7 Things I’ve Learned Being in Business 7 years

Go all in from the start. 

For so long (about the first 2 – 3 years of my business) I played it small. I kept my business quiet. Besides my family and close friends no one really knew what I was doing and I never talked about it. I was afraid of what people would think and if they would actually consider what I was doing was a business, but once I became more confident and started sharing with everyone, I not only gained support but motivated other moms to go out on their own too.

Act as if your business is a company from the start.

Even though your business is most likely just you, at the beginning it’s a smart idea to still treat your business as a company or large business. Establish policies and procedures to follow, set your work hours, keep track of your expenses and always be strategic. What I did when I first started my business was create a business plan that shows a breakdown of how you will grow your business, short term and long term goals. Even a financial goal so that you can see what’s working and what isn’t. It feels good to be able to look back at the end of the year at how far you’ve come and the progress you’ve made!

Create boundaries for yourself.

I am still working on this on a constant basis but client boundaries are sooooo important. This can be as simple as you don’t answer emails before 9am or after 4pm or on weekends. These boundaries should be custom to you and your work schedule. Not only will this help you to create a routine for yourself but having dedicated work hours will help you to develop a healthy work-life balance which is crucial to your motivation and success!

Creating Content

Creating content for your business is the fun part but can also be a daunting task that falls at the bottom of your to-do list. Graphics, videos, stories, reels- it’s all very time-consuming, which is why marketing falls by the wayside for most businesses. This is why I review, tweak and reuse. There is such beauty in repurposing. Reusing your content across multiple social platforms, editing, cropping, cutting pieces of content in different ways can cut your time in half when creating content saving so much time and energy.

Provide services you actually like

We’ve all done it, we agree to provide a service that we don’t love. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that this is your business and you should love the services you are providing and if not, change it. When we start to resent what we do on the daily it leads to second guessing yourself and your business. Waking up with enthusiasm everyday and doing what you love is the cherry on top of having your own business.

Hire based on chemistry

This is something I talk about a lot. Obviously it’s important to have someone on your team that can actually do the tasks you want them to do but a lot of the time these tasks can be taught. Personality and chemistry is hard to come by. My business is so personal to me so hiring someone driven, eager and growing their own business is a must.. Whenever I am in an interview, within the first 5 minutes I usually have a feeling if they will be a good fit for my team and my business. 

Lead your team

When it’s your business it’s hard not to be a micromanager. I know I have been one too and probably still micromanage from time to time but it’s important to allow your team to do what they are good at. The best thing to do is to step back, trust the people that you hired, provide support and guidance when needed but ultimately allow your team to thrive and contribute autonomously. You hired them for a reason now let them show up and assist you!