Small Business, Big Impact

“When you buy from a small business, you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a mom put food on the table, a dad pay a mortgage, or a student pay for college.” (Unknown)

Because small businesses are run by real people — not stockholders or algorithms — you get a different kind of care and quality. Someone is behind the scenes fine tuning every single detail.

It’s impressive to think about the amount of time, hard work, and commitment that individuals put in to sustain both their businesses and lives — oftentimes the lives of their family as well.

This can lead to an array of successes and challenges along the way. As an owner of my own Etsy shop, I know how difficult it can be to keep things up and running.

Small business owners typically don’t have big teams to help them, and they can’t afford to outsource things. This means they are the ones doing the marketing, taking photos, running the numbers, greeting at the door, sending thank you’s, and so much more.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve personally had on a project is taking the photos. I can’t afford to get professional photos of my products or even a nice camera. I rely on my smart phone and editing skills to make the photos look nice and pleasing to customers.

However, the rewards are bountiful. Knowing your success stems from your own hard work on creating something you love is a great feeling for any small business owner.

Another benefit of running my own business is being a part of a community. Not only am I able to be involved with those who also love plants, but I am connected to the mental health community as well.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress.

Knowing this has led me to a community of plant lovers and mental health advocates. It’s amazing to sell a product that is intertwined with all of this.

Soon, I would like to sell flower pots with positive messages about mental health painted on them. I was inspired by this article to put positive messages about plants and mental health.

Be on the look out for an announcement. As always — happy plants, happy people.