Quarantine Journals - Business

I got an email from a long time client today asking me to do stuff for free.  All her stuff.. she doesn't want to spend any money this year.  And man, it STUNG.  She is the one that I had given free design services to last year so I could use the design in my portfolio, so it was especially frustrating in that light, AND she signed the email like this...


BLEH.  I have gotten so many emails telling me people are holding events but don't want to pay anything... meanwhile my business is dying. I have hardly made any money this year, at ALL.  I went on a Facebook rant, here it is:

Today has been a mess. I don't sit around talking about how covid has killed my industry and nearly destroyed my small business, but it has.  I've been promoting arts & crafts events for over a decade and all that hard work has been wrecked in mere months.  Every aspect of my revenue has slowed to screeching halt.  The connections and interactions that I love are silent.  The community I have had the pleasure of supporting all this time is suffering.  And all this talk about the government helping out small businesses... well, they don't mean me.  They aren't here for any of my circle, that is for sure.

But, I'm still here.  Doing the work.  Paying the operating fees.  Foolishly working on a new website (again) that was suppose to launch years ago.  Hoping that my business is still here if we ever return to some semblance of normal.  In my heart, I know it will come together again, but tonight... It has just hit me hard.  This is usually my busiest time of the year—the excitement and anticipation of the Fall season, positively electric.  But everything is quiet now.
 
And, the clients that *are* trying to make events happen are looking to me for some kind of discount because of everything going on... and it's all I can do to say "Whatever break you are looking for today might mean I am not doing this at all tomorrow." We are ALL struggling, y'all.  Whether we are talking about it or not.

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