Why Build your business Slow?

I used to think that building a business was all hustle, more, faster, harder, get it out there, push, move forward, make more money. I’ll be honest, it works- Hustle Culture is a thing, it’s been a “THING” for many years. That's how a lot of income is made, and businesses become successful. That being said, there’s a new trend out there- slow business. I’ll be truthful here, I’m doing it, slowly building my business.

For the last several years, I’ve been deep diving into how people work, and why there is such a movement for work from home, why there’s so much burnout, and why so many people have stepped out of what used to be the norm of work, and into something else. I have a 9-to-5 job. It’s not a career, even though I’ve been there for quite a few years; it’s a job, plain and simple. It provides a paycheck that pays the bills. I don’t love my job; it’s not a “calling” per se.

That being said, I started a new business a month ago or so. I fully intend to step away from my 9-to-5 when my income from my business meets my regular job income. I’ve been at this for a month, and already am reducing my regular job hours to part-time. Four days a week instead of 5. Why, because even working slowly, I have met one day of income each week. And this trend will continue until I no longer work for someone else to pay my bills-I work for myself.

Why is working a slow business for myself a good thing?

First and foremost, many businesses fail when starting out because the owner gets burnt out. The constant pressure to do more to be successful can be overwhelming and eventually cause you to just throw in the towel and be done. You're exhausted, overwhelmed, and frantic to be successful, and it takes its toll. You spend any spare time you have working on the business, and oftentimes, that means you don’t spend time with the family or take a break for rest and relaxation. The end result is burnout. You suddenly find yourself putting off doing the things you really need to be doing and instead doing nothing. And that, is the end of your business venture.

Slow business building means giving yourself permission to take a day off and not work on the business. Giving yourself permission to spend a day at the pool with the kids, or take a vacation. Which is the REAL reason you chose to go into business for yourself in the first place-FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.

I’ll give you an example: today is Sunday, normally I would be working on my business, preparing items to ship, and curating items to sell. Taking photos, creating videos of my products. Getting things listed on my website. Instead, I am typing on this blog, which is not attached to my business at all. This afternoon, since it’s 100 degrees in the shade, and unbearably humid(yes, it’s summer), I am taking the afternoon off to go swimming, sitting in a neighboring creek enjoying the water and the time spent with my husband, and NOT thinking or caring about my business. Why, because that is the reason I have my business, so that I can pick and choose when and where I work and for how long.

I am sure this will be the first of many posts about Slow Business, I want you to take the journey with me so that you can decide if building your business slow is the way for you .