on April 28, 2017
A LOVE LETTER TO BUSINESS OWNERS
This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Not because it’s flashy or involves presents (which is my usual criteria for something I rank as a “favorite”). Heck, it doesn’t even show up on most calendars.
But, it’s a week that I get to do one of my very favorite things … show love and gratitude to my tribe.
National Small Business Week happens every year without a ton of fanfare. Yes, it’s been designated a nationally recognized event by our US Presidents since the ‘60s, and the Small Business Administration gives it due attention. But, when this week shows up, I intentionally take time to reflect on my own journey and shoot all the positive thoughts I can muster into the universe for entrepreneurs everywhere.
This week also reminds me to honor a relationship that I have complete and total confidence in … the relationship between me as a person, and me as a business owner.
Most people think this would be the same person. But, I’ve learned in the past several years that these are two very different people. One prefers to sit back and chill out, while the other is constantly chasing challenges. One needs to think before she acts, while the other doesn’t always have that luxury. One can easily live in faded jeans and hiking boots, while the other is more comfortable in pencil skirts and high heels. One is happy to let someone else take the lead, while the other wouldn’t dream of handing over the reins. To anyone. Ever.
Like any relationship, we have our ups and downs. Sometimes I want to throttle myself when I’m not giving myself enough attention or taking myself for granted. I’ve been known to tap into an exceedingly colorful vocabulary when I have to concentrate on what needs to happen here at Rescue Desk instead of ducking out early to get a jump on the weekend. And don’t even get me started when I have to walk away at the end of the day simply because I promised me I’d be home at a decent hour for a change.
But, when push comes to shove, amazing things happen when we work together. When we score another great client, celebrate a record-breaking revenue month, or enjoy the freedom to cut out in the middle of the day to go to a nephew’s ball game or a niece’s choir concert, I know we’re in it for the long haul. I’ll never doubt that I’ve got my back, and I trust that every decision is in the best interest of me, myself and I.
I’ve always believed that small-business owners are a scrappy bunch, which is precisely why we work with the clients we do. Something I think we all share in common is the love we have for our businesses; we’re absolutely nutty over the clients we serve, we’re head-over-heels crazy about the process of growing a company, and we rarely hesitate about the sacrifices we make to feed the entrepreneurial spirit we share.
As we kick off National Small Business Week, I want to give a heart-shaped shout-out to business owners both large and small. Whether you run a one-person shop out of the corner of your basement or work out of the penthouse suite in a high-rise building, I salute you and the love you have for your business. It’s truly a relationship worth celebrating.