Thursday March 24, 2022 | LANGFORD, BC
Editorial by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Cert PR | Island Social Trends
Small businesses are not large businesses who just happen to be smaller. They are a distinct form of enterprise, sometimes with the goal to grow much larger, but sometimes to stay small as a family operation or singular contributor to a particular sector.
In a world that values ‘bigger is better’, it’s a long hard slog for people who — by financial resource and/or personal temperament — decide to make their living with an enterprise.
Thoughts from down-under:
Here is an excellent profile by a New Zealand small-business operator, describing what it’s like to be a small business owner-operator (as posted online February 27, 2022).
It’s an insightful, well-penned analysis of the small business owner/operator experience.
“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.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 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!“
Baked-in to the system:
Why does this happen to small business owner-operators?
The load and stress is baked-in to the economic system, as a way to protect larger better-financed businesses from the threat of competition. Small businesses either give up and go away (three years is the benchmark), or allow themselves to be bought out by a larger enterprise (some big companies make it their mission to eliminate smaller companies with this strategy), or they carry on with all the load as noted above.
Usually a small business has something special to offer to the sector and the community, and should be recognized for that (i.e. with local customers shopping local).
Some businesses choose to remain small as a way to stay true to what they love doing (running it as a ‘lifestyle business’). The price is usually paid with a more modest income or lifestyle, but for some, that fits. Getting into the bigger system often has more casualties than successes; the transition requires capital and — in this digital age — proof of clicks on a website.
Big-box stores, retail chains and internationally owned companies make it really tough for a lot of small businesses in Canada to make a go of it. That trend has been very much in place for at least 20 to 30 years, as global supply chains have dominated the business landscape, and financial investors (including through popular TV shows) win their way into the hearts of ambitious small-enterprise entrepreneurs.
Economic recovery:
The BC Government — mostly through the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation — did a pretty good job of supporting a wide spectrum of businesses during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, with some creative grant options, though some sectors benefited more than others.
As economic recovery hopefully continues in BC and across Canada for small businesses, being a faithful customer or client to local and regional businesses is one way to help that happen. Organizations like chambers of commerce and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business have various ways to try and be supportive.
Ultimately, it usually does come down to the stamina and resolve of the owner-operator themselves.
Small businesses welcome:
If you are a small business in the west shore or south Vancouver Island region, you are welcome to inquire about discount rates for advertising within the Island Social Trends news portal. Inquire to: clientservices@islandsocialtrends.com or phone 250-217-5821.
Meanwhile, as a thank you for reading this editorial page, we are happy to list your company name for free! Give us a call.
===== RELATED:
Reader polls: got COVID?, business in 2022 (January 9, 2022)
VICA aims to lead economic recovery through institutional, commercial & industrial construction (December 3, 2021)
Victoria Chamber businesses ask Jobs Minister Kahlon about workforce recovery (October 20, 2021)
Creative boost in Langford core for small business, residents & tourists (May 12, 2021)
NDP: small businesses being failed by federal COVID supports (March 17, 2021)
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke owns Brookeline Publishing House Inc.
Mary started the MapleLine Business Centre retail print shop in Sooke (2010-2013) which continues offering remote services online.
Mary Brooke continues her series of news publications which started as MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), then Sooke Voice News (print 2011-2013), then West Shore Voice News (print & PDF 2014-2020), and now Island Social Trends (entirely online on this Island Social Trends news portal as well as a strong presence on Twitter @IslandSocTrends since mid-2020).
Ms Brooke’s news coverage is through a socioeconomic lens about the west shore and south Vancouver Island.
