Rosary Acres closing.

It saddens us to realize that an asset to the area, Rosary Acres is closing. Unfortunately, they were not able to hang in there & realize one of their dreams. They will continue to take orders and our coffee will be on the list. I believe the list is in progress but here is a link to the facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=652238438149704&set=a.175901139116772.36150.133203413386545&type=1&theater

This sad news has made me reflect.

My thoughts on having a small business…… any, including ours.
Making a small business succeed is VERY difficult. The overhead has to be kept in line & of course you need the customers. Keeping the overhead affordable is a balancing act. How does a business grow and yet be frugal?
Having a “brick and mortar” in a good location costs a LOT of $$$. First there is the building costs, utilities, insurances and, and, and….  Trying to compete with larger businesses as far as pricing is another dilemma. As a small business, especially a new one, you cannot get the great deals on product because you cannot afford the huge, bulk orders to get a better price or move them quickly enough if you could. Of course, you want everything now and your business space to look like Martha Stewart had just left. That can’t happen either. Once again, the overhead costs have to be watched carefully. That’s not to mention employees. If possible I think it’s best to stay away from hiring as long as possible. That is another drain on the profits plus the B.S. of Workmen’s Comp, S.S., W-2’s + more time & $$ expended/employee.

Personally, I have not had a paycheck in…. I don’t know when. I’ve always been self employed in some for or other and getting those 1099’s. No unemployment wages, no insurance, no nothing including no great verification of income when it comes time to go to a bank either.

 No, having your own business does not mean “making the big bucks” as so many seem to think. It means little or no income and instead of one boss, everyone is your boss. You are solely dependent on anyone and everyone you deal with from clients to suppliers affecting your income.

However, as great as a challenge it is, it can be rewarding. It’s great to see the business grow,  knowing your efforts were worth it. You have to be able to problem solve on a daily basis (some days more than others), numbers crunch, and the fun stuff: create and meet lots of interesting and very nice people (& bite your tongue once in awhile), realize that not everyone is in as big of a hurry as you are, and when necessary re-invent yourselves and a really difficult thing... you can’t take things personally, because it is business.