If you run a handmade business solo, you’ll know that staying motivated can be half the battle. There are parts of running a small business that are genuinely enjoyable. The creative bits — sewing, choosing fabrics, writing blog posts, even gently bullying Pinterest into something useful — are where I’m most at home. Especially when I get to see those ideas come to life in my tote bags or notebook covers — the making part rarely feels like work. Like many creatives, I’m fairly disciplined and love a bit of routine. Give me a quiet day and a to-do list, and I’ll happily get stuck in.
But then there are the other jobs. Not difficult — just dull. The ones that sit on your list so long they start developing a personality and demanding lunch.
When you work alone, accountability sneaks out the back door. There’s no “How’s that going?” No little nudge. No one raising an eyebrow when you prioritise reorganising your button tin over listing products you’ve already made. It’s not that we’re not driven — most of us are incredibly motivated when it matters — but we’re also expert-level avoiders when the task in question is deeply uninspiring.
The Small Business Tasks I Avoid (and Why It Matters)
We’ve all got them. For me, it’s things like product photography and uploading listings for my handmade products — straightforward on paper, but they seem to drain the will to live if I’m not in the right mood. Redirects (sending people from sold-out pages to something more relevant) and backend tweaks (quietly tidying the digital cupboard) are great for SEO but won’t be winning any awards for joy. And keeping track of the finances? Well. It’s the kind of task that makes me suddenly remember I haven’t hoovered under the sofa in a while.
Individually, they’re all manageable. But left to stew, they multiply. What could’ve taken ten minutes quietly turns into an afternoon spent circling the task like the dog deciding which tree to pee against.
The Reality of Running a One-Person Creative Business
With no one checking in, it’s far too easy to let things slide. The freedom’s great — until you realise no one’s going to rescue you from your own procrastination. A few little delays here and there and suddenly your motivation is playing hide and seek, and it’s definitely winning. According to psychologists, procrastination often stems from deeper emotional triggers — not laziness — and can quietly derail even the best intentions (source).
Once that goes, you’re in the danger zone — when even the simplest tasks start to feel oddly complicated and strangely exhausting. And motivation, which is vital for running a small business, starts to disappear like your car keys when you're already five minutes late — not a crisis at first, but suddenly everything else grinds to a halt.
Sometimes, just saying something out loud helps. A soft nudge — “Have you done that yet?” — can stop the whole thing from spiralling. Not pressure. Just the presence of someone who might notice.
I think most of us — if we’re honest — get more done when someone might check in. Nothing intense. Just the knowledge that you might have to answer that question is often enough to push you into action. I know I’m more productive when I’ve said something out loud and someone’s quietly keeping an eye. Sometimes that gentle, unspoken expectation is enough. Other times, what I really need is a metaphorical smack round the head (the motivational kind, not the criminal kind) to actually get going. It’s easy to make excuses when you’re only answering to yourself. Much harder when someone else might raise an eyebrow and ask — with impeccable timing — if you’ve done the thing yet.
Turning Good Intentions into Progress (Sort of)
Maybe that’s why I manage to keep up with my blog — because I know Google rewards consistency, and right now I need every scrap of favour I can get from Google. Maybe the rest of the list needs something similar — not a solution, but a bit of visibility. Writing it down, pinning it up, or even just saying it out loud doesn’t guarantee action — but it stops me pretending it doesn’t exist. Whether it leads to action is another matter entirely. I start with good intentions — but when it comes to the less exciting stuff, let’s just say my self-discipline doesn’t always put in a full shift.
So yes, I’ve got redirects to sort. A little pile of finished pieces — like the ones in my tote bags or notebook covers collections — waiting to be photographed. And no, the accounts still aren’t done. But I’ve said it now. That counts for something — maybe. If you’re reading this and feel like casually asking next week if I’ve done any of it… well, I probably need that more than I’d admit.
If you work solo, what do you find yourself avoiding? Does a bit of soft accountability help, or have you found a clever way to stay on track?
For now, I’ll probably do what I always do — hover at the edge of starting, overthink something minor, and tell myself it all still counts as forward motion. Which it sort of does, just very slowly, at a pace that would make a tortoise impatient.
Or, to put it plainly — saying it out loud feels like progress, even if the doing part still needs a bit of encouragement and possibly a deadline with a scary face drawn on it.
