Are you a microentrepreneur? Thank you for helping to save the world!
In the “olden days” a microentrepreneur was you working in your basement tapping away at your computer, renting a mailbox at a business center to hide your lack of office. Today 50% of entrepreneurs work from home, boldly saying “why on earth would I want to spend time commuting?”
Indeed, a favorite morning ritual for me is humming BTO’s “if the train’s on time I can get to work by nine…” as I descend the staircase at five to the hour.
When Small is Good
Today’s microentrepreneurs are people running very small businesses that they started with little or no capital. “Very small” is defined as fewer than 10 people. The SBA defines “small” businesses as fewer than 500. For context, 89% of all US businesses have under 20 employees. (See these fun stats about microentrepreneurs from Small Biz Genius here.)
Is this you? Then thank you, my friend. You are the secret to saving democracy, the economy, and kindness in 2022. Here’s how.
How Microentrepreneurs are the Pillar of Democracy
The Wall Street Journal reports on the “big guys,” often citing bloated financial projections, staggering losses, massive lay-offs and astronomical salaries going to misbehaving CEO’s, resulting in a widening gap between the haves and have nots.
All the while, you are quietly plugging away serving clients and building your business. Small businesses constitute a strong middle class, and a robust middle class is essential to the survival of democracy. Your success sustains you and your family, and ensures the future of USAmerica.
How Microentrepreneurs Buoy the Economy
What do you know? How can you package it into sellable increments—be it a product or service? Who needs it and will buy it from you? And, voila, you are in business.
You need a computer, wi-fi and an idea—and it doesn’t even need to be fully fledged. Your business and niche evolve as you learn and do. A microenterprise is based on you having something you can sell and somebody who will buy it (And you need a way to get the word out to your target buyers. Just saying…says the marketer.)
Not everything has to be big to succeed. It’s about knowing your “nut,” your monthly personal and business expenses and making enough money to cover that and hopefully plan for the future. You are helping drive the economy through your spending and planning and buying from other microentrepreneurs.
How Microentrepreneurs Model Kindness
What if growth in revenue wasn’t the only objective measurement of business success? What if there was an algorithm to factor in employee and owner happiness and life-balance. That might be naïve for big business, but it’s the essence of the joy of being a microentrepreneur.
Building our own vision for success includes being kind to yourself and those who work for you. And since many microentrepreneurs build their client base locally and through referrals, being nice and kind is par for the course. People still want to work with people they like and are easy to work with.
2022: The Year of the Microentrepreneur
The end of 2021 saw the “Great Resignation” as a record number of people left their jobs. Those hiring liked to say, “people don’t want to work when they can get a handout from the government.” But what if the truth is people don’t want to work for someone who doesn’t respect them, treats them like a cog in the machine, that puts their safety and mental well-being behind the profits of the company?
Work-life balance became more fluid with work from home. While that presented challenges, the extraordinary change and loss over the past two years has prompted many to look for more purpose, meaning and overall satisfaction with life through microentrepreneurship. Will that be you in 2022?
Whatever you strive to achieve in the coming year, wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year.