how running a business has made my life better.

I love running my own business. Not because it is easy or everyday I bring in boat loads of money, but because it is one of the greatest  teachers I have experienced. Every single day I learn something new. All of the new things I learn are not taught in the class room but can only be experienced during the daily grind. I am sure that I learned plenty of things when I worked for other companies as a regular employee but it seems like the things I learn in business speak to life situations more. Learning makes life better. "Knowing is half the battle", as the saying goes. What have I learned that has made my life better?

                                  I learned how to say NO!

Not in the way most people think of it but how to say no in a way that means not right now or let me find another way to help you. I am a people pleaser, so learning that I can help my clients in other ways than bending to provide a service I am not comfortable with was a game changer. I have referred clients to someone I know is better suited to fit their needs and often they have referred my business in return. But sometimes in business and life no is just no. And that's ok too.

                  I learned how to  manage my money better!

Running and growing a business takes money. I don't care how thrifty you are or how much you think you are gonna make your first week. Week 2 is coming and business may slow down. You can have money in the bank or you can throw in the towel. It is really that simple for me. I do not like to do a lot of borrowing so it is crucial that I keep accurate accounting of were money is going and how it is being used to make my business/life better. I do not know when I will need to make an express run to Virginia or Tennessee so it is important for my vehicles to be in good working condition. Money! These same factors contribute to how much I pay myself, my staff and my savings.

                I have learned to see obstacles as opportunities!

When I decided to start a logistics business I thought about it in a really small way. Just a little around town travel with a few steady clients. When those clients did not knock down my door in the beginning I got really scared, but then I started reading and studying and trying new ideas out. With each no came a new way of thinking and I realized that there is a multitude of knowledge in winning and losing. As one of my favorite book title states "The Obstacle Is The Way". I see problems as thought provokers now. Each time a situation does not work out just the way I thought it would, I study it and think about ways to get the outcome I want.

Business has made me better and I love it. Thanks to everyone who make my business life possible.

Karen, The Delivery Diva