You're not bossy, you're a Boss
Hey all, it’s been a minute. My original plan was to have a blog post or update for you every week. Then I realized, with it being winter and not much construction going on currently, I backed that off to every other week. Well, they say life is what happens while you're busy making a plan which is why this one is a little later than two weeks.
Now, let’s get down to business. As in, let’s talk about starting your own business. I know I mentioned in the first blog post, but let’s elaborate on that shall we? Here is a deep dive into, not only all the aspects my family and I have gone through to build Small Grand Things, but also my thoughts and advice on starting a business. So, be prepared to get a full blown view to the creative chaos of a 26-year-old starting a business.
For starters, you make this puzzled face a lot, and drink that size cup of coffee at least four times a day.
I took a total of one business class during university and it was a business communications course. I don’t have an MBA, I don’t have experience writing business plans, I don’t have an understanding of back office functions. But, what I do have is a truly amazing support system and so many intelligent advisers helping me and teaching me every. single. day. What I am trying to show is that you don’t have to have the knowledge or experience or background to start your own business, what you do need is the heart, drive, and ability to take advice, criticism, and the help of others and implement it to grow. No matter how independent you are, because I am one of the most bull-headed and stubborn people I know.
Which brings me to my next point, not that I’m counting. You have got to be beyond stubborn in order to start your own business, but about the right things. You can’t block out the advice and opinions of people who are trying to help you. But you need to be stubborn enough to prove you have what it takes, to prove you can put in the hard work, to prove you can be successful.
You have to get that work! And mercy, let me tell you, there is some serious work. When I first pitched my idea of opening Small Grand Things to my family at the beginning of June, they were supportive but needed proof. Makes perfect sense, so I start researching. Hours on hours of market trends, industry growth, the local economy, the competition, all of it. I have not printed off so many papers to research, highlight, and reference since I wrote my thesis for my Master’s degree in grad school.
From there we made appointments with everyone under the sun to put the dream on paper. While plans were being drawn and concepts being sketched, I started working on building a business plan to be presented to investors and potential partners. Contractors and bids came next. Just exactly how much does my dream cost? Turns out, a lot. Back to the business plan, make edits and changes, add bids and plans.
All to finally submit it to the bank. Several back-and-forths to ensure all the information is correct and included and on November 2, 2018, Small Grand Things was born.
That does not conclude my work. Oh no, far from it. I moved from Washington D.C. back to my family house in West Point, Iowa on October 27th. In the one month since moving back home, we have given the house a face-lift with a fresh coat of paint in every room. Switched out the wardrobe with new flooring and carpet going into every room. And this is just the beginning. The pavilion for Small Grand Things as well as a couple of outdoor altar sights will be built in Spring of 2019. Throughout the winter, we will be getting the grounds ready including trimming trees, planting fields, preparing grass, and so much more. The work has just begun, and we aren’t done yet.
In addition to all of the physical work, there is the mental and emotional strain. Just a few quick notes on the changes you will go through when you start your own business. In order to be successful, every waking moment is going to be consumed with work. This will limit the amount of free time you have to spend with the people who matter. You will still try to hang out with people who won’t understand how precious your time truly is these days. You don’t have time to waste on people who don’t respect you or your time. You will fall out of touch with these people. You need to learn this is ok. Your friends and family and supporters who love and understand what you are doing, will understand and work through it with you.
To follow up on this point, it is ok to have to have opinions and know what you want and what will be right. This does not make you a know-it-all, or bossy, or anything at all. You are not bossy, you are a Boss. And this can be particularly difficult for women. Oftentimes, having power, opinions, and a drive can result in women to be labeled poorly. Ladies, you are not a bitch, you are a Boss. Don’t worry about the labels having power gives you. Wear that crown with pride and be the fierce queen you were born to be. You got this and anyone who gets in your way wasn’t meant to be there.
And that is what I plan on doing for the next month, next year, next 50 years. Working and busting my ass to make Small Grand Things the best business it can possibly be and to be a reliable small business for our community.
But don’t let the amount of work or change stop you from pursuing your own dream, starting your own business, taking that risk. It is worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. But always remember you can’t do it alone. You need a support system to help you celebrate your wins, get wine drunk with you when you are overwhelmed, and listen to you talk your way through all the madness, problems, and decisions that need to be made and worked through. You will also need to take a night every once in a while to have a break, watch Netflix in bed at 5:45 with pizza.
Enjoy every. single. moment. The hard ones, the fun ones, the exhausting ones, the relaxing ones, all of them. They are all part of what builds a business. And this is how I’m working to build ours.