small business and the pandemic
I have officially hit a wall. The pandemic has finally taken it all out of me. I have owned a small business since 2006. I opened during a recession, I have felt the ups and downs of owning a small business, but this feels different. I guess its because I have so much more to lose. I am a mother, a wife and Im aging. I have always had the energy and problem solving skills to figure out problems and move through them. This time there is so much loss it feels extra hard to pick up the pieces. We have made so many changes and moved the puzzle pieces around to keep afloat instead of sink but now I am just tired. I want help, I need help. That comes at the price of shame and admitting that I need help. I have always been self sufficient and have even worked 3 jobs just to make it at times. My daughter is 9 years old and has grown up feeling the full pressure of parents who work for themselves and own their own businesses. It has created a family dynamic that thrives on stress and pressure. It has also allowed us to be together more than most families. However, what is that time together like? stressful and working !! When you own your own small business you work 24/7 even if you put a timeline on yourself and try to create a schedule, work creeps in. It is impossible to clock in and out like a regular job. I'm not totally complaining I am just stating the reality of the situation....... I am needed in my daughters room to help her with school, I have to give the dog a bath, do laundry, pay bills, list clothing online, take a shower, get dressed, make my kid a snack, talk with my husband about our schedule for the day, try to work some more, the shop is slow, i am stressed....
