Running a small business often means wearing all the hats—owner, operator, social media manager, web designer, product developer, graphic designer, and more. It’s long hours and a lot of hard work, and sometimes it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
That’s why I loved something Wesley Bryant from The Blue Strawberry Coffee Company recently shared with me. He said:
“When I hear a small business owner use the term ‘we’ I cringe a little bit. Like ‘we have a new product’ or ‘we have new store hours.’ No. I did all of those things. There is no ‘we’ and I should take full credit for it!”
Wesley makes a great point. Many of us are solo operators, yet we often fall back on using “we” because it feels more professional or business-like. But the truth is, customers usually appreciate knowing exactly who is behind the work.
When they can connect with the real person—the maker, the artist, the roaster, the crafter—it builds trust. It feels genuine. And that connection is what makes small businesses so special compared to big-box stores or faceless corporations.
Think about it: when a shopper walks through a market or clicks onto your website, they’re not just buying a candle, a jar of jam, or a bag of coffee. They’re buying a little piece of you—your time, your talent, your creativity, and your story. That’s what sets you apart.
So here’s my challenge to my fellow vendors and solo entrepreneurs:
Next time you announce a new product, try saying “I made this.”
When you update your booth hours or website, say “I did this.”
Let your customers see the person behind the product.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what people fall in love with—the human touch, not the mysterious “we.”
As Wesley put it so well: “For us solo perpetrators, I feel it makes a difference.”
— Cynthia Freese
Booth Boss
