Does thinking about looking at your business’ finances make you feel like you’re in a horror film? Here’s a little story for you.
A friend of mine loves watching horror films. Once we met for breakfast and she started telling me about “Saw V.” She told me that it’s part of a series that begins with two strangers who wake up in a room. The two can’t remember why or how they got there, and soon find out they are pawns in a serial killer’s real life and death game.
“You can stop there.” I told her putting down my fork and holding up my right hand in a stop sign motion. She wouldn’t stop, she just had to tell someone and I was there. “Seriously, stop.” I repeated. “I hate horror films; they really make me physically sick. I can just hear about them and it will ruin my entire day.”
She threw in a few more grisly details and acknowledged my feelings, “Okay, okay you don’t like horror movies! But let me just tell you the moral.” She paused for effect and launched in. “If everyone had just endured some pain everyone would have survived.”
I snickered, put down my fork and lifted my hand again, this time to shield my mouth as I spoke, which almost passes as an acceptable way to eat with my mouth full. “This reminds me of how most people are with money! You’d think they were in a horror film, just like those guys. ‘How the hell did I get here in this room?’ they wonder.” I put down my hand since I’d finished chewing. “Ha! I do the same thing sometimes. I wonder how am I gonna avoid the guy with the saw?” We were now both laughing since my friend owns her own apparel company and I have my profitability coaching and consulting business. We both knew the feeling and could commiserate with other small business owners.
“I guess every profession has its tricks.” I noted. “When I get a flu shot I always like it when the nurse tells a joke or taps on my arm to distract my mind and my body from the fear of the needle.”
“Or when you go to a fundraiser, there’s often good food and drink. Nothing like getting people into a good mood before asking them for money,” my friend added.
“That’s what I try to do. I try to focus people on profit. Break the goal down into manageable pieces. If profits can improve suddenly the serial killer with the saw goes away.”
“Now, you just have to explain to everyone what profit is!” my friend laughed. After all, we had breakfast together because none of our other women friends liked to talk about business. I kind of thought that to them it was like talking about horror films.
“Good point. Good point.” I repeated for emphasis and picked up my fork to shovel another bit of egg in my mouth. “I am trying to explain and teach what profit is. It’s hard to get people to focus. But, clearly this ‘Saw V’ thing is pretty popular. The struggle has been going on for quite some time, if there’s a fifth one.”
“Seven,” she countered. “There are seven. People love watching other people make dumb mistakes.”
I finished my breakfast, and on the ride to Hera Hub, the co-working space where I work, I wondered how I could keep helping small business owners avoid ‘horror stories.’ I’ve had my share of ‘dumb mistakes’ and successes too. This business thing, it’s a human thing. Some days it feels like saws are chasing you, some days are boring, but there are times of extreme satisfaction of trying, striving and knowing that not everyone even gets a chance to try.
If you need help facing your small business finances I might be able to help you figure it out. Email me at liz@moneynative.com.