The Biggest Frustrations Of The Modern Business Owner

It's never been easier to start your own business, but that doesn't mean it's a walk in the park. There are several struggles that are unique to a business in the 21st Century. I know, because my wife and I run a business in the 21st Century. Here are the biggest annoyances.

Scrapping for Working Capital

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As the great philosopher Aristotle once said, "it takes money to make money."

Okay, I'm pretty sure Aristotle didn't say that, but it's true. Businesses need to have some amount of working capital to buy goods, pay employees, pay bills, and y'know, generally run a business.

And as Millennials, we're often a little strapped for cash. Many of today's businesses are started with less capital than in the past. And while there's always the option to go to investors, many investors are wary of new startups.

Getting People to Realize You Exist

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No matter what type of business you run, marketing is the name of the game.

And when you're first starting out, it can feel like you're throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks. Facebook posts, Twitter campaigns, Kickstarters, newspaper ads... My wife and I even put an ad in that Coffee News thing at all the diners crowded with old people.

And we've spent a lot of money trying to figure out what works.

Convincing People to Give You Their Business

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When our business had its third anniversary, we threw a big open house to celebrate. A number of people we've never seen walked in. Most of them said something like, "I've been following you guys on social media since before you opened! I love this idea!"

To which I wanted to scream, "then why haven't you been here before now?!?"

But I can't stay mad—it makes sense. Nine out of ten startups will fail. And with so many businesses closing their doors, customers are getting leary. They don't want to fall in love with a business, only for them to shutter in a year and a half.

If only those people would just give them that business to begin with, maybe they wouldn't have to close. But that's another story.

Dealing With Landlords

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If you don't have the money to buy your own building—and who does—chances are you're gonna be stuck dealing with a landlord.

A landlord can be a valuable partner for your business, taking care of your building and making improvements so your space remains beautiful and inviting.

But most landlords just collect a rent check and do little else.

Our original landlord declined to fix our leaking roof, opting instead to patch the ceiling whenever the damage got too bad. When he sold the building, the new landlord fixed the roof but told us (through his property manager—we've never actually met the landlord) that all interior damage is our own problem.

Last month, a four-foot chunk of concrete fell off of our facade onto the sidewalk. Luckily, no one was walking underneath. When we called our property manager, he said that the contractor who fixed the roof had told him that the facade needed to be repaired before that happened—four months before the facade collapsed.

Which brings me to the next frustration...

Moving to a Better Location

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For brick and mortars, location is everything. A bad location can be a death sentence for a great business. Likewise, a location in a nice part of town with a lot of foot traffic can keep a mediocre business open for years.

Most small businesses end up moving at some point, but finding a new location is tough. As much as you want to be in a great location downtown, there's a little problem: all of the spaces are already occupied, and the spaces that aren't filled are generally empty for a reason.

Even if (or when! let's be optimistic) you find the perfect space in the perfect location, it's not going to be painless. You'll likely have to close for the duration of the move, which means losing business. You'll also need to adapt your business model to suit your new space and location. It should all work out in the end, but that doesn't stop it from being frustrating.

Finding Good Employees

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As the saying goes, "good work is hard to find." And dang, if it ain't true.

In our three and a half years open, we have gone through around ten part-time employees, a dozen and a half interns, and a few volunteers who worked for us in exchange for studio time.

And very few of them were actually worthwhile.

Nobody cares about your company more than you do. But you can't do it all—you're only one person. Ideally, bringing on an employee will free you up from all of the menial day to day tasks, like answering emails of easy questions, cleaning around the shop, and just being present during open hours.

But finding an employee who will buy-in to your vision as much as you have is a rare thing. Most of the times, you have to put up with someone who shows up and mostly doesn't suck.

Keeping Up With Tech Changes

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Businesses today are almost completely dependent on the internet.

We use the internet to sell goods, market our company, reach new customers—you name it. So when changes come to the internet, we are at their mercy.

For example, when Google changes their algorith—and that happens a lot—many companies scramble to keep up, lest they lose rankings on the SERPs (search engine results pages). Or, if our internet service providers decide to change their rates, most companies have no choice but to pay up.

It's enough to make you feel powerless. And nobody likes feeling powerless—especially business owners.

But, that's the name of the game.

These frustrations are inherent to running a business, and no business owner is safe from them. You just have to adapt.

And at the end of the day, when you're stuck between running your own business and working a boring office job or mixing lattes for stuck up soccer moms with haircuts that scream, "I want to talk to your manager," what are you gonna do?