Small Business Life

I recently lost my two ewes. For those of you who need a reminder, ewes are female sheep. The story starts two years ago when my friend and neighbor -  horse breeding expert and I decided to invest in and share a small flock of sheep. The sheep would provide a source of wool for me to knit with and lamb for both of our tables. Seemed like a sweet idea.

Although neither of us had experience with sheep, I had plenty of passion and energy and was excited about the project.  I had a pasture for the warm seasons and he had a barn for winter. We started with two beautiful all white females who we named Carmen and Cora. When they were old enough for breeding we bought two rams, selected carefully for their rich, brown fleece so we could introduce color into the next generation.

Everything was going as planned and by the end of last fall we had two pregnant ewes - lambs on the way for spring. As the ewe’s approached their time I was eager to dust off my old midwifery experience for the pending births. I researched on the internet and watched lamb births on YouTube - but mostly I counted on my friend’s horse breeding experience to get us through lambing season.  Above all, I was confident that nature would take its course, after all, livestock generally fare well without human intervention.

In this case, I was wrong. To make a long story short, our sheep didn’t fare well. After some unusual complications both sheep as well as their lambs died. It was very sad. I was attached to those girls yet at the same time was painfully reminded of a life lesson: acceptance of the circle of life on a farm is necessary if you’re going to be a farmer.

As I’ve been processing and integrating what’s still difficult for me from this experience I am reminded of another powerful life lesson: The need to find balance between trusting and truly taking responsibility. While I’m not blaming myself or my friend for what happened - the circumstances forced me to ask myself, “what might have I done differently if this were to happen
again?”

After some honest, self reflection, I could see how I had erred on the side of trust - I banked on things working out too easily and I deferred some responsibility. In truth, I didn’t step up enough and educate myself about the care and breeding of sheep. I relied on my friend - rather than go through the hoops necessary to be in full integrity with myself and learn what I needed to know in order to care for the lives in my hands.

This reminds me of how a similar pattern can thrive in many small business owners. Yes, the stakes may not be as high as the loss of life, but it often can mean the death of a dream - the dream of having your business (and, even, your livelihood!) What ever business essentials you resist learning - or what ever responsibility you defer taking - you are jeopardizing the success of your business. Yes, it was easier to stay focused on the aspects of having sheep that I enjoyed, just like it’s easier for you to make candles, or fix computers rather than learn how to interpret financial data.

Lesson learned for me at least. As I continue to sort through the aftermath of this sad but important life lesson I’m still unsure about my future as a sheep owner - I’m not quite ready to make that decision but I do know that whatever I do, I will do it fully and learn what I have to know to be successful. Will you?

It’s YOUR life…imagine the possibilities!

Most of us receive more training about how to drive a car than start a micro business. A high percentage of people who start businesses do so because they have a gift or talent they want to see manifest in the world. Or, they love the idea of self employment - not because they have a burning passion for business for business sake.

If this is you, you probably burn a lot of precious energy worried about how much you don’t know, or, feel like an imposter about to be discovered. Or, you get yourself too busy and justify the denial you’re in about not covering the basics. Basically, you hobble along, invest your assets, and prey that it all will work out - somehow.

There is a solution to this new business killer and you don’t have to register for the next MBA session to find it. You start by getting honest with yourself and admit what you don’t know, where your skill sets lack and where you’re not giving your business a fair shake. There is a ton of relief to be had by simply acknowledging and accepting the truth - truth creates reality and reality leads to empowerment.

From the place of empowerment - make a plan to improve one business skill set per quarter. If you avoid doing budgets because finances elude you, take on budgets. If you’d rather file papers than sell, take on sales. Being successful in business requires some real skills and if you don’t naturally have them you need to learn them. Ask for help, buy a book - take on the challenge and you will begin to breathe easier and see the results in your business. What have you got to lose? Only your dream.

It’s YOUR life…imagine the possibilities!

There’s always something special about the start of a new year. As one year comes to a close and another starts, I especially enjoy taking stock, cleaning up details and preparing a fresh slate for another year of my life to unfold. As I reflect on the past year I am indeed grateful that I am still standing tall despite many challenges and economic uncertainty.

As I think about the constants in my life that seem to endure, regardless of what’s going on around me it quickly becomes obvious the factors that contribute to my overall satisfaction and success. Naturally, as I project myself into the next year, and what I want to experience and accomplish - it becomes clear that all I need to do is do more of what works and let go of what doesn’t.

So, forget resolutions, they don’t work anyway. Yes, I need to exercise more, but if I am feeling good about myself and I’m happy with my life, regardless of the circumstantial stress I may be feeling I naturally take better care of myself. Duh.

As this new year begins here’s what clearly works for me, and what I’m going to focus more on:

Remembering Gratitude - No matter how off balance I may be, returning to the simple practice of counting my blessing - my health, my business, my husband and children,  always makes me feel better.

Connecting with Others - I live way out in the boonies and can get very isolated. Creating more opportunities to engage with people - family or friends always inspires and energizes me.

Prioritizing Play - Honestly, sometimes I can’t even remember what play is. Let alone do it. For me play is anything that gets me away from the computer and makes me laugh.

Giving Back -  More than just a nice, socially correct concept, I find this to be the most important aspect of what creates long term satisfaction in my life. Even when I am feeling tight about money or lack of time, giving ALWAYS reinforces a great sense of purpose and fulfillment. I’ve made a commitment to regularly give both.

What is it for you? What could you do more of? What are the factors in your life that create a foundation of satisfaction - regardless of your external circumstances? It’s simple really - give it some thought and have a great year.

It’s YOUR life…imagine the possibilities!

