You read it right, a snake! I was walking my dog, alongside my brother and his dog, when a 4 foot black Racer snake slithered right into our path. We jumped!

It was only a minute or so before the snake slid under a log, and of course, my dog began to bark after the danger was out of sight, but it was quite a surprise.

That snake hiding in the grass is very much the same as an unknown hiding in your business.

The pandemic…a snake! 

We were rocked last March when we had to close our doors and enter a world that changed almost daily, but we pivoted, we shifted and we learned. My business grew more in the past year than it has in a decade. We all took lessons forward that we can implement when challenges arise.

It might not be a snake hiding in the grass, but a more welcome sight, like a bunny.

The PPP…a bunny! 

It hopped into our lives when we needed it most and it afforded many business owners to keep their doors open and their teams intact. With forgiveness on the table, it won’t halt any future plans or stall any growth. The PPP application deadline is May 31st, so apply now if you haven’t already. Just contact me with any questions!

It might be something we totally aren’t expecting hiding in the grass, like a kangaroo! 

Tucked into its pocket some pretty great news when it comes to taxes. The delay of taxes (which if you haven’t filed or filed an extension, you need to do immediately as they were due yesterday); the ERTC (Employee Retention Tax Credit) which will be beneficial for your 2021 taxes, as you will be able to get a credit if your revenue went down more than 20% compared to 2020 or 2019. This credit ends on June 30th, so contact me and we can do the calculations to ensure you receive the benefit when the time comes.

Back to how my dog began barking after the danger was gone is another lesson. We need to be prepared beforehand, because what we do after isn’t always enough. Know what to do when a situation arises and have the processes, systems and people in place to make it a reality.

Something else coming out of the grass this year could be a screen with a friendly face on it.

Zoom and Teams is where I spend the bulk of my day and as someone who truly enjoyed being in-person and networking, I’ve embraced that screen as my new portal to connection. It’s not always ideal, but it’s always available, and that’s a huge bonus. No worries about weather, traffic or parking – now it’s just about a good Internet connection!

The biggest thing coming out of the grass for me this year is…ME!

A different version of myself, anyway. I started this business as a solopreneur, not knowing where it would go or how it would be structured long-term.

I went from the person in the weeds of my business every day to the one picking out the seeds for new flowers. I have a solid and supportive team handling the daily operations and I am focusing on growth and business development, which is truly a new role for me.

As for that snake in the grass, I wish I would have taken a photo, because he inspired an entire blog, so I guess he wasn’t that bad after all.