Dealing With Unexpected Events — How Life Impacts Your Small Business
Have you ever been stressed-out because life threw you a curve ball and your well planned work schedule quickly unraveled? When you’re in business for yourself, unexpected interruptions can be very disturbing.
Often, you wear most, if-not-all, of the hats in your business so when you don’t show-up for work things come to a grinding halt. On top of the other (curve ball) issues, the pressure can mount!
Your Business Can Survive The Pause Button
Readers who watch closely, may have noticed a slow-down in our posts and activity over the last few days. We’ve recently had to involuntarily hit the pause button here. A member of our immediate family was taken to the hospital in an ambulance on Saturday after a traumatic event we’ll leave on the private side of things.
Thankfully, we were all able to come home together that same day, but we’ve been overwhelmed since then with all sorts of things ranging from talking to insurance companies, doctors, and specialists, to dealing with fear and worry head-on.
As much as we’ve wanted to not lose any steam with work, we’ve hardly been able to concentrate. It’s even harder to get involved with the more lighthearted side of things such as blog posts and social media updates.
The tendency is to worry that all the work you’ve done will fall apart if you miss a few unplanned days. Lucky for us, we’ve been through this before and we’ve seen that just isn’t true.
We’ve been financially dependent on our small businesses for more than half of the twenty years we’ve been married. During that time, we’ve had our share of unexpected challenges. Some have been worse than others, but there have been times when hardly anything was accomplished for a period of weeks. Amazingly, the business is still there when we get rolling again!
Customers understand that life happens. Usually a quick email or phone call is all it takes to push back even the most stringent deadlines. Even if you lose a customer or an order due to the unexpected speed bump, it’s often a blessing in disguise. Sometimes you see it clearly once you’ve moved down the road a piece.
The business won’t fall apart! We consider this to be a real advantage of being self-employed. Who needs pressure from a boss tapping their watch when you’ve got a real problem to deal with? When you own the business, you can decide what the most important things are. Most of the time, you won’t even notice a dip in income.
Follow Your Instincts And Don’t Push It
If you face a situation at some point that makes you feel that you just “can’t do it” our advice is “don’t push it”. Give yourself a little time, especially if you’re in any kind of creative work, which most Etsy shops clearly are. It’s better for everyone if you deal with what you need to before trying to do a job that really requires your full attention.
Just trust your gut, take a little time if you need it, and don’t be afraid of losing all of your hard work.
Your business will survive the pause button!
We’re On Slow Forward
As for us, we’re hopefully past the pause stage, but we may still not quite be up-to-speed. We’re on “slow-forward” and looking forward to full-speed again very soon! Thanks for hanging in there with us!
image1: danisoul on flickr
Hugs to you! I like the slow forward. My prayers are with you.
This is comforting to me as I’ve been working hard at getting the shop going , reading up and doing stuff, creating, etc and due to a family member’s unexpected illness has come to an abrupt halt. Your post is very timely for me, and I thank you!
.-= heckety´s last blog ..Hazelwood =-.
Another great post, and I do hope everything turns out ok. I agree that an advantage we do have as our own employers is to hit the pause button when we need to. I unexpectedly broke my foot last May, in the midst of several wholesale orders and every one of my clients were very understanding at the delay. And many even followed up a few months later just to see how I was doing too! 🙂
I absolutely agree. I have put my business on hold multiple times {each for at least one month…some much longer} and it is always there when I’m ready to come back. I struggled with putting “work” on hold for a long time, but eventually realized there are other things far more important.
I’ll say a prayer for your family.
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..Thank you, Dave! =-.
Thanks so much for the tips!!
~Morgan
Meet Virginia!
Meet Virginia!
Meet Virginia!
.-= Morgan´s last blog ..From My Lil Bro =-.
Hi. I see you on twitter all the time so I thought I’d stop by for a look see. Love your blog~
Great post and very true!
Hope your family is okay!
Sending all positive vibes your way! Thanks for a post that made me feel it’s okay to slow down:)
.-= Steph´s last blog ..Sassy Juice cocktail necklace =-.
Great advice! We have also found that when LIFE makes it impossible for us to WORK, God still has ways to provide for us. Amazing, isn’t it?
Lifting you up in prayer. God bless your day!
I’m so sorry hear about your troubles, and will pray that they will be quickly resolved.
It’s all true–life tends to throw us those curve balls, but we are nothing if not resilient. I recently got thrown a great big curve ball which knocked me right off of my work for a couple months, but that creative spirit is strong and healing and I’m happy to be back to it. I’ve had to really dedicate myself to getting my business back up to speed. I have found, though, that my customers, friends, and blog sisters have been so supportive and patient. Blessing on them all!
Smiles, Karen
.-= Mrs. Kwitty´s last blog ..An Etsyversary Giveaway!!! =-.
Yikes! I’m sorry something traumatic had to happen for this very timely post! I’m very glad to read you’re on “slow forward”…and hope that things progress so you can soon move “full steam ahead”!
.-= Candied Fabrics´s last blog ..New Going Green Journals Finished =-.
Oh, Kim…bless your heart! You take care of your sweet family. I hope everything is ok now!
~Amanda
.-= Amanda@ImperfectlyBeautiful´s last blog ..A Little Nip and Tuck on the Plate Wall =-.
I’m so sorry for the difficult time your family has been through lately. You’ll be in my thoughts and prayers. Take whatever time you need to pause or move on slow forward. We’ll still be here when you are ready for full steam again.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Longing for Heaven, but Enjoying the Present =-.
I recently found this post and have to say thank you. I just hit one of those pauses and am now resurfacing after over a month of treading water in terms of my shops at about the same time that you wrote this! I’m just now getting back in the swing of things, and I hope that you are too!
.-= Serendipity Handmade´s last blog ..Quick Craft Update =-.