i vs we

I’ve always wondered why business owners with no employees write “we” on their website. I had always thought it was a way to make the business seem larger than it actually is. However, whilst writing the content for my website, I found myself naturally gravitating towards the 3rd person. It wasn’t until the content was pretty much finished that I realised what I had done. It got me wondering why I had written “we”, when the business is just me.

Truth is, starting a business on your own is a lonely venture. Did I mean me, plus my business? It seems less lonely when you think about it plurally. Also, I feel very comfortable with the 3rd person. “I” opens you up to personal responsibility, risk, reward. I also didn’t want it to come across as boastful, “I did this”, “I achieved that”. I’ve always worked as part of a team; could it have been habitual?

I landed on the assumption that I had written “we” as i’m not doing this on my own. I have a wonderful supportive family and friends that have gotten me to this point, and believed in my vision and what I can achieve.

I also have two very distracting dogs, that support me in their own special way.

The responsibility is me, but the reason is we.