Running a small business means receiving a constant stream of advice. From well-meaning individuals, from business groups, from networking sessions, and from people who are convinced they have spotted the one thing you should change.
I know some people will read this as me making excuses. It is not. This is the reality of running a small business within real constraints.
Some advice is genuinely useful. Some of it is context-dependent. And some of it simply does not apply to the situation I am operating within.
Not following advice does not mean I have ignored it. It means I have listened, considered it properly, and decided it was not practical, appropriate, or sustainable for my business at this stage.
That distinction matters.
Advice Often Comes With Unspoken Assumptions
Much of the advice given in business spaces is built on assumptions that are rarely stated outright:
- That spare capital exists
- That failed experiments are affordable
- That funding is accessible
- That changing direction is low risk
- That growth must always be the priority
Many financial suggestions assume family or personal contacts can help bridge gaps or provide support. In reality, that is often not the case, and it is not a viable assumption for this business.
Raising money is also not straightforward when personal circumstances already absorb most available income. Supporting a family with specific dietary requirements can take up a significant portion of finances, leaving little room to build capital for speculative experiments.
When those assumptions are not true, advice stops being guidance and becomes risk shifted onto the person expected to act on it.
The advice itself is not always wrong. It is simply aimed at a very different type of business.
Listening Is Not the Same as Following
I want to be clear about something. I do not ignore advice.
I listen to it. I consider it carefully. And in many cases, it is advice I have already explored, tested, or implemented in some form before it is suggested to me.
It is not that I do not want to follow advice. In many cases, I already know from experience that it is either impractical financially or unlikely to work based on previous attempts.
That is not always visible from the outside.
Many recommendations sound new in conversation but revisit ideas I have already trialled, adjusted, or ruled out after seeing the results firsthand. Sometimes the advice itself is sound, but the finances simply are not there to support it safely.
I am not ignoring advice. I am fully aware of it. What is often overlooked is the number of obstacles that exist between hearing advice and being able to act on it. Financial constraints, supply limitations, risk exposure, and long-term stability all play a role. Recognising those obstacles is not avoidance. It is part of responsible decision making.
Choosing not to act is not closed-mindedness. It is responsibility.
The Frustration of Repeated Advice
There is also an element of frustration that comes with repeatedly being given advice I have already explored in depth.
This is not frustration at people trying to help. It is frustration at the assumption that the advice is new, or that obvious solutions have been overlooked.
When the same suggestions are repeated without context, it can feel as though the work already done, the testing, the research, and the failed experiments, are invisible. That becomes particularly difficult when advice is delivered confidently, despite the fact it has already been tried and found unsuitable for this specific business.
Experience does not always show outwardly, but it still exists. Repeating advice does not make it more applicable, and it does not undo the outcomes of previous attempts.
Listening does not obligate repetition.
Affiliates Are Not a Missing Piece
Networking groups often suggest affiliate schemes as a growth strategy. This is something I already offer on my website, for both individuals and businesses.
I opened the affiliate scheme in the hope that small businesses in Gloucester, who did not have stock themselves, could still benefit from a sale through my website rather than letting a customer leave empty handed.
In practice, however, simply having an option does not guarantee uptake. I have even been barred from one business in Gloucester, Pilgrims, purely for writing blog posts that mentioned the affiliate scheme and explained how it could benefit them.
The point is not the bar itself. The point is that advice does not automatically translate into results, even when it has already been implemented.
This is why I treat advice as a menu, not a mandate.
Maybe You Should Change Your Products
Another common suggestion is that I should change my products, pivot to something more mainstream, or chase current trends.
On the surface, this sounds reasonable. In practice, it often ignores fundamental realities.
Products are not just items on a shelf. They represent sourcing decisions, development time, branding, trust, and consistency. Changing products is not a quick adjustment. It is rebuilding part of the business, often without any guarantee the new direction will perform better.
If something is clearly not working at all, that is one thing. But changing products simply because they do not fit a generic idea of what a business should sell is not strategy. It is guesswork.
Many of the products I would genuinely like to bring in have no dropshipping options available, or require upfront minimum order quantities. Given current circumstances, it is not possible to raise the capital needed to meet those MOQs safely.
Even saving £5 or £10 a week towards an MOQ would take a considerable amount of time to reach the required capital. During that period, the business still needs to operate, cover existing costs, and remain stable. Treating MOQs as a short-term hurdle ignores how slow and fragile capital accumulation can be at this scale.
This is before considering brand fit, customer expectations, or long-term direction.
Changing products is often presented as an easy lever to pull. In reality, it is one of the highest-risk decisions a small business can make when capital is limited.
When I Did Change My Products
It is also important to say that I did follow this advice at one point.
I shifted part of the business toward custom merchandise after repeated suggestions that it would be easier to sell or more scalable.
On paper, it made sense. In practice, it did not.
Custom merchandise added complexity, diluted focus, and consumed time and energy without delivering a return that justified the shift. It also pulled the business away from what it was originally built to do.
So I reverted.
That was not failure. It was evidence. Not every pivot is progress.
Ideas I Am Deliberately Parking
There are ideas I continue to consider rather than act on.
One example is expanding into board games. It aligns well with my interests and the wider audience, but distributors such as Asmodee require a £200 minimum order quantity. That money must be genuinely riskable.
Many other product categories either do not support dropshipping or refuse access unless you already stock within that range. Expansion is often far more complex than it is presented.
For me to pivot into new products successfully, what I ultimately need is consistent purchasing and repeat sales. Only then can I generate the cash flow necessary to safely introduce new ranges, particularly larger or higher-cost items such as those in our furniture selection. Without active sales driving the capital, even sensible product expansions remain impractical.
This is not indecision. It is prioritisation.
Why Taking Out a Loan Is Not a Sensible Option
Another suggestion that comes up regularly is taking out a loan.
This is rarely recommended for a business without provable, consistent income.
Loans introduce fixed repayments into an environment that is already variable. Those repayments do not adjust if sales dip, costs rise, or plans change.
Taking on debt without predictable income does not reduce risk. It amplifies it.
Choosing not to take out a loan is not a lack of belief in the business. It is a deliberate decision to avoid placing long-term financial pressure on something that is being built carefully and responsibly.
Advertising Is Not Always a Solution
Google and Facebook advertising are also frequently suggested. In reality, anyone with practical experience knows these platforms can become a bottomless pit of money with very low return for small businesses.
Advertising only makes sense when returns are predictable. At this stage, they are not.
Actionable Advice That Actually Makes Sense
The only advice that has consistently made sense is focusing on Google reviews. They are visible, credible, and meaningful.
The challenge is integration. There is currently no effortless way to integrate Google reviews into WordPress and WooCommerce that is free or reasonably priced.
Constraints Are Not Excuses. They Are Parameters
I do not see constraints as something to apologise for. I see them as design parameters.
Every decision is filtered through simple questions:
- Does this improve long-term stability
- Can the business absorb the risk
- Does this align with the brand
- Does this strengthen what already exists
If the answer is no, I do not do it.
Advice Is a Menu, Not a Mandate
Advice can be useful without being compulsory.
Understanding advice and choosing not to act on it is not failure. It is discernment.
I am building deliberately, within real constraints, and with a clear understanding of what actually sustains a business long term.
That is not avoidance. That is experience.
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