Even in the smallest of businesses, two brains are better than one

Running a struggling business while you have no personal income, and depending on the business for your survival, is extremely difficult.

I know this first-hand as I’ve been trying to build my laundry business without additional income since I took a leap of faith and resigned from my job in 2018.

Things were great for a few months. The business was booming.

Six months later, things started slowing down. I began worrying that my business was not viable enough.

When this happened, I had been thinking about taking the business out of the house to an industrial area for growth.

When the pandemic hit us in 2020, it was already a hand-to-mouth scenario for me. This meant that when something got broken, I often had no money to fix it.

Pre-pandemic, I made enough money, which allowed me to do regular banking, saving with the intention to re-invest back into the business. I managed to do this and bought a weighing scale purely from the profit.

I recently acquired a business partner, my cousin, who brings in financial assistance, which I so desperately need.

I had known for a while that I needed a partner, but I wanted to be sure it was the right person, someone who is interested in building with me for the long haul.

One of the challenges I have is frequent electricity blackouts or shocks, which causes major damage to my equipment.

In May, we had an electric shock, which left me without a washing machine, forcing me to do customer laundry by hand for three weeks.

This caused me a serious backache. When I reached out to my cousin, he was more than happy to help.

He has always been that person who has my back. He gave me a loan, and I bought an 8kg top loader, so I can continue to work. I later offered him a partnership in the business, and he happily accepted.

Recently, we had a blackout that lasted for three weeks. We are working on buying a small generator, which will ensure we can work even when during a blackout.

I realise that working alone with no support or accountability can delay one’s growth. It is easy to get caught up in mundane day-to-day operations.

It’s almost impossible to think and plan for the bigger picture if you are always putting out fires.

Apart from the financial boost, this partnership means reaching spaces beyond my geographical location.

We are on the verge of getting a contract with a hotel in the West Coast, which will be a major breakthrough financially for the business.

My cousin brings a wealth of experience, having started many ventures himself. Some were successful, some he had to close down.

He has great networks in his line of work. This additional brain will make a world of difference, relieving me from doing all the thinking.

This partnership means I have freedom to think and be creative, while it also brings emotional and psychological support, especially during dry spells.

Despite the pandemic and its effect on my emotional and mental health, I was not willing to give up yet. I pushed through.

I’m grateful to have a partner I can rely on during hard times. I’m also looking forward to having an accountability partner. I’ll have enough time to focus on operations, with someone to talk to and brainstorm solutions when there’s a crisis.

I’ll be free to look for and train employees who will relieve me from doing all of the labour.

I am super excited about this development, and I look forward to the growth it will bring. In the meantime, I’m happy to say my business is thriving again, with a steady stream of loyal customers.