As a business owner, what is currently keeping you up at night?

[isabelle]

Hey Seller Community 👋 

Today's question is...

As a business owner, what is currently keeping you up at night?

🤔

[SunnieStephanie]

Currently,my lack of orders and site traffic. 

[lisa32skincare]

I feel this one too! I put so much time and effort into the website and just feel it isn't reaching the right people. I think SEO has alot to do with it, would be so much better if the website (weebly) and (square) offered a better seo option! Tired of raking out money with no return! ~ Lisa 

www.lisa32.shop

[piecesofjayde]

Lisa I think your website is great! I  hate the Square interface with trying to get my website looking good. It's so limited. 

[Bar901]

With prices on everything increasing I'm keeping laser focused on my cost and adjusting my sales prices fast to cover these increases. It's always a tightrope and I'm not looking to exploit anyone but I need to make sure our business is maintaining margin and ceding anything on that front.  In addition, I'm eyeing inventory closely. I'm in just the bar business but steady eddie on my ordering is the name of the game. Keeping the ordering consistent and trying to resist the urge to pull back when a particular item might be having a slow week or two. Thankful my items aren't perishable to allow me to do this. 

[VanKalkerFarms]

Shortages and price increases. probably #1 followed closely by labor shortages.

We try to maintain a 15-20 day supply on hand for things like donut sugar, butter, etc.  Yet here we are cutting out lower selling donuts from production and even not making any 1 day because we can't even keep a 2-day stockpile.  All this as we ramp into our busiest time of year and the thousands of preorders I will be taking and don't even know what the situation will be like in 30 or 60 days.  So many supply chains are just completely broken.  

[homeprogreen]

The impact that inflation is having on business. People are starting to cut back on spending. Also trying to juggle cashflow against the longer lead-times required to actually get new products in the door

[isabelle]

Sorry to hear that @homeprogreen 😔 I know you'll prevail. Let us know if there's anything the Super Seller program can do for ya. 

[homeprogreen]

Thank you, it is what it is. The entire industry is adjusting so eventually the supply chain and shipping issues will work themselves out. As for inflation nothing to do but ride it out. Not the first time and probably won’t be the last. Just got to cut overhead wherever possible and ensure that inventory includes less expensive options for consumers 

[Christian_CDG]

Hi Isabelle,

I have two answers to your question. Right now my biggest concern is the lack of cash flow due to lack of business, which took a huge downturn this year. Then the second answer builds right onto my first one, that I am out of ideas over what to do to promote. I always feel like there is something I should be doing, but am not sure what.

[DinaLRosenberg]

would be more than happy to take a look at your website and give you promo ideas..

[A1quickoil]

The general unrest in my community keeps my customers on edge.  Covid restrictions just compound the issues.  I also get a sense of doom and gloom from media which is depressing the economy locally.

[rock15]

the bank account information i would have a logo for the website 

[lhrbling]

What keeps me up at night is that fact that I have very few customers and not many sales on my website.  I need to do something to draw the customer in.  

[Christian_CDG]

Please contact me at christian@creativitydesigngroup.com.

I own my own web/graphic design firm called Creativity Design Group, and I would love to look at your site and see if I can offer you some suggestions on what you can do to help increase sales.

[Kboulware15]

Opening a new location 🤦🏾‍♂️

[CobbStreet]

Will I have enough inventory for the holiday season? Will I have enough money to pay bills? Will I have enough money to cover payroll? Will I have enough work for my employees to do? How can I improve my business? How can I grow my business? When will I ever get time to work on my website? How can I get more capital to purchase more and do more?

[Harmony2c]

As a mental health professional (licensed professional counselor, LPC), I have to turn away prospective clients due to my caseload being full. There is such a need for more mental health professionals, given the magnitude of need for individuals that are struggling or having a difficult time coping. Even when I refer to other providers, their caseloads are full as well. It’s hard to not be able to support individuals that are reaching out to me for help. I am trying to pivot my business to sell products (wellness tools and worksheets) on my website (Harmony2c.com) to benefit a larger network of individuals. It’s been difficult to market products. I’m up late trying to learn a whole new field of marketing and product development with the goal of promoting mental wellness tools. It’s also hard to get traffic and exposure to the products I currently sell.

[louvega]

Self promotion of my graphic design studio. It's been difficult to find time to work on my own business as well as finding/hiring other contractors to help with design project overflow. Also, how the global supply issues will affect my clients and in turn affect me.

[HC_Charlie]

Not having enough time to do everything that needs done. As a one-person business I should be looking forward to the day when i have enough business to hire some help, but after seeing and hearing stories about trouble finding (not just good employees) but any employees, I'd like to figure out how to maximize my own time and try to get everything done myself.

[isabelle]

I'm hoping a lot of what we've heard about with difficulties hiring has to do with the seasons @HC_Charlie. I feel like people don't usually want to work in the summer 🤔 Once fall really sets in, let's hope hiring is easier (with some great candidates)!

[BerryPerfSales]

Customers.  Customers keep me awake at night.  Literally lol