God is really teaching me a lot of lessons this year.
I'm learning quite the lesson in business, entrepreneurship, about myself, expectations, family, friendships, faith...well basically LIFE.
I mentioned in the previous post that this month marks a year that I have been offically a business owner.
I thought that it would be kinda cool to compile a quicklist of the lessons I have learned so far.
1. Just start. I can't say this enough. If you have an idea. A gift. A business. Whatever it is. Start now. There will never be a perfect time.
2. Be authentic. Be Yourself. In the short time that I've been on this "create what you existed" journey, I have learned that there will always be someone who might lift your idea. The thing is that anybody, can steal your style, your words, even your pictures, but they can never BE YOU. DO YOU. THINK LIKE YOU. It's impossible for someone to replicate you.
3. People will tell you how awesome your idea may be or say they are going to support you, but don't expect it. I think it's human nature for people to nod their heads when another person is talking but that doesn't mean they will use your services or buy your products. Be okay with that. Keep trying to find your target audieence. There is an audience for everything. The only one who should be passionate about your business is YOU. You can't expect that same passion from everyone else.
4. Manage your expectations when it comes to support from your family or friends. I learned this the hard way. For some reason, it's much easier for a stranger to sow a seed into your business than someone you know. (There are exceptions of course.). I don't know the science behind it but now I try to support my friends and family in their businesses by becoming a customer/client...because I know how it feels.
5. Be flexible. I started God's Favorite Surprises originally as a concierge service to send cards and flowers to encourage other women. That business model has changed so much so that I now sell exclusive t-shirts and cards to send as surprise gifts. I am even adding a few more things to my services like hosting "Gratitude Pop-Up Shops" for conferences/events. A year ago, that never existed....what a difference a year makes.
6. Nobody has it all figured out. You can have the best business model in the world but until you actively are in business, you will figure out fast that you are probably a fish out of water. THAT'S OKAY! Figure it out and keep it moving.
7. Open your mouth! Closed mouths don't get fed. I am not a natural hustler/social butterfly. I have to work hard to mingle, socialize and network. But over the past few months, I've had to step out of my comfort zone and simply let me people know what I do. I don't have time to be shy about it. God keeps opening doors for me that I didn't even know existed.
8. Don't limit yourself. You can be good at more than one thing. You don't have to box yourself into one thing. I have this style blog and I have a concierge business. I try to make both of them work for me in some way!
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| "You Are So Dope" tee from God's Favorite Surprises (here) Skirt: ASOS (Similar here) Necklace: @Frugalfindsnyc Shoes: Nine West ( here ) Earrings: H&M ( here ) Hat: H&M ( here ) |
9. Don't allow someone to tell you that you don't deserve to be in the business you are creating. I struggled with that. But really, it's not really my business what other people think of me or think about what I do.
Bonus! Be open to collaborations! Collaborations are a good thing. It allows you to breathe new life into an old idea.
With all of that said, this post doesn't mean I have it all figured out. I struggle everyday. It's hard to keep your business relevant in a sea of so many businesses popping up everyday.
But there is a place for my business.
There is a need for what I do.
I stand firmly in that.
Who knows.
Next year might find me back in a traditional classroom (sigh), but I still stand by every lesson learned.
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| La Coste Photography |
“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.”
What have you learned about entrepreneurship?
Are you sitting on a business and still want launch it? WHY?
Let me know in the comments!
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