Here’s a quiz for you. You have just enough half and half for 2 “dark” cups of coffee or one perfect one, with a little left over. Do you go all in or save some for each?

I am not a gambler, as we have shared previously, but this is a sure thing. I pour all of it into my first mugful.

When it comes to retail and small business – nothing is a sure thing and yet, somehow, you have to go all in… maybe not with your investment, but certainly with your effort, your dreams, your vision and your passion for the business – for your brand. You should hold a little back on the funds if you can, to save for when you need it. Start lean, be as efficient as you can. Watch every dollar that you spend on expenses. Then, once you are covering expenses, you can start to step back and stop doing it all. Hire staff, outsource the stuff you hate to do (or aren’t that good at doing)  but if you really aren’t good at it, some things must be done right from the beginning… so, just for example, hire that 3rd party bookkeeper. It’s better to be accurate in your accounting than to guess and in this particular instance, you will know better what you have to “gamble” from your bank.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl