Being A Small Business Is Scary: Tips For Overcoming Hurdles
It’s true. Being a small business in a community where only the big guys seem to win is scary. We live in a society where everything seems to be ruled by the big guys at the top, and the little guys have difficulty getting ahead. It’s frustrating, intimidating, and can be a struggle. Wait – before you click off the page, I’m not trying to scare you – promise! I’m trying to motivate you!
Story time… In addition to being a remarkable, super marketer I run a small ecofriendly business that focuses on reusable menstrual products (for the non menstruaters out there, sorry if this topic grosses you out!). Recently, the FDA has begun enforcing stricter regulations on retailers of cloth pads, forcing small and big businesses to register as medical device manufacturers. In short… cloth pads = medical device, and you have to pay a hefty price to continue making them. Unfortunately, this now means that hundreds of small businesses are being forced to shut their doors. Yep – you guessed it, my store has also been impacted by this change and sadly I don’t believe we’ll be able to pay the fee in time to continue producing cloth pads for 2015.
What do you do when your business hits a huge hurdle such as this?
Well, for one, don’t do what I did. I panicked, I worried, and I became depressed. All that accomplished nothing, except panic attacks and anxiety. Not so good.
Once I calmed down, I put things in perspective. I launched a campaign for funding, I launched ridiculously good sales on social media, and I’m in the process of launching an email campaign. In other words, I took action. With all that said and done, I am now planning for the future. I’m thinking about new and exciting opportunities, and I’m thinking of ways to revamp my business.
Moral of the story:
Do NOT let challenges and hurdles deter you from your dream and goals. Instead, when you hit a bump in the road, do these four things:
- Put things in perspective
- Take action
- Plan for the future
- Revamp your business
Namaste folks,
Aly
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