Are you stuck in this small-business mayhem?
Do you have your own small business? If so, what was the creation process like for you?
I am slowly laying all pieces of the foundation and the farther I go down this path the more complex and frustrating it becomes. Here’s one example: Proudly, I have an online store with Shopify, and they just solicited my feedback about their product. In providing it, I realized that some insights might find traction with others who are or will be in this position.
Specifically, Shopify asked what is a barrier to building my business. With gratitude, they provided a big, blank space to allow that answer:
“The more I do to get the business running, the deeper the complexity involved in doing so. I made a website; then found out I need to get “SEO.” I bought SEO, then fought to understand what it was that I needed to do, then invested hours in actually doing that, then found out that I’d done it wrong.
“Now I apparently need Google Ads–whatever that is. I got an online store (through Shopify), found a theme, built the store, then find out that I need SEO on THAT. I went to the appropriate Shopify article to figure out how to do that, and clicking the links within it took me to yet more articles; that is, it took me further and further away from my own site. I stopped the process right there.
“I also apparently need “click funnels” and other trendy marketing tactics in order to get people to buy my product. Who has time for all that? I was then told that I need to gather email addresses–that “it’s all about the emails!” Okay, fine. So I need to create a newsletter.
“But then I learned about CASL–Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation. I need a Privacy Policy or I could be fined 250,000 f-ing dollars for sending an EMAIL. But CASL doesn’t give you a template for a policy that would adhere to their laws and guidelines. So I had to wade through acres of text and jargon to figure out what I needed. It put my newsletter on hold for five whole weeks. Finally I did it, made a privacy policy that hopefully will not get me sued for sending an email to someone who asked for it.
Now it seems that I need to add Terms and Conditions to my site…
The list goes on and on. All of this is what holds me back, and I’m sure it holds back others as well.
It would be wonderful and welcome to know all of the things–small to large–that need to be done. Otherwise, I think I’ve got it all done and then someone tells me that I’m missing something that must by law be there, or that must be there for Google to find me… Exhausting. Frustrating. Too complex. Thanks for letting me vent??? Sorry!”
Why is our world so complex…?
Was this information useful? Say thanks with a small donation.
