The Harsh Reality of Starting a Small Business—And Why It's Still Worth It

Author: Chelsea Yee

The Harsh Reality of Starting a Small Business—And Why It's Still Worth It

Let’s step back and be real. Starting a small business sounds exciting until you’re in the middle of it wondering if you’re actually just losing money and your mind at the same time. No one really tells you how messy it gets. People either give you motivational quotes or hit you with scary stats about how most businesses fail. That’s not helpful at all. So here’s the truth, from one group of builders to another. It’s hard. It’s overwhelming. But if you know what to expect and keep your head on straight, there’s a lot of opportunity hiding in the chaos.

You’ll Be Doing Everything Yourself

In the beginning, it’s all you. Packing orders, answering emails, doing your books, updating your website, figuring out social media, maybe even fixing the printer when it breaks. There’s no instruction manual. You’re just figuring it out as you go. It’s exhausting. And there’s no one to blame when things go wrong. Just you.

The hardest part of that is that you think your friends and family will be your first customers. The reality is, some will, but most won’t. That’s just how it goes. You’ll get excited about your product and realize a lot of people are polite but not actually interested. That doesn’t mean your idea sucks. It just means people have their own lives, and they’re not invested the way you are.

Money Is a Bi-Polar Feeling

You’ll feel like you’re making progress when you get a few sales. Then you’ll look at your numbers and wonder where all the money went. Inventory, shipping, ads, transaction fees, bills, last-minute expenses. It adds up fast. And sometimes it feels like you’re working full-time just to break even. That’s not failure. That’s just how it starts.

Sometimes Passion Isn’t Enough

It helps, for sure. But passion doesn’t pay rent or bring in customers. If you don’t have product-market fit, if no one really wants what you’re offering, your passion won’t fix that. And this is where a lot of small businesses get stuck. You can love what you’re doing and still need to pivot. That’s not quitting. That’s being smart.

The Good News? There Are Opportunities Everywhere

Even in the toughest parts, there’s room to grow. Sometimes you find out your product needs a tweak. Or your ideal customer isn’t who you thought it was. Or you’re putting money into the wrong places. The point is, once you stop trying to do everything perfectly and start paying attention to what’s actually working, things start to click. Slowly, but they do. You just have to be honest with yourself and open to changing direction.

Where Modiv Can Come In

We’ve seen a lot of small businesses go through this. Some take off. Some burn out. The difference usually comes down to how well they adapt and who they have in their corner. That’s why we started Modiv. We help small brands think more clearly about what they’re doing and where they’re trying to go.

We’re not here to give you generic advice or sell you hype. We’re here to help you. For example, looking at your strategy and finding what’s working (and what’s not), finding the right retail partners or channels for your product, making sure your time and money are actually going toward growth, and making sure your marketing is reaching the target audience for your product. This way, we help you build a business that doesn’t just survive, but lasts

If you’re serious about this and you want someone who’s been in the trenches to help you figure it out, reach out. We’ll talk, no pressure. Building something real is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.