“If you feel you know how to get what you want out of life, and you have that desire to make that happen, then you have hope,” Jennifer Cheavens

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about hope. It started the night our new President was elected. I, for the first time in a long time was filled with an overwhelming sense of hope. The deep thread of worry and cynicism I had been holding about how complex and unchangeable our countries problems were was suddenly replaced with the promise of something new, something hopeful. Read More

If you live anywhere but under a rock it’s hard to avoid the recent economic reality we find ourselves in as a nation. Regardless of your political affiliation it’s overwhelming trying to decipher what it all means and stressful wondering if it’s going to be ok. Try as I do to monitor how much media I allow myself to consume, it effects me as a citizen, but even more as a small business owner. Read More

Think about the many things you do every day when you own your own business. When you wrap your mind around the staggering array of tasks to be done and the various skill sets necessary, it can seem like a miracle you’re successful at all. In the years I’ve been coaching small business owners it’s become evident that upwards of 90% of you are not in business because you love business for business sake, or have a MBA. You’re in business because you love to make candles, build websites, help people, or what ever your business offers. Read More

“For every mountain there is a miracle.” - Robert H. Schuller

Last week I was facilitating my monthly entrepreneur group. This is an impressive group of bright, inspired business folk who truly are committed to making their business a success. They apply what they learn, they continuously work on honing their skills, and they are generous and supportive with each other as they collectively move through the typical challenges all growing business owners face. They’re pretty much doing things right. What struck me however, in this particular session, was regardless of how committed and willing each owner is to learn and grow, each owner seems to have their own personal obstacle to success. An obstacle that could ultimately be their undoing!

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The other day I was coaching Emily, a bright and self aware woman who’s recently stepped up to a very big plate - she wants to take her business to the next level. Her decision holds the potential for many rich and fulfilling rewards, but also contains a rather steep learning curve, an increase in pressure and of course much higher stakes. Interestingly enough, as she meets her days with passion and excitement, she also notices an increase in how easily she gets triggered and upset by seemingly mundane events that throw her off and make her constantly question her ability to succeed.

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It bothers me that most conversations I have at this time of year contain some level of stress and anxiety about the upcoming holiday season. I’m not immune myself - every year I swing on a pendulum between being caught up in a frenzy of materialism or feeling the urge to back away and becoming cynical about the entire season. What is up with that? Shouldn’t this time of year be about peace, joy and celebration?

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I’ve seen it over and over - small business owners who get nervous and uncomfortable when it’s time to assume the role of salesperson. Sales are the backbone of your company’s health, and most entrepreneurs are not trained sales professionals. In fact, most business owners are reluctant, resistant sales people, worried about being perceived as pushy, or worse yet, sleazy. As a result, they don’t get out and sell.

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Whether you consider yourself an occasional procrastinator or a terminal one, getting stuck in the mud - paralyzing your ability to act - sometimes happens. While it’s certainly useful to explore the reasons behind persistent procrastination patterns and resolve them, this article is intended to offer you 8 smart reminders to free you up and get you moving again. Here they are:

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“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” Mother Teresa

Business owners are trained to gauge the success of their business according to the health of their “bottom line” - that is - the last line on a profit and loss statement that tells you what remains (if anything) after all your costs of doing business. This makes perfect sense - if you don’t show a profit, you don’t stay in business. But, I’m interested in what - beyond the traditional bottom line - keeps you motivated and creates that deeper and more sustaining measure of success I believe we are all seeking?

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I’m going to resist the temptation to jump on the New Years resolution bandwagon. Frankly, I don’t believe resolutions endure and I’d venture a guess you are saturated with messages, to tempt you to make the changes you want to make for this coming year. Instead of dangling a stale carrot in front of you, making it sound easy to succeed by resolution, I’m going to offer you something juicy. Forget resolutions. This year, LEARN to change your life.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past month socializing at holiday parties and catching up with people I don’t see but once a year. It’s astonishing how many people muse about unfulfilled dreams and express hopefulness about making more money, or improving their lifestyle, yet their lives stay the same from year to year. As a coach I can’t help but see the glaring gaps in peoples lives (that feel to them like the Grand Canyon) - simply as opportunities to learn the new skills necessary to change their lives.

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“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight… The truly wise person is color- blind.” Albert Schweitzer

I learned a very difficult life lesson this month. Me, the eternal optimist and consummate positive thinker was blinded by my own medicine. It’s a powerful personal story and it dawned on me in the midst of recounting it to my entrepreneur group that its lesson is incredibly applicable to business.

Here goes. My husband and I just built a house. At the final accounting meeting with our builder, it came to light that we were a significant amount over budget. More than is typically expected. While I won’t go into detail about how we came to learn this so late in the game (that is a separate issue that we also had to deal with) you can imagine the impact this costly news had upon us. After our initial panicked reaction, and process with our builder something suddenly became very clear to me. The house actually cost us exactly what a house of this size and specification should cost. How could this have happened I wondered? Read More

Stress is high, your energy is low. Sound familiar? This is the common experience of most small business owners I know. Owning a business can be like running a marathon. You know you’re in it for the long haul, there’s not much time to catch your breath, yet you push on. You can easily see how this scenario can lead quickly to an out of balance life.

Despite everything you know (in theory) about taking time to care for yourself, how important it is to “pay yourself first” for some reason you don’t. You create a million reasons not to take your own good advice. Why is this? I suggest it’s because you have conflicting needs. One of your needs is to take care of business, it’s your livelihood - you need to handle details, regardless of how many hours you’ve already worked. It goes with the territory of being a business owner. It’s like getting up in the middle of the night to care for a sick child - you just do it. Read More