Am I doomed to be always pushing rocks uphill?

Dear Aunty B,

I run a smallish (55 staff) retail business. I keep thinking the next financial year is going to be better. But once again I have hit a flat bit when I need new customers.

I am making a comfortable net profit but I never seem to get to the point where I can just sit back and think, “made it”.

Do I ever get to make it Aunty B? Or am I doomed always to be pushing rocks up hills?

And what is success? How do I get out of this situation where I am always lying in bed worrying about the future?

Worried,
Brisbane

Hi Worried,

Are you a sap? You want to swap your life with some miserable wage slave? And be at the beck and call of idiot bosses? And never make a capital gain or create a job?

Nahhh. You love what you do.

Now let’s recap. You are making a profit when millions are not. And you are making a comfortable profit???

You, my friend, are actually a fantastic success. In fact, you are striding along the stage of entrepreneurial success!

Parading upon the catwalk of having made it. Enjoying the accolades of being a self-made entrepreneur! You, my friend, are the envy of every employee in the country.

So get off your backside and go and market. Have a good look around for new distribution channels. Give the sales team a bit of a shakeup. Get rid of any troublesome clients who drain you of energy and go and find clients who share the vision.

And when you are in the middle of all that frenetic activity and driving your staff mad again, that is when you will pause, smile and think: “This is life. This is fun. I wouldn’t swap this for anything.”

Comment

Rod Drabsch from Rods and Relics writes: Hello again Aunty B. Who the heck does Worried think he/she is? I’d swap for their predicament any day. Smallish (55 staff)??? Smallish is ME…. 1 staff member. Having staff usually means success, you’re making money. I think they maybe need to struggle for a while or go on to wages and see how you fair then. As critical of you, Aunty B, as I have been, I have to agree with you on this one. If they can’t delegate a bit more, to free themselves up to do the important things, what are they doing with 55 staff? Just my 2 bob’s worth.

What are you waiting for? Email your questions, problems and issues to auntyb@smartcompany.com.au right now!