“Running a Business Shouldn’t Be This Hard….” (said every entrepreneur ever.)

Most small business owners didn’t start a business because they dreamed of bookkeeping, social media, hiring employees, learning new software and figuring out cash flow. They started because they were good at something—and believed they could build a business around it.

Then came everything else.

In this series, we’re tackling five of the biggest challenges small business owners face, with practical ideas to make running your business a little easier.

1. “I don’t have enough time.”
   The owner is doing the actual work and answering phones, ordering inventory, handling employees, paying bills, posting on Facebook, unpacking frieght and tearing down boxes, responding to customers and putting out fires. The strategic stuff gets pushed to “when I have time”—which is approximately never. Sound familiar?

   What is filling your day now? For the next few days, write down how you are actually spending your work hours. Its usually very different than we expected…and there are often simple things you can change, eliminate, or delegate to free up time. For instance, a friend of mine is an extremely talented floral designer. By having someone else answer the phones, prep the flowers when they arrive, water plants and wait on customers, she can focus on what brings the money in…her beautiful flower artistry. She outsources marketing to me, has a bookkeeper take care of quarterly taxes, and has 1-2 people help at the shop. The more time she spends on design, the more her business grows.

2. “I need more customers—and more consistent sales.”
   This is bigger than “I need marketing.” Usually it’s: How do I find the right customers? How do I get them to choose me? And how do I get existing customers to come back? What are the right types of marketing for my business? If you are doing the same marketing you have done for the last 20 years, you are definitely missing out on business.

   One simple thing to do today. Claim and optimize your Google Business Listing. Google is where nearly everyone goes to find out about businesses providing your products and services, especially local ones. This is like a phone book ad for the entire world, FOR FREE.

3. “I’m making money, but where is it going?”
   Cash flow, rising expenses, pricing, margins and understanding whether they're actually profitable are huge. An owner can be incredibly busy and still not be making enough money. SBA guidance specifically stresses cash-flow visibility, bookkeeping, budgeting and understanding financial statements as foundations for sustainable growth.

   Easy solution? The Michigan SBDC provides free on demand training for understanding financials and free one-on-one confidential counseling with a Certified Small Business Consultant to help you ensure your pricing is helping rather than hurting you.

4. “I can’t find good help—or I can’t let go.”
   Finding dependable people is only half the problem. Training them, managing them, affording them and trusting someone else to do the job can be just as difficult. For many very small businesses, the owner becomes the bottleneck because everything still has to go through them.

   Ask yourself where your weak spot is….for most entrepreneurs, its either accounting, IT or marketing, and by outsourcing this to a professional, it frees you up to focus on the core of your business, serving your customers.

5. “Everything keeps changing and I can’t keep up.”
   Technology, AI, social media, Google, cybersecurity, customer expectations, regulations, bookkeeping software—the list never stops. And the problem isn't necessarily unwillingness to learn. It's information overload. Even federal paperwork alone imposes a substantial burden on small firms. This can have a paralyzing effect on small business owners and they just give up trying.

   Meeting with a business coach or SBDC consultant can clarify which things you need to learn, and which things you can delegate or hire out to other professionals. Don’t rely on your teenager to handle your social media marketing or cybersecurity. If marketing is the thing you need help with, I offer a free 45 minute Introductory Consultation.

There's actually a common thread underneath all five:

“I started this business because I was good at what I do. Nobody taught me how to run, market and grow a business.” Luckily, we are living in a time when there is a lot of support for entrepreneurs through the SBA, SBDC, MEDC, and other support agencies, as well as a wealth of information online.

Each of the next 5 weeks we will tackle one of these issues together, and I’ll share the resources to help you solve any of these issues that apply to you!