Susan Poole

For years, I was deeply involved in running a business in a smaller community.

Like many independent business owners, I started with a vision: To build something meaningful. To create opportunities. To make a living. And to build a life that felt rewarding and sustainable.

But the reality of running a business was far more difficult than I expected. Key things I hadn't realized — how people's decision-making process went — and it wasn't picking their accommodation first! And then, the length of time they stayed had impacts on the amount of turnover I had!

That was just the beginning. There were years where it felt like I was constantly reacting instead of planning.

Years where the rain didn't seem to stop. Gas prices rising sharply. Economic uncertainty. Unexpected changes in customer habits. Staffing challenges. Long hours. Tough decisions. And the constant pressure of trying to keep everything moving forward while carrying the responsibility of employees, customers, bills, maintenance and the reputation of the business itself.

And in a smaller community, that pressure feels different.

You get to know your customers personally. Your reputation matters. People notice when things are going well — and when they aren't. You can't simply blend into the background.

There were times I felt exhausted.
Times I questioned myself.
And times where I honestly wondered whether all the hard work was worth it.

But eventually, I realized something important:

I was so busy working in the business and reacting to problems that I had stopped stepping back and thinking strategically about the business.

Once I started looking at things differently, asking better questions, identifying what was actually creating the pressure and making more intentional decisions, things began to change.

Not overnight.
And not perfectly.
But slowly, things became clearer.
More manageable.
More sustainable.

I knew I was successful when so many guests told me that owning a bed and breakfast was something they thought they might like to — because I was making it look easy.

So then, I created another business. Helping those people figure out their goals for owning a bed and breakfast, and how best to achieve those goals through location, set-up and creating a sustainable business structure.

That experience changed the way I think about business ownership.

It's also why I care so deeply about helping other independent business owners.

Because many of the challenges business owners face are more fixable than they first appear once you have the opportunity to step back, look at the bigger picture and create a practical plan moving forward.

And that's why I created Next Steps Business Coaching.

Ready to take the first step?

The quiz takes 3 minutes and there's no obligation after. Just clarity on where you are.