The emotional side of being a small business owner

As my clients and readers of my blog know, I spend a lot of time talking about how to manage your business and personal finances better. My reason for doing this is to help you be a more successful business owner. 

Today, I want to talk about a different aspect of being a small business owner: the emotional side. I don’t have to tell any of you that owning your own business is often an emotional roller coaster, one that surprises us at how intense it can be. 

A client recently called me something that I thought was funny but also true. He called me a “financial therapist.” Once I thought about it, that’s true! Guiding clients to make decisions using their accounting information seems pretty straightforward, but it’s not. 

I can tell you that you’re not alone if some days you’re thinking “I was born to do this” and then some days (or even later on the same day!), you think “who am I to think I can do this.” 

Imposter syndrome is a common experience among entrepreneurs. Here’s a secret that is both good and not so good: it never fully goes away. Even Maya Angelou, the famed Poet Laureate, said, “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, 'uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.' "But the good news is, it does lessen significantly with time.”

When I began my business in 2016, I experienced imposter syndrome on an almost daily basis. Now, 4 years later, it has mostly gone away. It does still crop up every now and then when I'm presented with a new challenge, but I've learned how to handle it and keep it at bay.

Another thing you have probably noticed as a small business owner is that no two days are the same. It’s almost impossible to do the “rinse and repeat” method in business because each scenario presents itself differently. You will always have something that you will need to look up for a client, refer a client if it’s not your area of expertise, or learn so you can become even better at your job. Please don’t see that as a bad thing. Be honest about your knowledge and be willing to learn. People will respect that.

That’s enough of the tough times. Being a small business owner has many amazing benefits. Otherwise, we wouldn’t do it, right? For me, even with all the challenges, that moment where I see that I’ve helped someone achieve success in their business and use that to achieve success in their life makes it all worth it. My goal is to help each client so much that they say “I couldn’t do this without you.” 

So, think about your business. Are you happily serving customers while making enough to pay yourself and cover your bills? Do you get bogged down with the record-keeping needed to keep things running? I love helping small business owners take control of their situation and thrive. By helping you achieve your goals, I can achieve mine.

Need help with your small business? Let me do what I love to help give you the ability and the time to do what you love.