Business Ownership SUCKS! I Quit

I’VE HAD IT AND I QUIT! If you are a business owner or entrepreneur, you silently say this weekly, daily, maybe even hourly in your head. Business ownership can literally make your pull your hair out (In my case literally.)

Clients That Don’t Listen (Check)
Employees That Don’t Show Up To Work-TO WORK (Check)
Business Partnerships That Drive You Crazy (Check)
Customer’s That Don’t Pay or Pay On Time (Check)

Would you like me to go on? This is a small taste of what happens in the first hour of a Monday if you are a business owner. You know what I am talking about. The weekend comes and you are excited that you will only have to work 40 hours on the weekend instead of 168 hours. You get into the office and it is like an opening scene in the operating room on M*A*S*H (Google It if you are younger than Generation X.)

Why do we put our minds, bodies, and families through it? Because we were meant for it and we want to create something out of nothing. The success rate of first time entrepreneurs that start a business is 2/10 in the first 18 months (Forbes.) That means that 80% that start aren’t failures, they simply didn’t figure out their strengths and weaknesses. Starting a business is VERY different than running a business. Starting the business is the honeymoon period, running a business is being married.

The ugly truth is not everyone is meant to run a business, but they can contribute to the business. Success is not necessarily measured by a dollar sign, but at what you build and have in place.

What prompted me to write this blog? Mostly reflection, a little bit of venting, and a whole lot of GET OFF YOUR ASS and make SHIT HAPPEN (Sorry for the swearing.) Business owners are in a small group and we don’t support each other enough like we should. In rural America, we need to be united as business owners and truly support each others businesses. Remember, competition is good for consumers and to keep us from becoming complacent.

5 Tips For Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

  1. Exercise (You are stressed out even if you think you are not)
  2. Be involved in your community (Have an outlet that is positive and rewarding)
  3. Have faith (I am a firm believer that you need to believe in something bigger than yourself)
  4. To get RESPECT, you have to GIVE Respect (You need to model the behavior for those around you)
  5. Do the above, but be TENACIOUS and PASSIONATE (Haters are gonna Hate, leave them behind you)

DISCLAIMER: For my team at Harness Digital Marketing, you are an amazing team and only one of the items listed pertains to you. #HRProblems

COMMENT BELOW with your POSITIVE comments, support,  and suggestions for ALL our Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners.

Tom Harness | @itomharness | #TurnTheLightBulbOn

About Tom Harness

Tom Harness is the owner of Harness Digital Marketing, a digital marketing firm that works with businesses and organizations on Social Media, SEO, and Email Marketing. He is an entrepreneur and business owner with 20 years of combined experience in Education, IT, and Business. Tom is a U.S. Army Veteran and a Southern Illinois University alum. He also enjoys craft beers, his beloved Chicago Cubs, and his family.

Comments

  1. Steve Kidd says

    If you change a few words, I think this also pertains to me (a Catholic School Principal). The tips do not need altered, perfect advice!

    • Steve, you aren’t the first person to message me that about their own industry. I can say, I have no doubt you have all 5 of those tips down. I am only sad that you aren’t close enough for me to see how amazing you are at being a Principal.

  2. Good advice Tom. I may be picking your brain a bit more in the future. 🙂

  3. Jamie Leftwich says

    Tom,
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I find I struggle as service business in a thankless industry with feeling the pressure of knowing NO ONE ever has my back. My drivers do a great job but I am left with a constant desire to be part of a team.
    Is that one of the toughest things for others to deal with, “business loneliness”?
    Thanks again,
    Jamie

    • Jamie, that is the ONLY thing that keeps me going sometimes…my TEAM. They are phenomenal and I work hard everyday to let them know that. I hate to hear you don’t have a support team, but maybe that’s because you need to be the positive one to step up and create it. Deep down in side we want our customers to appreciate us, but some just aren’t. They weren’t raised that way. Work hard so they know what great CUSTOMER SERVICE looks like. If they ever leave you, they will come back. Best of luck and GREAT JOB.

  4. I concur. I’m an ed tech coordinator, a new one and I’m so over it.

    • Caren, don’t give up. I was in education for 9 years and did quit. Remember why you are there, the kids. I know how incredibly challenging it can be an educator, but make sure to surround yourself with a great support team. Hang in there and I know you can make it.

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: