Running a small business is really hard. It takes momentum, discipline, and motivation. The joke is entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week so they don’t have to work 40 hours a week for someone else. And that’s really true! There is no shortage of sacrifices and long days ahead when you own a small business. But let me be clear, there is a big difference between being prepared and hustle culture.
Being organized in your business includes delegating, creating systems that can run without you, and strategic planning. However, so many small business owners are overwhelmed by the never ending day to day tasks that it is hard to get organized. Instead they struggle and hustle and are glamorized for it.
Any strategy for success that tells you your body, sleep, nutrition, and values are less important than making money is a scam. Toxic capitalism has us believing the woman next to you with a similar dream is your competitor, and it’s just not true. She is your advocate, your helper, your mentor, and your teammate. The only people making money off you getting four hours of sleep to make a few extra dollars is the person making money off you being sick, tired, and distracted. There is an unrealistic and harmful idea circulating in the culture. It’s the image of a #girlboss, which is really just patriarchy and white supremacy dressed up in bohemian pink heels trying to convince you the only way to achieve success is to copy how the way white men do it.
The pandemic took so much from us, but it also made us pause. And I for one think that is a good thing! We are in a moment in time where we get to reimagine our work. What are we giving to our business vs what is it giving to us? How can we be rested and happy while also pursuing our goals? There is a balance we can achieve. It probably isn't a balance we see every day. Maybe it's a few go go go months and then a few months of shorter days and more personal time. What could balance look like for you?
We have seen the consequences of bosses creating toxic work environments during the pandemic. Are you creating a toxic work environment for yourself? How many call-outs did you see in your community at the beginning of the pandemic? Did that make you question how you were running your business? Did it make you question how you were treating yourself or your employees? It’s a good thing if you took a step back and did some evaluating. This moment in business is so incredibly challenging and exhausting and 2022 doesn't look any different than the previous 2 years. How can you pause and edit how you approach your work?
The same is true if you work for someone else. We have seen the consequences of bosses creating toxic work environments during the pandemic. We are also seeing waves of worker strikes. This is a good thing! The workload from before the pandemic was not sustainable for the majority of workers and small business owners. We can and must take into account mental and physical sustainability both of ourselves and our employees. In the hospitality industry specifically, we need to do this. We need to both teach customers the reality of our industry, including more accurate food costs and payroll needs through living wages and more benefits. This means increasing our prices while also decreasing the workload.
How many call-outs did you see in your community at the beginning of the pandemic? Did that make you question how you were running your business? Did it make you question how you were treating yourself or your employees? It’s a good thing if you took a step back and did some evaluating.
By systemizing our processes, creating time for long-term planning, and building our mental and physical health into our calendars we can build small businesses that are resilient and create a positive impact in our communities.
None of this is easy. But with some thoughtful planning and action we can build a sustainable business that brings us joy.
