We women are funnyosities about our bodies. We stand in front of the mirror and think we are the only ones who have potbellies, saggy boobs and thunder thighs.

We are the same about our businesses.

Last week I spoke privately to 15 small businesses run by women. Each women thought her business was the only one that wasn’t profitable*. None of them were!

As women we dress carefully to hide our wobbly bits, as business owners we are measured in the way we talk about our businesses.

Let’s make a resolution today, International Women’s Day, to be kinder to each other. Let’s be honest about what doesn’t work in our businesses, let’s take heart from the fact that other businesses are a bit less-than too, and let’s help each other build better businesses.

*When I say “profitable” I mean making enough money to compensate the owner for the (usually huge) effort she is putting in. A business can make a profit but not be profitable because it’s taking way too much owner-time to make that profit