Thanks for being right here everybody 🍂🤎
Thanks For Being Here”: The Brutal, Beautiful Truth of Being a Small Business Owner
I typed that caption on Instagram yesterday. I added a cute emoji. I used the hashtag #smallbusinessowner. I posted a photo of my perfectly organized desk with a steaming cup of coffee.
But let me tell you a secret.
Five minutes before I took that photo? I was literally crying in a pile of bubble wrap. My printer had jammed for the third time. The coffee was actually cold props from three hours ago. And I was questioning every life choice that led me to this moment.
Social media lies to you. It paints entrepreneurship as this glamorous “Boss Babe” lifestyle where we work from the beach and drink oat milk lattes all day.
That is nonsense. Absolute nonsense.
The 9-to-5 vs. The 24/7 Panic
People tell me, “Oh, you’re so lucky you work for yourself! You can set your own hours!”
Yeah, I set my own hours. I work all of them.
When you have a normal job, you clock out at 5 PM. You go home. You watch Netflix. You don’t care if the office burns down (well, maybe a little, but it’s not your building).
When you own a small business? You are the CEO. But you are also the janitor. You are the IT guy. You are the marketing department. You are the complaint hotline.
I remember waking up at 3:42 AM last Tuesday in a cold sweat. Why? Because I suddenly panicked that I might have swapped the shipping labels on two orders. I didn’t go back to sleep. I got up, drove to my “office” (my garage), and ripped open two boxes just to check.
They were fine. I was not. 🙂
Why We Actually Do It (It’s Not the Money)
So why do we do it? Why do we torture ourselves?
It’s because of the sound.
You know the one. That specific cha-ching notification on your phone when an order comes through.
It’s not just about the $20 or $50. It’s the validation. It’s the fact that a complete stranger, someone sitting in their pajamas in Ohio or London, looked at something I made with my own hands and said, “Yes. I want that.”
It is an addiction.
There is a feeling you get when you create something from nothing. When I see a customer post a photo with my product, smiling? It hits different. It feels better than any corporate bonus I ever got.
The “Maker” Reality Check
Let’s talk about the hashtag #Maker.
Making things looks satisfying on TikTok. You see a 15-second clip of someone pouring resin or packing a box with crinkle paper. It looks therapeutic.
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In reality? My back hurts. My hands are covered in glue/ink/dust. My living room looks like a warehouse exploded. My dog is eating cardboard scraps.
But there is a pride in the chaos.
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I look at my hands—calloused, tired, maybe a little shaky from too much caffeine—and I know that everything I have, I built. Nobody handed it to me. I didn’t inherit a fortune. I just grinded. Every single day.
To The Followers: You Are The Life Support
So, when I say, “Thanks for being right here everybody,” I mean it.
I don’t say it to be polite. I say it because without you guys liking the posts, sharing the stories, or buying the stuff, I’d be back in a gray cubicle staring at a spreadsheet.
Small business owners are fragile creatures.
One bad review ruins our week. One nice comment makes our month.
We are fighting against giants. We are trying to scream over the noise of Amazon and Walmart. We are tired. We are broke half the time.
But we are here. And we aren’t going anywhere.
So, thank you. Seriously. Now, if you’ll excuse me,
my printer is jammed again.
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Along with these awesome designs, you might also want to check out my article on the 1969 Camaro SS and its unique style.
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#makerssupportingmakers #selfcare #takeabreak
Need help creating your ideal space? Check out my post on Home & Lifestyle.
I’m a dedicated content creator and researcher with a strong passion for technology, innovation, and digital culture. At Howh.net, I focus on delivering well-researched, accurate, and engaging articles that help readers understand complex topics in a simple and practical way. My goal is to inform, inspire, and make reliable information