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Hello Gladys:Over the past four years I have felt like I am spiraling down. My husband died, leaving barely enough insurance for his burial. I have no outside work experience, so I started a food catering business, and I also do tailoring. I have three kids at home. They have been very good about helping to generate business. My daughter makes flyers and business cards, and my son posts them around town. But I can't seem to make enough money to get ahead. My church friends keep telling me to keep a positive attitude and be optimistic. Sometimes that is easier said than done. — Hanna
Entrepreneurial Tightrope
By Gladys Edmunds
Lately I keep running into people who believe you can positive-think something into happening.
A positive attitude and optimism are just part of the solution. In your case, you also need to develop a plan for increasing your business income. And you will need professional help to do that.
I have been paying regular visits to a friend who has been having financial problems in her business. On each visit I ask how things are progressing. She responds with, "I'm keeping a positive mental attitude and I'm very optimistic about the future." But her problems have not improved. In some areas things have gotten worse.
Last week I asked if I could help her develop a plan to increase her business. She thanked me and told me to just continue to hold good thoughts for her.
My best guess is that two types of people cling to "optimism" and "positive thinking." Type one turns their backs on a situation and pretends it doesn't exist. They deny the existence of the problem, and most often the problem grows worse.
The second type knows that simply thinking in a particular way does not change things. They uncover and recognize problems and also believe enough in themselves to search for a solution. And, with a positive attitude and an optimistic outlook, they tackle the problem. Most often the problem gets solved.
Your friends mean well, and I agree with them about keeping an optimistic outlook. But along with that, you should take a look at your business and how it functions and make a plan that will start increasing your income.
Check with the Small Business Development Office in your community. They can help you make arrangements to meet with someone from SCORE, which used to be called the Service Core of Retired Executives. More than 35 years ago I learned how to increase my business from a SCORE volunteer. And they are still helping small business owners.
You can also try to connect with SCORE directly through their website.
Also, check with your local Chamber of Commerce to see if there are other organizations that can assist you with your business.
Keep in mind that you have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. First and most important you have children working with you to make your business work. That is significant; you are not alone in your endeavor.
Next, both the food business and the tailoring business are good, money-making enterprises. And if you have been able to make ends meet with catering and tailoring, apparently you have skills in both areas, which is something to be both thankful for and optimistic about.
You have a lot going for you. Now sit down with your family a professional and brainstorm ways to bring in more customers.
Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds, founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh, is a private coach/consultant in business development and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, published by Viking. See an index of Edmunds' columns. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.
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