What business challenges do you face that are unique to your industry? 💭

[isabelle]

Helllllloooo! How is it already August??

Today we're wondering...

What business challenges do you face that are unique to your industry? 

Veryyy interested in reading your replies 🤓

[jilleon1]

taking pictures of your product, marking them all lol. but most of all trying to find an audience, but the motivation of potential success keeps me going, and im feeding off positive AND NEGATIVE energy. I am just blessed making it this far. Moral of the story there is no right or wrong answer, heck there is no answer. Everything about owning a business is hard. But if you want it bad enough you will keep going! 🙂 #smallblackownedbusiness #movingon #gettingmyhandsdirty

[MJD]

Product photos can be difficult, but they don't always have to be perfect! Welcome to the community, good luck with the future of your business!

[TS_GRUBBZ]

I'm having the same difficulties, however your message motivates me to keep going. I wish you the best in your endeavors. 😊

[MJD]

When photos don't come out as planned, it kills me every time, I'm always able to achieve success from every shoot but sometimes I can see a shot I really want to get and something just doesn't work, had a shoot last night that the sun ruined my favourite shot from... may just be me being a perfectionist though 😅

Another one that's less industry specific is getting customers and converting website visitors to customers!

Thanks for this question of the week  !

[lilmadcafe]

Right now is staffing. being in the restaurant industry very difficult to find good help or any help at all. 

Next would be supplies. with the restrictions from imports where most of my to go items come from just cant seem to find any here in the USA for purchase or I would.

[Minion]

I was in that industry for a little over a decade.  It is definitely challenging finding good workers who are willing to and can adapt to that fast pace.  It is a beast like no other, and I have always felt that I  wish everyone could work in the restaurant business for at least a  week in their lifetime.

[Minion]

Ironic question this week.

As of recent I have finally started to feel the effects of the shortages that were bound to hit from everything being shut down last year.  Twice now in 6 weeks time have I had to scrounge for material from other suppliers who have it is I am unable to purchase directly from my distributor.  

Luckily I am able to source some material to get me by from other companies, but it's also at a higher price tag. 

[allwhowander]

Totally understand this. Although we aren't experiencing a shortage of food and beverage (luckily!), certain necessary operational items like latex gloves, take out boxes and cleaning supplies are in such demand that the prices have doubled (or even tripled) over the last year. It takes a lot longer to source a quality product while also trying to protect our margins as much as possible. 

[homeprogreen]

Navigating thru the ever changing regulations and license requirements. I have to thread the needle between federal, state, & local regulations and requirements. And of course they very rarely ever align. There’s times when I am just ready to throw in the towel. The State will throw out some new regulation but in order to comply with it then I have to go against a federal reg. It’s absolutely insane 

[Minion]

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@homeprogreen wrote:

Navigating thru the ever changing regulations and license requirements. I have to thread the needle between federal, state, & local regulations and requirements. And of course they very rarely ever align. There’s times when I am just ready to throw in the towel. The State will throw out some new regulation but in order to comply with it then I have to go against a federal reg. It’s absolutely insane 

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Do you do all the regulations yourself, or have guidance of a lawyer as well?  

[homeprogreen]

Spread it out between doing the simple stuff myself and hiring some out. Luckily I am member of a few different small business groups that are really good about giving us a heads up on what’s coming so I can be prepared 

[Minion]

RIght on.  Legal items and regulations like that are definitely not my strong suit, so kudos for tackling what you can!

[VanKalkerFarms]

Personally, I always find it funny when my friends can't figure out what to stock next week at their store when I have to book a year out.

While not exclusive to the Garden Center industry, but we have booked our product, $800,000 of plants to sell in spring of 2022 during April 2021. So before we actually even sold 10% of our 2021 product.  If you don't book early you likely don't get what you want, for example, 40%+ of the items we ordered for next year are unavailable already.  We also booked all our hard goods, 10 Semi loads of soil, and plastic pots, etc for 2022 in May of 2021.  There's so much that can change in a year as we all have seen in the last 18 months.

So trying to guess what we are going to sell next year before we basically have even sold anything this year.  somehow it usually works out.

[Minion]

WHoooaa, I don't mind dropping $8K in stock when I can, but adding those zeros... let me just take some...

[amandalocho]

Whoa...I never knew that! 

[cbdjay]

well I am a hemp cbd company ( cbdjay.com ) and everyone including square charges a higher than normal price for everthing from services to insurance companies even other small business that I  support because they think anyone in this industry is rich .. It couldn't be farther from the truth. I have 7 or so license expensive lab and testing fees . I am basicly doing it out of love at this point spreading the healing at a cheaper than normal rate and higher than average amount of actual cbd . 

[allwhowander]

The average consumer has no idea how much you put in to your business behind the scenes (both time and money.) You have to account for that in your pricing. I believe it's best to 'pay yourself first' and charge what you need to make a profit. You owe it to yourself, and your customers, to make an honest living on your quality products and service.

[Winterhawk]

Business type questionnaires, like on covid grants, other kinds of questionnaires inevitably lack a

Consulting/Consultant option....there are millions of us!

I am particularly in Animal Communication, with a worldwide clientele, but nooo option for the many of us there either.

Consultants play a huge role in all fields, this exposure and validation plants that in customer and colleague minds,

Important to overall recognition and acceptance.

Thanks !

winterhawkanimalconsultations.com

[isabelle]

Hey @Winterhawk ! ❄️

I wasn't able to load your site, but I'm very curious about Animal Communication and what you do. What does it entail?!

Thanks for sharing! ✨

[Nimdah]

We have the California Bureau of Automotive Repair swing through our shop with undercover cars. If we "Pass" a car that they sabotage and we don't catch it. They'll levy heavy penalties on us, remove our accreditation, or flat close our business. Something as stupid as an "unplugged" hose can cost my business upwards or 40k dollars. 
Nevermind that the environmental impact of a PCV hose is negligible, but they will do everything they can to disguise and fool us into passing a vehicle. (once had an undercover show up with a engine completely Covered in fresh dirt to hide their "modification")
It's like performing inspections while having a gun barrel pointed at your head.