ontheedgeofeverything

My sister is a small business owner. Her business, Earthly Delights, consists of ready-made, frozen meals, bath products, and also woodworking, so it’s safe to say she’s a pretty busy lady.

My sister’s business has tremendously taken off this year in terms of her meals, specifically her soup. Several stores in Ontario now carry her products, and her list of clients continues to grow. My family and I are so proud of her considering we’ve been by her side with her endeavours since day one.

She and I were talking about her work the other day, and she said something to me that really got me thinking. I was asking her if she had heard from any new stores that would be interested in carrying her product, and she and I began to discuss the concept of rejection, specifically in the context of owning a small business. She explained to me that out of the significant number of stores she has reached out to in hopes of promoting her product, she’s heard back from a handful, and hasn’t heard a thing from the rest. She said to me that the occurrence of rejection in owning a small business can be relatively high in its early stages, and she questioned why this isn’t something that is being discussed.

I have to say, I completely agree with her.

Why isn’t rejection, and furthermore the wide array of issues that present themselves in owning a small business, something we bring to the forefront? Why isn’t there discussion and support for the people who are facing issues such as these at this time? I’m not entirely sure, aside from perhaps a hesitation to share the downsides of business with others. But, if we don’t talk about these things, how can we expect to improve the issues at hand and support one another?

Owning a small business is no easy task, and it’s time we start talking about the challenges associated with it. For ourselves, and for others.