Maybe I'm abnormal, but there were many things I didn't even think of when going out on my own. Things like, "Who's going to answer the phone?"
As I told you in my last post, I just hung out my Peekaboo shingle and got to work. My first day in my home office there was a paper jam in my printer. This was no good. In what I still call, "My Real World Job" I would have buzzed my last office manager, Laura. Now, it was all on me. After about 2 hours of poking and prodding, I DID IT! I remember calling Laura and saying, "You'll never guess what I just did. All by myself."
That was just the beginning. My research and development, production, sales, accounts receivable, payable and customer service all fell on one person...ME! And then, the phone rang. For a brief second, I considered answering in a different voice so that it would sound as though I had an assistant or receptionist. Something to make me appear...like a real business, with real employees. After all, even those who I'd sought out for professional counsel in order to start my business weren't really working for me. Rarely did they return my phone calls. They obviously had bigger fish to fry.
All of this leaves a new business owner feeling like a poser. That's something that I thought only I felt until I started talking to other small business owners. It's actually a common feeling. The feeling of having to convince people you're a real business. I can't tell you how many clients I told my life story to just so they would know that I was serious. Finally, someone said, "We don't care about all of that. We just like the service you provide."
So, if you are thinking of leaving your real world job to start your own business, do this: look around your office/company and write down all of the jobs held by your co-workers. Then, think about doing every single one of their jobs and how you would handle that.
In a perfect world, you'd hire several people to complete these jobs. But, the reality of a new business is limited capital which means limited funds for help which leaves you holding the bag. You gotta love your business!
Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author. The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice. It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner. As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment.