Have you ever started, ran, or worked in a small business?

Small business is not for everyone. Small business owners and employees often wear many hats. Their functions aren’t always clear cut, there is no assumed salary increase because they are more susceptible to economic swings, their hours are less defined, and with fewer people to cover all tasks, there is nowhere to hide.

The upside of small business is the encouragement for everyone to flex their entrepreneurial muscles, ability to make decisions quickly (change direction on a dime), and that the president is always within reach. Small business owners are often far more demonstrative of appreciation, too.

There is a significant contrast in working in big business, institutions, or government organizations. The disadvantages may be that it is a more competitive environment, likely less personal and often more red tape. The advantages, however, are significant offering better compensation than small business, benefit programs, mental health days, someone to cover your position when you’re not there, beefy pensions, and if you’re union, job security.

Federal government workers in Canada’s capital loved lockdown in 2020 and beyond. They got to work from home on full salary and benefits, escaped much of the protocol with no danger of job loss and there were no shareholders or customers to hold them accountable. Many confessed to working only half days at best … because they could. Small business owners told a very different story during that time period.
In the end, who comes out ahead? Do we teach our kids to give the least amount of effort and get away with as much as the system will allow? Is your resume what they see or what you know?

Aha! ~ Act as though you are paid on performance.

Could you imagine a society where teachers were compensated based on their students’ accomplishment, self-love and confidence? A society where police were paid in direct proportion to the safety of their community? Where a local politician would receive pay for the months they delivered on a thriving community and balanced budget? What about entertainers (a.k.a. professional athletes) being paid relative to their execution vs. crowd draw? And a doctor’s renumeration measured by the health of his patients?

Okay so those KPI’s might be a bit tough to establish and we can’t take total responsibility for another’s effort, only influence it, but it makes for excellent conversation, doesn’t it?

I had a few jobs with a big brand behind me – it was great fun and a tremendous learning environment – however I gave it up to build my own. To me, there is nothing more character building (i.e. humbling) than running a small venture even if it’s a side hustle or not-for-profit. It teaches accountability, responsibility, creativity and a many other “ity”s that set one up to be resilient, independent, and self-reliant.

Nobody stumbles onto something great while sitting down.

This week has been a lot of writing as I celebrate anniversary #44 for the company. The last celebration was February 29th, 2020. My dad had just passed and two weeks later the world shut down. The past four years have an adventure with a capital “F”. Those with small enterprises who chose against the experimental injections have been tested dearly the past four years, so I dedicate this Aha! to all of us. Join us for the Anniversary Zoom Part March 14th – register here – and hop on YouTube if you want more on this discussion.