What In The World Did I Get Myself Into?

This week my office is celebrating our 4^th anniversary and it brought me into a reflective mood. While I love what I do and the people I work with, I would be lying to you if I didn’t tell you that I still occasionally ask myself the rhetorical question, “what in the world did I get myself into?”

I don’t think my question is industry specific. Rather, I think (and even if I am wrong, lie to me and tell me that I am right so I feel better) that my question is common to many business owners as we grow in our business and face questions, situations, and problems we had either never anticipated or encountered before.

Overall, I enjoy what I do and the business I run. I love the freedom of not having a person looking over my shoulder asking, what have you done for me today? I drive my own schedule and  I am accountable for our results. But I am also the guy to take the blame when we fail. This means I sometimes have one of those days where I wonder, “why did I do this again?”

As I have learned, being a small business owner is not for the faint at heart. There are going to be ups and downs and I have had to learn to temper my emotions in both scenarios. There are going to be clients and employees that might possibly… maybe… allegedly, get under my skin and I know I can’t show it.  But at the same time, overall, there are great relationships being formed, friendships being deepened and a freedom that I have never really experienced before that I love!

Advice for new business owners

If I have one piece of advice for anyone starting a business today, don’t go it alone. I tremendously value the support and friendships that have developed because of my business. If you have just opened a business, or are considering it, my recommendation to you is to find those people in your life who have your best interests at heart that you can trust. Rely on them to work with you through the issues you are facing and take their feedback and input seriously.  These are not the types of friends who place the rose colored glasses on you, but rather they will look at your issues and give you the kick in the butt, or the hug, that you need.  I can’t be more grateful for those who have taken the time to do this for me.

My business is not where it can be or should be. Yet. It’s what I would call a work in progress. But it’s my work in progress!  Now as we start our 5^th year we are still looking to grow!  If you are in the Tampa Bay area and you are looking for a partner to help you find great staff, we would love to chat with you. The mission statement at PrideStaff is this: “Consistently provide client experiences focused on what they value most.” Contact us. Let me and my team show you what that means and how we can help your business grow. We want to partner with you and provide you the best advice we can, based on what we know in this market. You can find us at 727-748-4141 or stpeteclearwater@pridestaff.com