It Takes a Village

Have you ever heard the African proverb "It takes a village [to raise a child]"? The gist of the proverb being that one can not [raise a child] alone - we are not solitary creatures so we should not try to be.

I think this applies to running a small business (among other things in life) - at least it's a thought that has been running through my head as of late. While I have some overriding personal issues that may make my situation unique to a certain degree - there are many things that I share in common with my small business owner counterparts.

I struggle with making the right decision - whether it be to make a certain product, how to delegate my time and how to promote my business.

On occasion I find it difficult to stay on task - distractions come in many shapes AND sizes, from all directions at various times making it managing multiple things particularly problematic from time to time.

I have also noticed that myself and others have an issue with self-esteem when it comes to our work... it can be rather low at times. For me personally it is not out of the ordinary that while I can be showered with praise when I show off a completed piece, at the same time I find no personal satisfaction in it's quality/presentation and want to destroy it.

What I have found is that even though I struggle with these all too common issues as I skip along trying to get my business to grow and blossom in to a mini empire that I hope it will be some day - is that I am not alone, there are many like me! I can't do it alone, not exactly anyways...it takes a village right?

Sure there are many things that only I can do when it comes to my business - my husband can't borrow my creativity and craft the items I have worked hard to perfect or speak on small business concepts which he isn't that knowledgeable in... perhaps later on, but not at this point in my business's "life". The bulk of the work falls on me - but what they (my "village") does do for me is keep me going, they (my "village") tell me it's okay to doubt and even okay to take a break and they can help with general tasks that take up too much of my time when things begin to pile up.

They (my "village") have instilled in me the strong belief that what I am doing is worthwhile and isn't that important? What does your village do for YOU?