Sorry I didn’t get the “one woman shoppe” talk here last evening!  That’s because at this time in life, I’m a “one woman shoppe” and I was wearing too many hats yesterday!

Know the feeling?!

And this morning is NO better!  Have to wash the body, pack the car (everything by front door), get gas (ouch!) and travel to Ohio for a wonderful networking event this evening.

So this won’t be a lengthy conversation as you’ve come to expect from me!

I heard it from a wonderful small business owner earlier this week.  She is closing her business because she’s grown to the place where to really go to the next level, she would have to hire someone.  But the bottom line isn’t ready for another person on the payroll.  So the dilemna becomes “what do I do now?”

I suspect there are other issues or challenges that she faces as well.  But the sad part is that she has spent a number of years building a business to the point where to do what needs to be done isn’t the ‘leap of faith’ she feels she can take.

I don’t know if she comes to AWP of not since we only just met.  But a few weeks ago, I shared a piece about using college “interns” when the bottom line won’t support paid staff.  Some of us may not live in a college town or near enough to use this kind of resource, but you’d be surprised at how many young folks there are out there who’d help just for the experience!

Another resource, although perhaps not the best, is using some aspects of the Small Business Administration services, i.e. SCORE, etc.  If you’re a “one woman shoppe”, then shutting down a growing business because hired help is not affordable - my first piece of ‘mentoring-from-the-AWP-Blog’ is don’t!

Don’t until you’ve explored all other resources.  Put family or friends who believe in you and support your growth to work.  Look into the use of a ‘virtual assistant’ who may strike a deal with you and combine your needs with that of another client or two (depending on what you need).  If your business involves marketing and sales, then do look for college students majoring in marketing, business administration, etc.  Design a research project that they can do and they may get credit while you get the help you need to ’stay afloat’ and ‘move’ to the next level.

Oops, looked at the clock!  Gotta’ get out of here, but hopefully this is helpful!  While “one woman shoppe” can be fun, exciting and w/o the stress of overseeing another - it has it’s limitations.

But don’t let limits keep you from advancing.  As the song goes, “no limits; no boundaries; I increase all around me!”

Let this day be one of increase for us all!  Have an awesome one!

  Linda