Truths about small business

A few weeks ago, I sat across from the daughter of a dear friend at a local coffee shop. Her mother is one of my oldest friends and has seen my constantly changing journey through professions, raising children, and building businesses. She called on me to share the details of life as the small business owner of The Perfect Piece after her daughter was professionally downsized twice and was wondering what the life of small business was really like.

My friend’s daughter had done it all right– she went to a good college, got a marketable degree, and landed a great job. After working for seven years, the company she worked at was purchased, and she found herself unemployed. She landed another job only to be downsized six months later. Struggling through a second round of unemployment, she came to me with worries about her own future: Will my life always be this uncertain? Will I lose my job to business transactions, AI, and companies shrinking employee numbers? Should I find a more stable career path? Or do I become my own boss and jump into the world of small business?

Despite independent florists and book shop owners in Hallmark movies having magical vacations, sweeping romances, and calm days, running a small business is hard– like, really hard.

Small business owners have to know, work on, fix, and think about virtually everything related to the business 24/7. Most small business owners will never be millionaires, and we definitely don’t get paid time off. We work without proper pay for years and often feel isolated without full support systems.

Small businesses also want to give back to their communities. We make donations to local sports teams and non-profit organizations, and we help every individual who walks through the door. Unfortunately, the volume of energy and care we pour into our businesses isn’t on full display, which means we’ve been yelled at, demeaned, and read some nasty Google reviews and e-mails when expectations aren’t met despite our best intentions.

Owning a small business is hard–did I mention that?

Even with hardships, a certain beauty lives in small businesses. A small business has a soul and is often the pulse of a neighborhood. We offer special opportunities to help the people and the community we love thrive. Small business owners aren’t personally successful because they make huge paychecks but because of the lessons they learn along the way. We get the wind knocked out of us then get back up. We learn to celebrate the small wins. We see value in community, and our hearts expand in unique ways. 

I shared the honest lessons I’ve learned with my friend’s daughter and left the decision to pursue life as a small business owner in her hands. The truth of small business is that we become “wealthy” in our heart through some of these special life lessons.

1. As long as you tried, you have not failed. The closing of my second business was tremendously hard. I cried a lot, felt like a failure, and struggled with depression. One day, I caught a podcast featuring a guest who had been training for the Olympics. In the trial stage, the guest suffered a career ending injury. People asked openly and persistently how she felt about that failure, and she revealed the injury wasn’t a failure but a lesson. Her experiences were ones most people couldn’t dream of meeting. She might not have made the Olympics team, but the journey to get there was all hers. The words resonated with me. I’m now in my third business, and I can see how much I’ve grown as an owner since the first one. My experiences in small business haven’t been failures; they have instead led me to this spot, this life, and this adventure. 

2. Do life together. Every small business solves unique problems with special situations. As a small business owner, I have often worked in a vacuum and see the same issue with other owners. With no one to run ideas past, learn from, and celebrate with, I felt isolated. With my third business, I finally have a partner to share those experiences with. The team of people at The Perfect Piece is amazing, and I’m so grateful for them. Being part of this community after surviving alone on a small business island brings me so much joy. 

3. Small business matters to the community. We purchased the store from the founding owners because we didn’t want it to leave the community. We knew people loved the store but had no idea how much until we became owners. People come in daily and say the store is their happy place. They appreciate the calm, pretty, and inspiring space as not simply a store but a partner during life transitions. From building forever homes or downsizing to celebratory bridal showers and milestone parties, the people who walk through our doors work with us creatively during transitions both good and bad. We have been here for those walks with our community members, and we always will be. We’re not building an empire but instead supporting a community with all our hearts.

Do we hope this business succeeds? Absolutely. Do we hope to afford vacation homes? Yes! Do we think that will happen? No, probably not. We’re just grateful to be part of the Zelienople community for as long as we can. We hope to expand and bring this special business to other parts of the Pittsburgh area. Regardless of where we go, this small business adventure is an integral part of our lives, and that is enough.

I wouldn’t recommend everyone open a small business, and doing so will absolutely be difficult. A small business is about the journey, not the result. If you can embrace that truth, the life of a small business owner might just be for you.