Last week I talked about the rapid ups and downs of trying to run a business and keep your clients and staff happy, or at least comfortable, with the situation as it relates to you and your business. This week is more a how this affects me (and I imagine other business owners).
Recently I told a friend that I feel like I’ve been running at sprint speeds for a marathon. And I really can’t think of a better way to explain it. I’m not physically working all that much day to day. Business is down, my staff is still getting paid and working so there’s not a lot of overflow. Every day though, I think about what I need to do to keep this business running and I wait for the next piece of news that’s going to make my plan obsolete. Of course the simple solution is to just stop worrying about it but that’s not really possible. Everything is always top of mind. When a dog walker calls, is it to tell me they’re sick? Or is it to ask a question about a dog? When a client calls, is it to tell me they’re sick? Angry about a dog walker not washing their hands? Everyone is on a short fuse right now so everything is stressful. Every conversation can feel like it’s teetering on the brink between civil and screaming match. No matter how much mindfullness and self care you’re doing, things are hard.
For me, watching something that I built for 10 years, cultivated and nurtured into something I was proud of, evaporate before my eyes in 5 days was one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced and I’ve experienced some painful things. My business had been around for so long though. We were safe. We had weathered the dreaded 5 year mark. We were thriving. About to break records. And then…poof. Gone. My friends like to remind me that it didn’t really vanish. It’s still there waiting to come back like so many things. I think that’s probably true but it doesn’t really make this less of a kick to the gut. This is not a pain that’s unique to me. So many people are experiencing this right now. Their solid careers, poof. Their child care plans, poof. Other businesses, poof. College plans, poof. All gone, or at least on hold.
We use the word unprecedented a lot. I’m not sure we really knew what it meant before now though.