I Did It!

            A year ago, this business didn’t exist. I had a couple of random sales from family and one from a yard sale but otherwise, I was just taking the leap. My primary goal was to find an income stream that would allow me to decrease my hours at the hospital and selling items that I made appeared to be the best option. I was burned out. I was tired. I was grumpy. My spirit was low. The broken healthcare system was dragging me down with it but I needed the income to pay off my remaining school loans and assist with supporting my family.

            What knowledge or experience did I have to qualify me to do this? Did my many years of schooling in an unrelated field provide the knowledge to run a business? Can an introvert like me actually run a business?

The answers are “none”, “no” and “yes, but not easily”.

I avoided everything with business growing up because I didn’t like the extroverted style of selling. The in-your-face type of pushing someone until they give up and hand over their hard-earned money just was not my style and it discouraged me from pursuing anything related to business. Instead, I pursued a career where I could quietly provide a background service that would be useful and welcomed. It took many years and a lot of hard work. Yet, I find myself unhappy, unfulfilled and dispirited with the options currently available in the healthcare arena. As an introvert, I can sometimes come across as snotty, disinterested and unsocial. It’s not my intention but it happens. How was that going to work with a business? It wasn’t unless I decided to change and push myself.  

            Despite the many reasons that I shouldn’t be able to do this, I decided to try it anyway. I was done with my current situation. I needed an out. I needed options. So, I set up an Etsy store, Facebook page, website, expanded my inventory and signed up for craft shows. It was scary. It was intimidating.

And guess what? I failed. I failed at so many things. My list of failings this year would astound you. Can someone really mess up this much and still keep going? The answer is, yes. Despite those failings, I was able to keep the small business going for a year. A whole year!

Would someone else in a similar situation been able to be more successful than I was? Probably.

Would a business professional look at my setup and laugh at my homemade business plans and design? Definitely.

But I did it! It was hard and I definitely have things that I plan to do better in the future, but I made it through the first year. (Pause for a bow and applause from the audience.)

I am not writing this blog post simply to tell my readers what an awesome person that I am. I am writing this to encourage you to do something scary. Don’t continue to do the same things that produce unwanted results because you are scared to try something new. If I, with very limited experience and knowledge in an area can work hard and self-teach myself how to start and run a small business, then you can do that thing that you really want to do but feel too intimidated to try. Your wants and needs are not exclusive. You CAN find a way to do it. It will definitely require getting out of your comfort-zone. It will require some creative thinking and juggling, especially at first. But you can do it!

If not now, then when?