10 Things That All Small Biz Owners Can Relate To + Shoppers Should Know

I feel like we small biz peeps are in this little club together. It's like we have this mutual understanding of the oddest/weirdest things because they all happen to us..and sooooo, I've compiled a list. Seriously would LOVE for you to pop over to our Instagram and share your #smallbizsituation :)

ALSO! Some behind the scenes pics of SugarSky when we first started are at the bottom of this post! 

Here goes! 

1. The excitement that comes over you every time you receive an email or your phone makes the "cha-ching" sound (y'all know what I'm talking about) every. single. time. someone places an order. 

2. Why is shipping/the Post Office like the 8th Wonder of the World and so freaking complicated to figure out in the beginning?

3. When a customer emails, DMs, or posts on Insta about how much they love what you've sent them, your heart literally feels like it just may beat out of your chest... and sometimes it makes you ugly cry because it's just that kinda day.

4. Your highs are REALLY high and your lows are REALLY low. Ammiiiright or ammmiiiright?

5. The struggle that 'work-from-home' also means 'you get to workout whenever you want', 'go to Starbucks whenever you want', 'vacation whenever you want', 'that you can go do anything for anyone and anytime', 'that you're never really busy', etc. etc. etc. I can assure you our hustle is directly correlated to how much we get paid. If we aren't working, we aren't making those dolla dolla bills! We may not work 9:00am - 5:00pm in a cubicle, but we are just as busy, I promise.

6. Getting a new computer/laptop/[insert some other needed technology] for your biz feels like (financially and physically) buying a Lamborghini. 

7. When you receive the meanest email from a disgruntled customer about the fact that they haven't received their package (y'all, we literally can't do anything about shipping once it's in the carrier's hands), and you handle the situation with grace, poise, and dignity. You might-as-well be dang Miss USA.

8. Your life is so much more rich because of the people that you've met because of starting this business... and if that's not enough to say you've been successful, I don't know what is.

9. You've grown to dread the question, "So, what do you do?"... and you've gotten to the point where you almost want to say, "Well, I run a photography business, marketing business, eCommerce store. I am a fulfillment center, strategy group, PR company, social media influencer, and customer service representative. WHAT DO YOU DO, TINA?!"

10. THE EXTREME APPRECIATION for people (Hellooooo the first like 100 customers. You're the real MVPs!) that believe in you and your business and are willing to support you in that venture + super thankful for the support from your close friends and family -- that they see what you're doing is worthwhile and they support and appreciate the fact that you're giving this whole small biz thing a go. It would be impossible without them.

Pop over to our Instagram to help us add more to this list (we'll update them here) or share your #smallbizsituation with this hashtag! 

Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you SO much for the support and love you've shown SugarSky over the past almost 4 years. It means more than I + the rest of the SugarSky crew can put into words. Y'all. Are. Awesome.

XO! 

-Skyler

Oh and a few oldie but goodie pics from back in the day when SugarSky was a 1 man show... aka, me sewing every.single.item. that went out the door.. all while working full time and building a tiny house with the hubs after 5:00pm. Some of you definitely have some headbands in your hands that were sewn at like 3:00am... and boy, am I grateful that this is how the biz started:

Me attempting to take product pics. As our now-photographers can tell you, I'm like THE FARTHEST thing from a photographer. Awful at it actually. 

Our very first product tags. This was a stamp that I had made. Brian, the hubs, would sit a stamp TONS of these and cut them out for me. He would also cut the string in certain lengths & fold the product cards (next pic).

The very first product cards. The front, inside, and tags are all stamped too. These were the 8.5x11 sheet of kraft paper that Brian would stamps and fold hundreds so I could put headbands on them :)

 Literally, I look crazy through the eyes because there's no telling what time this was. And yes, I'm also in a conference room. Long story, but I was sewing everywhere and anywhere I could in the beginning days. NEED. MORE. COFFEE.

Some of the very first SugarSky headbands (and my continued awful photography skills). If you have one like this with the tag in the back, you're a frickin' OG.