A personal reflection by Katy-Jane –Business Partner with mono motorcycles & VA with Virtually Smart
Do you run your own business?
If you have got to the point whereby you feel passionate enough about your sector & have the skills to branch out on your own; you already know the journey is going to be a leap into the unknown, with undetermined challenges along the way. Throw in a pandemic & for so many business owners this past 18 months has been the toughest yet.
With the restrictive nature of our lives since March 2020, so very many business owners have either seen their turnover dwindle, their staff let go or in some cases their businesses have not survived the pressures the pandemic has put upon them.
It has been the most difficult & challenging time for all of us in peace time & running a business has seen business owners having to rethink their business models, adapt to an ever changing landscape & for many as we head toward our second winter with Covid19 still ever present in our communities; many business owners are having to refocus & rethink ways to survive the impact of Covid & the logistical challenges we are now seeing as the Brexit ripple effect rolls out .
Stop!
“I have been running mono motorcycles with my partner Daniel since April 2017.
We both walked away from successful careers to follow Daniel’s dream of owning a motorcycle service/repair centre. With both of us having been brought up on a diet of motorcycles, motor racing of all ilk’s, we knew it could be a recipe for success.
We started the business at home, with Daniel initially working from our garage. I remained in full time Secondary School Teaching while he built the business, until I joined him full time 9 months later.
We moved into a larger unit & established the business. Slowly but surely our customer base grew, we gained repeat customers & 4 ½ years down the line we have two part time members of staff & have just been featured in an important motorcycle magazine.
However, in March 2020 our doors closed & despite us only remaining closed for a few weeks until we realised we were deemed an essential business & we went back to work; the pandemic has taken it’s toll & although we are very busy now, we still have the aftermath of this challenging time to fathom.
I make it sound like it has been a relative breeze setting up & wading our way through the growth of the business, surviving the pandemic, growing our staff & getting publication recognition. However, when you run a business with your partner in life & in business there is a natural & inevitable crossover from one to the other & often times they can begin the merge. This can add a strain on your relationship as the stresses of work come home, many long days are worked, opinions may differ & when you are so tired you begin to feel unwell, then something has to change.
Stop!
A holiday I hear you cry when you are so busy & trying to rebuild the business?! Yes, a holiday.
We do not get away often, but we have over the past two years managed some time camping & only last week we packed up the caravan, dogs, books, magazines & plenty of chocolate & headed to The New Forest.
Time to relax. Time to sleep. Time to recharge & time to talk about the business with a refreshed & objective view.
Being away from your business even for a few days, can honestly allow you to look at it with a very different perspective. When you are not in it every day & can grasp an opportunity to take some time to look at your business from the outside; it can be enormously empowering, allowing discussion & ideas about future plans to be played out in peace.
When you are flat out busy 6-7 days a week, there is often no time to be able to consider ways to change aspects of the business & discuss ideas for future projects.
We have returned from our week away refreshed & recharged. We have had an opportunity to put some plans in place for the coming winter & have already started to rethink our diary & our targets for 2022.
Taking the time away & allowing ourselves the opportunity to relax & recharge, has given us both an opportunity to go back into work on Monday morning with a fresh pair of eyes, more determined & ready to face our Winter & beyond head on”
Written by Katy-Jane for & on behalf of Virtually Smart.
