My Five Biggest Lessons from my First Year in Business

1.     Community is Key

Working from home is something we are all used to by now in the age of COVID, so when Florida started opening up I knew I had to get back to making in-person connections. I thrive off human interaction (hello fellow extroverts) so making community a priority kept me sane in an otherwise work environment of my home office.

2.     It’s a Small World Afterall

Thinking of not paying your bill? Of ghosting someone? Of sending a nasty email? You may want to think again. This world is smaller than you think, and people talk. As an example, my friend was picking out a spa for us to go to for my birthday next month. She sent me the one she had in mind, and it was the same one I knew had not paid my client’s bill last month. Needless to say, we are not going there. If you signed a contract with someone, live with the terms of your contract.

3.     No boundaries = burnout

This lesson was a tough pill to swallow. When you own your own business, it is kind of like your baby. You feel like it’s your duty to answer every email right away (even past business hours) and you work on the weekends to get ahead. I didn’t take a vacation for about two years, and this winter I realized I wasn’t going to last much longer if I didn’t create a balance. For me, boundaries look like having a work-free vacation every few months and putting my phone in the other room during set times during the day.

4.     I Get By with a Little Help from my Friends 

It’s very easy to get lost in the weeds when you’re the CEO, head attorney, creative director, marketing director, and receptionist. It took about 3 hours creating a single graphic in Canva before I realized I needed to stick to my zone of genius and outsource the rest. Not only does my business run more efficiently when I stick with my expertise, but I have learned so much from the women who help me with systems, social media, and marketing. Their knowledge has been invaluable to my own development as a business owner.  

5.     People are Paying for YOU

 People are not buying a product, they are buying the person behind the product. It wasn’t until I had followers that knew, liked and trusted me that I started seeing sales. This happened by showing up (in stories, on podcasts, in-person) and making connections. In the early days of my business, I imagined that I would be purely product based, i.e. digital template sales. I quickly learned even in the age of COVID and efficiency, people want one-on-one help. My advice to those of you who are strictly product-based or strictly service-based is to try to incorporate both.

6.     This is a Bonus Because I Couldn’t Not Include it – TRUST YOUR GUT.

You will know whether or not you should take a client or project. That little feeling in your stomach will tell you. It’s up to you to listen.