So, the title may be a bit click-baity. I’ll give you that. Now, I’m not talking about the type of bad ideas that would involve anything that could end up with you being incarcerated. I’m speaking about those ideas which seem excellent (and totally doable) in the moment and even for some time after, but then starts to wane and eventually leaves you feeling bewildered with a familiar “What was I thinking?” moment.
Okay, so let’s backtrack for a bit. Let’s go all the way back to those murky days of the COVID lockdown. You remember those days, right? Those days where people worked from home, when people’s salaries got cut, where people lost their jobs, where you couldn’t leave home, where home-schooling was all the rage (whether we liked it or not!) and things were just a tad claustrophobic. Yes, those days.
Something happened during that time. Statistics show that there was an immense increase in the start of new businesses – mainly online for obvious reasons. New small businesses were popping up like crazy. Everyone had something – a skill, service or product – that they wanted to offer in exchange for remuneration. This made total sense. Income was an issue and people became industrious. This was admirable. Instead of sitting home and crying about the situation, they decided to do something tangible that would actually make a difference. Commendable.
And I think that for a time this worked well, given the situation we all found ourselves in. At some stage I’m sure we all had the feeling that the pandemic would never come to an end. (Technically, it still hasn’t). Those COVID-19 lockdown days were long. Seemingly unending. But, for those of us starting up businesses, it gave us something to do. Something to look forward to. The planning, the brainstorming – the excitement was almost palpable. Starting something from scratch that was your every own. It was an amazing feeling.
For a while it felt like kismet.
But then something happened. Something which the COVID-19 pandemic had made us think would never, ever be possible again.
The world started returning to normal.
We went back to those pre-COVID days. Back to when your days were hectic with your full-time job, school runs, extra-mural activities, weekend sports, birthday parties, etc. Back to the days when you had an inkling of starting up a small business, but decided against it because you didn’t have the time.
But now you have the business you’ve always dreamt of. COVID made you do it! But you also have all the same things that stopped you from starting it in the first place.
You tell yourself, “I can still do this. All I need to do is manage my time better.”
But your own business isn’t bringing in that much money yet. Your full-time job is the one that pays the bills. And you need to pay the bills.
And so, slowly, the business that you were so proud of once upon a time, starts to take the hits. Social media goes first, of course. Ain’t nobody got time to promote a business on social media! And then you realise that the less you advertise, the less queries you get. On the one hand it’s bad, of course. No queries mean no potential new work. On the other hand, it’s great. No new work means you can actually finish all those tasks on the long to-do list that you already have.
So, where does that leave you?
It leaves you feeling defeated.
Now you know that you are capable of starting a business under the right circumstances. But those circumstances have come and gone. So, was it a bad idea to start the business in the first place? Was it all just a waste of time? Have you now become the laughing stock?
Absolutely not!
Quite the contrary! The fact that you started a business while the world was falling apart around you shows gumption. It shows that you’re a fighter. A survivor. That you’re not just going to wither away while there’s still life in you.
The point is that even if things are a bit messy right now and you’re trying to find your feet, it’s perfectly fine. Think of it as a slump. A glitch in the Matrix. Just like we all had to adjust to a life indoors with masks and sanitizers, we will adjust to having full days plus another business. Yes, work might be slow for a bit as you try to juggle things around, but if it’s something you’re truly passionate about, it will find a way to blossom.
If you’re someone whose new business has thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, then kudos to you! Congratulations! We may need to get some tips from you. But for the rest of us, we’ll be patient, take things as they come and be proud that we had the courage to take that big plunge in the first place.
(Written by someone who started a small business during the pandemic).
