16/10/2026
🤎 The side of small business you don’t always see.
I wanted to share something a little more personal today, because I think we sometimes show the highlight reel of running a business and hide everything that happens behind the scenes.
You see the sell outs. The busy events. The orders going out. The exciting moments where everything feels like it’s finally paying off.
But you don’t always see the days where hardly anything sells. The stock you bring home. The hours of preparation that go into an event before you’ve made a single penny. The money spent on ingredients, packaging, fuel, equipment and pitches, often before you even know how much you’ll make back.
You don’t see the money coming in and going straight back out, or the nights spent doing the numbers and wondering how you’re going to keep growing when everything costs so much.
And you don’t see the self doubt.
The comparing yourself to other businesses. The feeling that everyone else is getting further ahead while you’re trying your hardest just to keep moving. The questioning whether you’re doing enough, whether you’re good enough, and whether all the hard work will eventually pay off.
I absolutely love what I do, and I’m so grateful for every customer, every order and every opportunity this business has given me. But I’d be lying if I said it was always easy.
Sometimes I feel like I’m failing, even when I know deep down how much work I’ve put into getting here.
I think we need to be more honest about the reality of small business. Not every day is a sell out. Not every event is profitable. Not every month brings growth. And sometimes, just keeping going is an achievement in itself.
I’m still learning, still trying to grow and still figuring out what the future looks like for me and my business.
So if you’re a small business owner feeling the pressure right now, please know you’re not the only one. 🤎
Behind every business is a real person, and sometimes we need to give ourselves a little more credit.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Cheesecakes & Grazes by Emily. It genuinely means more than you know.
Emily x 🤎
