way in the last 10 years. There are some amazing resources out there for a small business owner to tap into. For many – the disconnect, is available time to find and implement them as well as (in some cases) the technical ability.
Would you say that you spend most of your day returning emails and phone calls for the same things and putting out fires? Or are you out there creating new ideas and new products? I would be interested to hear some of the struggles we go through that seem to hold us back.