Tips & Talk 57 – Overcoming the “Not Easy” Parts
“Not easy” times can happen at any stage in your handmade product business journey – it’s not only reserved for newbies. And I’m here today to reset your thinking when you’re working through rough patches. These are times to be celebrated! They actually offer you great opportunity.
I’m not going to give you the pep talk here about how you can overcome everything – even tho you can. I’m also not going to get all strategic giving you steps to get past these “not easy” times. That’s not the point of this episode. The point is for you to think differently about what these challenges offer you AND why they are a great thing.
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Transcript
Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue.
Speaker:And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.
Speaker:These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and
Speaker:things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.
Speaker:If you'd like to submit a topic,
Speaker:DME over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped,
Speaker:before we get into the show today,
Speaker:I want to make sure that you know about the newest
Speaker:thing happening over here.
Speaker:It's called the gift biz bash a zoom party that turns
Speaker:into a podcast episode.
Speaker:Several weeks later,
Speaker:the party consists of a short training with Q and a
Speaker:from yours truly.
Speaker:And then an opportunity for you to give a shout out
Speaker:about your business.
Speaker:You can tell us about a promotion you currently have going
Speaker:on or share a collaboration that you're considering so that you
Speaker:can find a perfect partner for the event.
Speaker:A little bit of learning and visibility for your business.
Speaker:What could be better?
Speaker:There is a catch though spots are limited to keep the
Speaker:party to about 45 minutes or so.
Speaker:That means you should grab your spot right away.
Speaker:It's totally free to make sure you're included.
Speaker:Why not do that right now?
Speaker:Pause this episode,
Speaker:go to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash bash to sign up and then come back
Speaker:and listen to the show.
Speaker:I'll see you at the bash.
Speaker:Maybe you're in the middle of one right now for time
Speaker:in your business.
Speaker:When it's not easy,
Speaker:these rough patches can appear for a number of reasons.
Speaker:You're juggling responsibilities between home working for someone else and running
Speaker:your own business,
Speaker:or you need to try something new.
Speaker:And haven't the slightest idea how to proceed.
Speaker:That could be putting up a website,
Speaker:starting your email list,
Speaker:or a host of other tech related things that has your
Speaker:eyes roll,
Speaker:or you're in a situation that makes you completely uncomfortable,
Speaker:like exhibiting at your first show or attending a chamber networking
Speaker:meeting where you'll need to get up and talk.
Speaker:These not easy times can happen at any stage in your
Speaker:handmade product business journey.
Speaker:It's not only reserved for newbies.
Speaker:And I'm here today to reset your thinking.
Speaker:When you're working through times like this,
Speaker:these are to be celebrated.
Speaker:They actually offer you a great opportunity.
Speaker:And no,
Speaker:I'm not going to give you a pep talk here about
Speaker:how you can overcome anything,
Speaker:even though you can.
Speaker:I'm also not going to get all strategic on you,
Speaker:giving you steps to get past these not easy times.
Speaker:That's not point for this episode.
Speaker:The point is for you to think differently about what these
Speaker:challenges offer you and why they're actually a great thing.
Speaker:Now, before you think I'm totally off my rocker here.
Speaker:Let me explain to be honest,
Speaker:it's not really that hard to start a business,
Speaker:depending on how you want to define it.
Speaker:At the most basic level,
Speaker:all you have to do is make some product and start
Speaker:selling. It.
Speaker:Don't think for one minute that I'm suggesting this approach,
Speaker:but for all intents and purposes,
Speaker:that's a business.
Speaker:The hard part is to stay in business.
Speaker:As you continue on from startup phase,
Speaker:all the not easy things begin to reveal themselves.
Speaker:These obstacles come up for everyone.
Speaker:If they're interested in being profitable and have a continual flow
Speaker:of orders.
Speaker:And here's where your opportunity comes in at each juncture of
Speaker:the business development path,
Speaker:a percentage of business owners turn off the path and call
Speaker:it quits.
Speaker:That means the number of businesses competing to win your customers
Speaker:dollars, get smaller and smaller as you encounter and overcome the
Speaker:not easy parts that is cause for celebration.
Speaker:Listen, you aren't doing anything to knock them off course for
Speaker:your own gain.
Speaker:They're self eliminating,
Speaker:which leaves a more open path for you.
Speaker:Think of it as a marathon before the race.
Speaker:There's a massive runners,
Speaker:all jammed together at the starting line.
Speaker:The gun goes off and the mass begins to move forward.
Speaker:Some aren't even able truly to run yet because the field
Speaker:is so crowded.
Speaker:Then as the race goes on,
Speaker:gaps begin to appear between the runners,
Speaker:the more skilled take the lead and those who are less
Speaker:experienced or didn't train start falling behind the course,
Speaker:dispersion continues to expand throughout the entire race.
Speaker:Some runners resort to walking or drop out completely.
Speaker:Now runners slow down or quit for various reasons.
Speaker:Some get injured,
Speaker:some mentally give up when it starts getting hard,
Speaker:physically some quit.
Speaker:If a cramp is insurmountable and some never took it seriously
Speaker:in the first place,
Speaker:but showed up for fun or to see how far they
Speaker:could get.
Speaker:And then there are the winners let's face it.
Speaker:Everyone who crosses the line of a marathon is a winner.
Speaker:At least in my book.
Speaker:And each of these marathon winners carried on through the not
Speaker:easy times of mental or muscle exhaustion and heat,
Speaker:thirst or injury,
Speaker:but eventually crossed the line throughout the race.
Speaker:The total number of runners got smaller and smaller.
Speaker:Same with business.
Speaker:You've heard about the high attrition rate of startups,
Speaker:depending on who you talk to nine out of 10 businesses
Speaker:close within the first 18 months,
Speaker:you can look at this two ways.
Speaker:You can be fearful of getting in the game,
Speaker:or you can say,
Speaker:great. I'm going to be that one of 10.
Speaker:And as I go along and it gets tougher,
Speaker:I'll move into spaces that have less and less friction.
Speaker:The advances with your business are like the marathon or training
Speaker:for the race.
Speaker:You set up your Etsy shop and perfect.
Speaker:Your social media posting a marathoner builds muscle and endurance.
Speaker:Each of you break away from the pack because you push
Speaker:through not easy,
Speaker:which elevates you to another level that is less populated.
Speaker:You've gone where others dare not go and get to reap
Speaker:the rewards from pushing through.
Speaker:That's why I say celebrate the not easy times they are
Speaker:surmountable. And when you get to the other side of each
Speaker:and every obstacle,
Speaker:the sun gets brighter and brighter because the clouds have separated
Speaker:and drifted away and your business becomes the shining star.
Speaker:That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
Speaker:And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream
Speaker:of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.