My horse is refusing to drink…
Small businesses. Before I started Spinning Plates I liked to buy local and I loved buying handmade stuff from places like Etsy but I had no real idea about small businesses and how they worked. Since starting my own business I have learnt things not only from running my own but also from being involved in so many others.
I have learnt that in very small businesses such as my own – when it’s just you and outsourced workers – you have to wear every single hat yourself or rope in friends and family (note to self, children are not as excited about sorting receipts as I am). In slightly larger set ups where there are staff involved there is still a degree of multitasking from all the staff and a real sense of getting involved in growing the business.
The most successful employees are those that pick up not only their role but other things that need doing, they are keen to learn and keen to ensure the success of the business or brand they are working for – knowing that this will mean reward and progression for themselves. I’m not talking about employers abusing the goodwill of their stuff or overworking them to the point of collapse; I’m talking about employees taking initiative, driving success, having ideas and being proactive.
Now chuck in lockdown and the current situation we find ourselves in and you find yourself in a very different situation. For some businesses – especially those who retail through ecommerce platforms – things may not have changed much (bar longer posting times, issues with sourcing stock and so on) but for physical bricks and mortar stores or service providers things have changed dramatically and so whoever you are, whatever you do you’re seeing change.
There are different ways you can then look at this period of time:
As an opportunity for change – bringing in new systems, updating décor, changing working practices, streamlining processes
As an opportunity for admin – the stuff that always gets forgotten such as documenting processes or chasing up debts
As an opportunity for communication – keeping in touch with your customers, your audience to prepare for post lockdown
As an opportunity to reflect – taking time out as an entrepreneur is rare (we’re not known for our downtime) and this might be the perfect time to actually look at the big picture
As an opportunity for ideas – let your thoughts flow and see where the ideas take you, new markets, new ways of working, new plans for the future
So, it’s not all doom and gloom.
However, imagine you have some big plans, ones that maybe take expertise you don’t have or will take time where you can’t do it all yourself. You’ve got staff but they’re all furloughed, you have plans that need people’s input… Condundrum.
I have been sat, watching businesses I have worked with and supported, let some things slide because their staff aren’t working – such as email communications or social media accounts, a single owner cannot do it all (especially if they’re like most of the business owners I know and trying to do all of the above during lockdown) and it’s giving me palpitations. I have clients who have moved into a zero income position because of the type of industry they’re in and therefore have frozen our contracts – this is fine by me as I’m not in the business of financially draining my clients and as someone who actually cares I’m invested in the success of the clients I chose to work with. On a couple of occasions that means that I’ve still given advice where asked, made suggestions where I’ve seen opportunities and done a few bits and pieces for them.
This was not for money but because, as I said earlier, I care about the success of my clients and their businesses and those that come out of lock down with a strong, engaged audience, that will go onto thrive. Those are the clients that I will retain and the contracts will restart.
I have seen a number of clients though whose employees are not quite as willing to go the extra mile. Not a full time role, not braking furlough guidelines but just helping out, five minutes here or there to ensure that their employer keeps going strong and that they have a job to go back to… you can make suggestions, you can make requests, you can even ask outright but there seems to be a lack of willingness to step up. You can lead the horse to water but the blasted thing won’t even take a sip.
Maybe it’s a generational thing, maybe I’ve just got used to people with a really strong work ethic and standards so anyone who doesn’t display these traits stands out like a sore thumb… I’m not sure, but it irritates me.
We aren’t all in the same boat but we are all in the same storm and if we want to come out of this strong, successful and ready to hit the ground running in the ‘new normal’ then we all have to grab an oar and start rowing.
Think I’ve used too many metaphors today… and I may have ranted a bit! Anyway, keep calm, carry on and start thinking about the FUTURE.