All we entrepreneurs really want is to be geniuses. That is all. Most any kind of work can be done artistically, no matter what one does for a living. So that is what we want to do. Instead of the boring grind, we want to create real art in our work—the surprising, original, fabulous, life-changing kind of art. It is a lot of pressure to put on ourselves. But hey, we have talent. At least, that is what our Mom said. If we could just get past the accounting, the insurance paperwork, the hiring, the vendor issues, and that boring grind long enough to do what we started this business to do in the first place? We would enjoy this journey so much more than we do now.

It is all too common a story.  

But now that you have been at this for a while, are you having fun yet? How is your business going? Is it going as you originally planned? I would be so surprised if you said yes. If you did say yes, it would mean that you are a rare bird indeed, because most plans do not fall out as planned.

Most entrepreneurs are surprised at the sheer amount of dedication, devotion, and determination required to run a business. They are still surprised even if they did a great deal of work on a good business plan and defused half of the problems up front. It is the rule, instead of the exception, that the five-year milestone looks quite different from the original intent.

But then again, maybe it does go as planned. When we are fearless to connect the dots, take new opportunities, and work through the rough spots, we become different people. Are you the same person that you were when you started? I am not. You cannot avoid this becoming. Small business makes you become–and makes you become more than you ever dreamed you could be.  

The small business journey grows people.

Here are just a few things small business teaches us:

You cannot pour from an empty cup. If you are burning the candle at both ends and in the middle to keep your business going, you will flame out. You will not be inspired to create anything. You will have no brainpower to work. You will run out of creativity, gas, and health. Small business teaches us that you cannot fool yourself forever. You will lose your superhero cape. You will fizzle, crash, and burn. To pour yourself into your business, you must find time to fill yourself up again so that you have something to pour out.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Ever had one of those days when it feels like you are going to die? You did not die. How do I know? Because here you are, reading this post. What did the terrible, no good, horrible, very bad day teach you? It taught you that this problem could happen. You will not be surprised by it again. (Right?) You can learn how to develop systems to keep this problem from derailing your train.

Knowing what you do not want is as important as knowing what you want. We all end up doing work we do not like to do. We all end up serving clients that we would rather not serve. From what we do not like, we learn diplomacy, delegation, better marketing strategies, and that it is quite ok to say no. All of these things are essential business skills. We will not die if we do not accept every sale. We learn that in order to say yes, you must be able to say no.  

When the same problems repeat themselves, and I am the common denominator, the problem is me. We have to be somewhat confident to open the doors of a new enterprise. So confident, that entrepreneurs are rarely aware that we have a few bad habits, and have holes in our skillset. If we lack a expertise in a certain area, business owners are usually the last to know. But if we pay attention to the clues, and the signals, and the feedback, we can learn to recognize what we do not know.

You can become more than you ever thought you could be. Granted you did not sign up to be a leader, a human resource manager, a chief operating officer, an accountant, or a teacher. You probably started business because you wanted to do what you love to do. You wanted to use your gift. But small business gifts you back–with the opportunity to grow into so much more.  

These are just a few of the major life lessons I have learned from my own small business. If I were to share them all, I could write a book. Many of these lessons were learned in the school of hard knocks. It is an expensive school, but the best school ever. As with marriage, or parenting, we have no clue what we are getting into when we start our businesses. We learn as we go, and learn as we grow.

Your business does not have to be perfect to be wonderful. Even when it is not wonderful, it can help us to grow into all that God planned for us to be. The valuable things we learn become a right of passage, blowing wind into our sails. (And sales.) The lessons become a wonder in themselves.

Embrace your own journey. Learn to love it, and your small business will enable you and help you to find your inner genius.

What are some things that you have learned from your small business? Please share them below. 

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Why do we at etc!graphics inc, a graphic design company, care about your business strategies?  Because no matter how beautiful we make your visuals, your graphics will never make more sense than the clarity of your own vision. The clearer your target, the more lucid your marketing will be, and the better connection your visual graphics will make with your target customer. We want to help you become the best you can be. Join us all this month as we share ways to help your small business sustain and grow in a crowded marketplace. Etc!Graphics is devoted to helping you, the small business owner, think like a marketer.