Clinging to the ropes.

2020 has given a gut punch to small businesses. The intensity of the hit depends on the industry, but very few businesses have been unscathed. For many, the punch knocked them on their knees, left gasping for air. Broken and battered, they rose. Clinging to the ropes, the hurt on the inside far deeper than outward bruising could ever reveal. Despite years of tireless pursuit and enduring commitment businesses have been knocked on their knees. One only needs to walk or drive down what was once a typical bustling street of commerce to bear witness to the carnage. Streets with vacant storefronts, ‘available for lease’ signs now holding a claim. Empty shops. So many broken threads in the economic fabric of our communities.

It hurts to see. I empathize deeply with entrepreneurs. 20 years of service in the field of entrepreneurship has that effect. 20 years of being in the trenches with entrepreneurs. I feel their hurt. Many more will fall before this wave of destruction dissipates, adding its wake to the history books.

A new way of entrepreneurship will emerge. This is what happens when the ground beneath our feet is shaking. We are more weathered. More critical. More cynical. But also more insightful. More intentional.

Every business will be tested. Its final score is simply black or red. Businesses can’t operate in the red for long. Every business owner must navigate their way through. Hard decisions are being made daily. Sleepless nights are common. Mental and physical exhaustion – an unwanted companion to many. Depleted bank accounts and a relentless refreshing of the screen to view bank balances to determine what bills are pending. For some, the opposite. Not knowing is better.

Where once stood bustling shops will be emptied spaces. Hope and dreams shattered. Pieces of what could have been left abandoned, alone on the tiles.

As a fellow entrepreneur, I empathize with this truth.

Inspiration exists too. For many, a renewed sense of purpose. An awakened sense of possibilities. An unearthing of a mantra my time is now – a deepened longing to pursue a life-long dream. Time spent thinking about it, now transformed into action – leaping into entrepreneurship. Fully aware. Fully prepared. Headfirst.

As a fellow entrepreneur, I also know this truth.

This reality – a twisting and breaking, a renewing and strengthening – of hope, commands a deeper reflection.

As a consumer, I also know this truth.

A double-edged sword. We want to support our fellow business owners, but the reality of our own situation hold trues. Less income. Less spending. Cycle repeat.

My occasional dining out reminds me of this obvious truth. Businesses are struggling.

An inability to source materials, inventory, supplies, or food ingredients, has resulted in worsening uncertainty, setting in motion the critical need for rapid and on-the-fly adaptations to their offerings.

An inability to retain (or in some cases recruit) staff, has left a deepening scar on businesses. Attention to offering a positive customer experience, now left in the hands of a few.

A perfectly imperfect storm of forces is wreaking havoc on our small businesses. We are entering what would normally be a peak sales period for businesses, which has been marred with even greater uncertainty from a second wave.

None of us knows what the future holds. All we can do is be intentional in the present.

I will do all that I can to help small businesses, knowing the inevitability that lies ahead if I (and a collective we) don’t. I will do this within my means, but I know with full certainty this Christmas season will be very different than every Christmas before it. Christmas for me has always been about who’s around the tree, and never about what’s under it. It will always be that way. This year, however, the under and around seem intrinsically entwined.

Another truth.

If we can find a way to support small businesses this holiday season and have the means to do it, it matters now more than ever before.

Support is not just measured by the exchange of money.

Support is defined by you.

With gratitude,

Nicole Osmond

Customer Success Coach

As a Customer Success Coach and 3 X business owner, I am living my passion and helping companies succeed by cultivating a customer committed mindset.

A Writer with Heart – I weave words together to stimulate, elevate, and motivate. My blog is my canvas to share my ‘experience nuggets’ with you! Thanks for stopping by! With gratitude, always – Nicole