It’s GA Small Business week, so I thought I’d share the Top 4 Questions & Comments I get as a Business Owner Working in Nutrition & Fitness:
1) “I’d be so tempted to snack all day and do my laundry on work time if I worked from home!”
Agreed. Both are tempting! My operation is not brick and mortar, so there’s no official dress code or lunch break time. I remember when I first started my business working from home a few years ago and thought, “ooohhh…I’m gonna sit on the deck in a tank top with my laptop while I work and catch some rays.” Haha! Rarely does it work that way…having Best Body Facilitators hosting on my Countdown program around the country has forced this sun-seeking, spontaneous idea-girl to keep tight deadlines, make orders with wiggle-room for shipment snafus, and book flights way in advance for speaking engagements.
Planning is not my jam, but alas, it’s a business basic.
2) “OH NO, A DIETITIAN! About what I’m eating right now…let me explain…”
I’m really not the food police. Well, if you are eating a big greasy sausage link with your fingers that leaves you with swine lip gloss and 6 crumpled napkins nearby, I would probably notice. Or, if you are eating a warm homemade cookie, I might look around to see if there are more. Other than that, I’m happy to talk shop if you want suggestions, but am truly not investigating or judging your plate.
3) “Should I just get your books on Amazon or do you have one of those swipe-y things on your phone?”
Gosh I love me some Amazon Prime, but I must say, the longer I’ve done the calculations a small business owner must, and worked the hours that business owners do, the more aware and supportive I am of local vendors. I remember years back running into a craft shop for a quick hairbow ribbon for my daughter where the owner told me, “you can just have the ribbon if that’s all you want. It’ll cost me more than that roll to ring you up with your Amex.” That lesson sent this Amex-points loving chica to my car scavenging for stashed quarters (ouch).
So, what lessons have I learned to help me better support small businesses in sunny GA?
- Order from the source whenever possible, and with their preferred means of payment…you never know. (Yes, my “swipe-y thing” is always on me, and books in my trunk 🙂 and no, @Square doesn’t charge more for Amex like the store fronts do).
- Learn from Amazon’s reviews and order from them when a local small business carrying the item is not in reasonable reach. (I LOVE that review feature no matter where I’m buying the item…even if it’s a little scary that strangers can freely comment on my books there for all to see).
4) “Do you work in your PJs?”
Heck yeah. Whenever possible. (Read “get real with Sohailla“).
BONUS FOR READING TO THE END: Just during GA Small Business Week (through Friday 3/17), you can get either of my Ebooks and/or the interactive trackers for 20% off using the discount code: SMALLBUSINESSWEEK.
