I get flooded with texts and Facebook and what’s aap messages on my phone
and these can get lost in the flow of how many I get each week , Buried in a sea of messages as each one knocks the last down the screen and off it .
I know we are living in a tech world and for some this is the norm of contacting , but not for me I’m afraid
Phone yes if no contact then email is the next best thing also leave a message , if you phoned I would probably say send a photo of the table by email anyway to see what you have and to answer any queries . .
My Wife works for me Monday / Wednesday / and Fridays so she may also answer the house office phone .
If am working on someone’s table I will not stop to answer a phone , it would be rude to my client and also his time , I also may be on a time to get the table back in use for , so less time on office duties and on the table is required .
My email is c.large@btinternet.com
At my age the best contact method that is quickest to do is Email as I answer emails daily or within 48 hours , unless I am working away or on holiday .
and with emails we have a paper trail of what was quoted and said .
Since my last Holiday , I have been flooded with work coming in thick and fast .
It is hard trying to fit them all in , some I have to turn down as too far or I am just too busy to work out my next free time
Add into this lost days for say snow and ice , Holidays and funerals I have to go to .
Plus some specialist asked for cloth ( Strachan superfine ) is simply not available as the manufacturer rarely makes it and when they do , some one buys the lot to corner the market , and people get frustrated in waiting for it , if my supplier does not have it then I do not have it .
And I am away again for two weeks in May in Lanzarote Again from the 6th of May to 22nd I am off .
Before you all cry out on Holiday again , I am 69 years old this month
I am taking Holidays every three months as a right of working all these years .
I am also away in July for a week too in Cornwall .
and still intend to carry on working well into my mid 70s
I like the job that much .
Also a close colleague I worked with passed away last week and his funeral is on the 20th March
so I have had to cancel both the 20th and 21st to go to that .
I did work with him for 24 years .
For that I have had to split up a 4 day Job I had in Leicester for two tables re-rubber /;re-cover /new nets and leathers , into two 2 days one in March and one in April .
Remember GCL billiards is a one fitter operation , I have to work on tables , do the ordering , answer emails and phones , post out things , I do not get a lot of free time .
it is not a 9am top 5pm … 5 day week firm , that turns off the light and closes the office door and finishes each day , and has the weekends off .
I work most weekends too , unless I am told to take a break .
The unfortunate truth of owning and running a business.
Running a business is really hard.
What they don’t tell you is that it can cause severe stress and anxiety, and drains you mentally to the point of depression in even the most laid back people.
People will talk about you, compare you to others, use you, they will view you as a service and not a person anymore.
People expect you to be available 24/7 and at the drop of a hat because “you work for yourself so you can make time” unfortunately this is not the case most of the time.
Friends and family will expect discounts and people will value you and your hard work less than a big chain store.
You have to worry about if you forget to email/message someone back, are they going to think it was on purpose? Did you disappoint them? Will they hold that against you? When in reality you just can’t get to everyone’s messages and emails.
Starting up and running a successful business puts incredible strain on personal lives, friendships and relationships, many of which fail because there is just often no work life balance. You need to be the director, the worker, the admin, the marketing team, the accountant, the cleaner….. All whilst being a parent, a husband or a wife, family support, friend… it’s one of the hardest things you will try and balance
There’s a reason you don’t see many people succeed in small businesses after 5 years. If they are successful they are overwhelmed. It takes a toll. It’s freaking exhausting. Especially the past couple of years when so much has been out of our control.
Here’s a small reminder that we are just normal people with hectic lives. Be kind, be patient, support small businesses…….and hopefully more of us will stick around!
I copied this from another small business owner
