Being an independent pharmacy owner.
There is much that can be controlled and predicted when you become an entrepreneur but that is not what I am here to talk about. Those who plan and listen to others will succeed especially in the independent pharmacy industry. The success attribute not often spoken about is the ability to problem solve. It is not possible to create a business without this skill. I wanted to provide you with some insight on the things that can happen so maybe you won’t feel alone when something similar happens to you, because it will!
Problems can be big or small but they all take time and can be very frustrating. I talked to a pharmacy owner one time that promised he would deliver to his patients. He leased a delivery car and hired a part time employee to do the deliveries. On the first day the employee didn’t show up and he got 5 delivery orders. As an entrepreneur, he said to himself, I will deliver the orders after hours, but when he went to do it the new leased car wouldn’t start. It was not a big deal he took his own car but these things happen and how you handle it daily can be the difference between succeeding and not.
I once met another couple who started a pharmacy many years back and on the day they were to open the building burnt down. Everything was lost, inventory, signs and shelving. They called some friends, state board and wholesaler, and were able to open the next day in a temporary shop down the street. They are still in business 20 + years later. That is an extreme case but they didn’t give up and have a great business.
Not all will be as obvious as the above, some may be as simple as you have never reconciled a cash register and that will take time to learn, it may be that you have to order marketing collateral and you have never designed copy before, again you have to learn.
In the end there will be daily problems or struggles and how you choose to get through them can be the difference. Good luck to all you entrepreneurs out there as it is not easy.
