When I sat down to write this blog, I was primarily thinking of my friends who own small businesses, but while reflecting upon what I wanted to say I realize this can apply to anyone, whether you have a business or not. It’s just a good thing to do.
As you know since you’re reading this, I own a small business. I’m a creative person who enjoys painting, decorating, crafting, antiques and vintage items, collecting, teaching, and socializing. Those last two are important to me because they tie together all the other things I listed. There are several small businesses in my area that are run by exceptional, creative, entrepreneurial women. When I started out, there weren’t as many as there are now.
Recently, someone asked me if I was intimidated by all the “competition” I had around me. Without hesitating, I said “No!” I have established my business, my clientele, and I’m happy doing what I do. I don’t look over my shoulder to see if anyone is “copying” what I do, or worry about how successful other people are. Here’s why: I believe in order to be successful at what you do, you need to teach, share, and care. It’s that simple. And once you learn from someone, pay it forward and help someone else.
I could tell you that everything I’ve learned in my business, I learned on my own, though trial and error. However that would not be the truth, because when I started out, I looked to other, more knowledgeable people, for ways to do things. I took classes on painting techniques. I read how-to books, and listened to the experts talk about how they did things. I tried different things, and found out what I was good at. If something didn’t work for me, I left it to the experts. I worked hard, and I learned all that I could from everyone who would teach me. That’s how it works.
We never learn everything by ourselves, just on our own. We are all gifted in some things, but some things we must be taught. No one is good at everything, or has the ability to succeed in every venture they attempt. I value the people who have small businesses like mine because they are a source of information, support and inspiration for me! I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to call or meet with one of the ladies, who owns a shop, and go over new ideas, or try new techniques! Just recently I did a class with my friend, Kelly Wiler, who owns “Girl Upcycled Studio.” She taught me some new painting techniques and she’s really amazing because she paints free-handed. Everyone I meet has some special talent they bring to the table, but they’re always willing to share their ideas, teach what they do, and they sincerely care about the other small business owners.
You can’t be a creative person and keep your creativity to yourself. Being creative makes you want to teach what you can do to others. You want to see other people become inspired, and it makes you feel good to watch someone try a technique for the first time! I want to teach my customers how to make the things I enjoy making, and I want to learn new things from my peers. We don’t look at each other as “competitors.” We see each other as friends who share our drive to be creative! It’s a win-win situation for everyone because if I don’t know how to do something, I can direct my customer to someone who does, and vice versa. Variety brings spice to life. How boring would it be if we all had the exact same business with the exact same talent or gift?
We can apply this teaching, sharing, and caring idea to any aspect of our lives. We don’t keep our recipes a secret because we want everyone to enjoy a great dish. We teach others our strategy in the stock market because we want our friends to make money, too. We show someone the correct way to transplant perennials so they can enjoy beautiful flowers year after year, too. Teaching, sharing and caring doesn’t just have to apply to business. It’s a good idea for everyone. It seems simple, and it is. Share your ideas with your peers. Teach them something they didn’t know how to do, or give them some tips where they might be lacking. When you take the time to care about others, good things come back to you. Keep the positive energy flowing by continuing to work together for the benefit of all.
Tami Loves…working as a team to inspire others to create beautiful things!
