Small Business Owner - Have Fun Even If It Seems Desperate!
Operating a small business can be hectic and stressful in every stage of its development. It's important that you grab whatever fun you can. You will be surprised at how well you will feel and how much easier it becomes to run your business.
I was reminded of this when our young consultant returned from a client visit.
"That Melanie has a screw loose. She's a real nit-wit!"
I knew Melanie and I thought she had a pretty shrewd head screwed on. Melanie had "gone out on her own" with two girl friends who each had different skills in complementary fields. They had rented a small office which suited them in this start-up stage. A receptioniste cum everything else sat in reception and each of the gals had an office. It was so small that if the blinds weren't drawn they could each other in their office as they worked. The three girls were highly skilled but their biggest problem was cash flow.
"Why do you say that Allen?"
"Well, I was sitting with Jacky, she's the one that does the marketing research, and I looked over and Melanie jumped up from her chair and started to jig around her office waving first one hand and then the other in the air. She was shouting or singing but I couldn't hear what. Kelvyn, I am telling you that it looked just like an Indigenous American Rain Dance".
"I think she's lost it!", said Allen.
Melanie had not lost it she was doing her check dance. All three women worked for large corporations and Government Departments who were great clients but slow payers. (We were working on that) Their businesses lived from check to check and often it seemed to get to the desperate stage.
One day when everything seemed lost Melanie opened a letter to find a huge check inside. She was so happy that she jumped up and danced around the office. Now, all the girls danced their check dance when they got a large check. No matter how down they felt it lifted their spirits immediately to see one of their pals do the dance.
Every one who saw it felt better for it, no-one more than their common receptioniste. Clients in their waiting room saw it and began to know what it meant and were pleased for them. I think they even left vowing to pay their accounts as soon as possible.
It was win-win all round. Melanie let off a little steam, felt a little less stressed - and of course, she had the check!
Nothing nit-witty about that. Sometimes the silliest thing you can do is the best thing if it makes every-one around you a little happier.