As I sit at my kitchen table typing these words, I still can’t believe it’s Naturally Social’s birthday. It’s been three years since I took the leap to start my own business. On the 28th July 2015 I sat with my new laptop, typed in ‘HMRC’ in to Google, and figured out how to register myself as self employed.
And here I am today. In an office, paying rent, employing staff, and achieving things I didn’t even dare to dream three years ago.
It’s been such a rollercoaster of emotions, feelings and achievements over the last three years and even though at times it’s felt like one step forward and two steps back, but Naturally Social continues to go from strength to strength. I’ve pulled on every last inch of grit, focus and determination I have to get here, and will continue to do so for years to come. It’s also thanks to a few people I’ve met along the way (as well as a few of my nearest and dearest!) that I’ve found the tools, learnt the lessons and been given the support to keep pushing forward.
That’s mainly why I feel so strongly about sharing lessons, passing on advice and being a cheerleader for other business owners, so I wanted to take this milestone as an opportunity to do just that. Here are five business lessons I’ve learnt over the last three years, in celebration of Naturally Social’s birthday.
Ask yourself what it is you want. Why are you doing this? Don’t skip this bit. Have a vision and dare to dream. If it’s to earn a good salary and pay the bills – amazing! Know what you want, because when you have days where you don’t know where you are or where you’re going – you’ll be able to pull yourself back on track. Not only that, but it helps you to set goals and make plans that will outline your road to achieving what you want.
Whether you love it or hate it – now that you are self employed, you are a sales person. The quicker you acknowledge this and invest in the skills you need to sell the better. Trust me.
How much do you charge, what’s your turnover, what’s the profit, expenditure, balance sheet. Again – without knowing this you can’t plan to grow or develop. I wrote everything down in my first year of business. I then moved on to spreadsheets, and then using a bookkeeper and an accounting software.
Employing or not – I cannot tell you how important it is to find the right people. People who share your vision, others who can be honest with you, people you trust and people who will believe in you. Find people who will listen and identify your biggest cheerleaders. Invest in these relationships and trust your instincts. If people drain your positivity or don’t leave you feeling your best self, keep them at arms length and don’t apologise for it!
There will be times when you have to do things for free, we’ve all done it. But don’t be afraid to say no. Don’t let yourself be taken advantage and equally – respect others. Every one needs to earn money in order to build their business and as lovely as skill swapping is – be honest and strategic about it. Is it going to add value?
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
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