HACKER Q&A
📣 anoncow

Small business owners of HN, how would you rate your year?


Hey HN community, as we're on the 292nd day of the year with 20% of 2023 remaining, I'd love to hear from small business owners. How would you rate your business growth this year? Any valuable learnings or strategies that have helped you thrive?

  👤 nicbou Accepted Answer ✓
I run a website for immigrants coming to Berlin. This year saw more traffic and income than the previous ones.

A few learnings:

- I got a bunch of immigration consultants, lawyers and other knowledgeable people into a WhatsApp group where they can exchange knowledge with each other. Now even civil servants joined to gather feedback and give advice. It helps me keep track of everything that's happening in the world of German bureaucracy. Sometimes just getting the right people together is incredibly valuable.

- I spread myself too thin and found myself stressing about work and all the things I "must" do. Even with a rock-steady, smooth-sailing, deadline-free business, you can experience self-inflicted stress. Sometimes you have to consciously chill out. My bills are paid. Everything else is a bonus. I should bring back "what are they gonna do, ask for a refund?" (Everything on the website is free)

- I don't work a lot, but I work every day. My little GitHub graph shows that I take two random days off per year, but that I also work when I travel. I'm not sure if I can fully disconnect, and I'm uneasy about that.

- I underestimated how valuable my audience is. I built a tool and it instantly had 100 conversions a day. I didn't market it; I just added it to the page. I didn't realize that I can just spin up successful new businesses just by mentioning them to my readers.

👤 LUmBULtERA
Very small consulting firm here, with a niche. Another average year for us. That is, no real growth or decline. I prefer this actually, I like to coast and have an easier life and more time to spend with my young kiddo.
👤 giantg2
Mine is extremely small (annual revenue never exceeds $1k). It was a good year for honey harvests and I even sold some wax.
👤 ezedv
It's great to check in with fellow small business owners on their journey in 2023. As a software development company specializing in AI, GPT, and blockchain, Rather Labs (https://www.ratherlabs.com) understands the significance of adaptability and innovation.

Many small businesses have thrived by embracing technology, optimizing digital presence, and fostering customer engagement this year. In a rapidly evolving landscape, staying agile and open to change has been a valuable lesson.

Let's continue sharing experiences and insights to help one another grow and succeed. Cheers to the resilience of small business owners!

👤 v1l
effed up year.