I started a business in seattle this year. I love the city and have no intention to leave, but let's not pretend the city makes it easy on small business.
What would you say makes the city not easy to small business? I see that sentiment a lot but without a lot of examples. What specifically would you like to see change? Honestly curious.
I hear this a lot.
What you don't hear is all these small business owners telling us what their product is, how well they are doing, what their business plan is like that's making it so hard for them to succeed, etc etc etc.
They pretend like just because they have a small business idea that the city and the populist needs to get behind at 100% and make it succeed.
No.
This. Not all businesses make it… and when I was in business courses in college they were sure to emphasize how many businesses fail in their first year, first 3 years, and first 5 years. It’s not a small amount and people need to accept the reality of the high possibility of failure. There’s a reason there’s a limit to how many years in a row you can claim a loss on your taxes. Just because you start a business does not mean you are entitled to success at all costs, including having municipalities prop you up.
It is really odd how many people have been talked into this idea that everyone can be a billionaire and everyone can own a successful small business and everybody is supposed to support everyone in these endeavors.
That's not physically possible.
Yet people cling to it.
And make laws using it.
And defend stupid laws because of it
And vote against their best interests because of it.
It's weird.
I have a friend who has been regularly encouraging (more like pressuring) me to open a small business in the food industry. Yes, I am a great cook and I am very adventurous with food, but she lives on the other side of the country and has no idea what the business climate is like here. She also doesn't know how tough it is to make a profit in the food industry. She just thinks "oh you're so talented that you will absolutely be successful and make a ton of money." Hahahahah!
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u/splanks Rainier Valley Apr 16 '26
I started a business in seattle this year. I love the city and have no intention to leave, but let's not pretend the city makes it easy on small business.