Top 10 things I learned in the first 2 years of my business

Apr 22

Okay so the past two years have been a little bumpy but what a ride! Just looking at all the work achieved in this short amount of time makes me proud!

Along the way I have learned a thing or two and wanted to share them with you!

Working alone is never easy. It is important to make connections with other people in the same or similar industries, go to networking events and always talk about what you do, with energy and passion! It makes people interested and want to know more.
Have you heard about Winging it? I am a pro at planning things but also a pro at not doing what is on my to-do list! I found that I succeeded when going with the flow of things, not being too strict with myself if I did not tick all the boxes for the day, but also working with a deadline helps. If you haven’t red it yet, I recommend a book called ‘Winging It’ by woman entrepreneur Emma Isaacs. It explains all this so well.
I can be very impatient sometimes and wish things would happen immediately , but… patience is key, nothing happens overnight.
And on to this next point: consistency is a winner! Keep practicing what you know / in my case it is my painting technique; this can only lead to improvement with time.
Always strive to learn more. Things evolve, new ways of doing certain things develop; new opportunities arise. It is so important to keep on learning; for example you can listen to podcasts, participate to webinars, join Facebook groups, etc.
It is always best to source top quality materials that will make the difference. Cheaper options are attractive but not worth it. While I was overseas last year for 3 months during the Covid pandemic, I had to buy new materials and first tried to use cheaper paint and paper as I did not want to invest in things I already had back home. They simply did not cut it in terms of result and I went back to the shop and bought the better quality materials.
This one is a tricky one! Project leads will not always revert back to you but giving up is not an option. Always follow up, and you never know, they might have just forgotten to reply, or your email might have ended up in the junk folder! By following up you are also showing potential clients that you are on top of things and can be trusted.
Trust the timing and things will happen. When I first started this business I thought I knew what it would turn into but I could not be more wrong. I am now finally in a position where I am happy with the direction my business is heading into and also trusting that it will grow into what it should.
Communicate what you do and then repeat and repeat it again. It may seem obvious to us what we’re doing but other people might not understand straight away or may be confused on your services. Be clear and precise and do not hesitate to repeat yourself.
Entrepreneur life has its ups and downs, but mostly ups! I enjoy working from wherever I want, having time for my family, be my own boss. All this helps to boost personal achievement and self-confidence.