I got a call today from a prospective client. This is an interaction we have pretty regularly and, while I’m always thrilled to hear from a soon-to-be friend and client, I generally know what to expect and what questions to ask. As I was going through the list of the basics with her, though, one of her answers threw me for a loop.
I asked her how she found Red Hen (a question we should all be asking all of our leads!) and she answered, “I asked Siri ‘What is the company that helps small business owners recapture their dreams for their businesses?'” Siri returned one possibility: us.
That’s a great question! As owners it’s easy to get worn down by the day to day needs of a business. It’s simple to answer ‘crazy’ when someone asks how things are going and tragically common to lose sight of the dream and sense of adventure that brought us here in the first place. We ask dozens of questions a day. How do I run payroll, deal with an unhappy client, file this form with the state, prepare a bid for a new service, or see my kids more? Underpinning all of those, important as they are, is this meta-question: how do I find joy in my business?
Sometimes the answer is help. I’ve always felt like I should be able to run my business, raise my kids, and clean my house by myself. But when I asked for help this week in the form of hiring a lawn service my life got measurably better. Perhaps having a graphic designer or a bookkeeper to support your endeavor means your days feel less like a race through a to-do list and more like the dream you and your company once had. Even Siri thinks it’s an idea worth exploring.