When I was working in the world of corporate, I dreamed of running my own show. Being able to clock in and out whenever I wanted, do work I cared about, and take my financial future into my own hands.
What used to be just a daydream to get me through another meeting that could have been an email (eye-roll) is now my reality. I’ve been running my own business for some time now, and while I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, there are some lessons I learned along the way I wish I could have avoided.
Let’s dive in so you don’t have to make the same mistakes.
1. Your biz can be a paradise—or a prison.
When you start a business, you’re building everything from scratch. You get to design a schedule that works for you, pick your clients and customers, and tailor your business to suit the work you enjoy doing.
If this sounds like a dream come true, it can be—but only if you’re completely honest and aware of what you need to get the job done. It’s all too easy to say yes to every little client’s demand and become a slave to your business.
Get honest about when (and how) you like to work and be upfront sooner than later. Otherwise, you’ll end up doing work you don’t enjoy, that doesn’t serve your business goals, and it’ll leave you feeling exhausted.
2. Organization is everything.
Set up systems before you feel ready to set up systems! So many entrepreneurs push off systematizing their businesses because they feel pulled to focus on client work or revenue-generating tasks instead. And while those are important, they will inevitably fall through the cracks if you don’t have a system to organize them.
In the beginning, don’t get bogged down with making your systems perfect—even if you have to start from scratch a few times before landing on the right structure for your business. The key is to create enough of a system that you can delegate tasks and measure progress.
At the very least, get a project management tool like Asana or Click Up to keep all of your to-do items in one place.
3. You have to get comfortable with bragging.
When you’re an entrepreneur, there is no boss singing your praises to help you earn a promotion. If you want to grow, you have to put yourself out there and let people know what you’re doing.
Even when it feels icky or braggy, you have to advocate for yourself and your business. If you don’t, who will? Think of all the clients and customers you want to work with, and let them know why they should be working with you over your competition.
Remember, if you never talk about what you’re doing then NO ONE will know what you’re doing.
4. Don’t try to be anyone else.
And when you’re online or at a party talking about your business, don’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not. People can smell inauthenticity a mile away. So don’t switch up your look or change the way you speak to reflect other people in your industry.
The beautiful part about entrepreneurship is that you get to forge your own path! So don’t be afraid to share what makes you unique, even if it’s a little quirky or rubs some snobby people the wrong way.
5. And don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Running your business may start as a solo game, but it sure as heck shouldn’t stay that way.
Every business reaches a point where they need to hire additional help. And if you want to grow your business without having it totally take over your life, you have to be willing to ask for help when you need it.
Don’t wait until things are completely falling apart before you reach out. You’ll be kicking yourself for weeks or months when you finally hire some help and realize how much simpler and easier it all can be.
And if you want a helping hand in scaling your business to 6 or 7 figures, then click here to learn more about how we can work together!
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