Becoming a business owner 4 years ago was one of the scariest decisions but also one of the most rewarding ones for me! I jumped into business craving all of the freedom that business-owning could provide and the joy of being my own boss. But, there have been a lot of mistakes I’ve made along the way and a lot of lessons I’ve learned throughout. And, I’m STILL learning! Every day there is something to be learned as a business owner, there are still difficult situations that arise and very hard days. While I’m still so deeply grateful to be a business owner and to be in my third year full-time, I’ve learned a lot along the way and wanted to share my top 5 lessons and tips for any new small business owner.
You will have hard days and hard clients
The very first thing that I wish someone would have been more honest with me about from the beginning is that you will absolutely have difficult days and hard clients. It’s simply the nature of the beast. When you first go full-time or even when you first start your business, you dream up all of these amazing things for yourself and difficult clients or situations aren’t one of them.
But, they happen. And it’s normal to cry. The majority of people only see the highlight reel of a business owner’s life. It’s important to have an inner circle of people who you can confide in and look to when things get hard. When the hard days come or the difficult clients arise, be reminded that you and your business are not defined by these moments. We learn from them, move forward, and become better business owners because of them.
Legally protect yourself right from the start
If I could emphasize one major thing from this post, it would be to legally protect yourself and your business right from the start! I often have business owners ask me, “Do I really need a contract so early in my business?” 100% yes! This is one of the foundational investments you want to have for your business. I always purchase all of my contract from The Legal Paige. They have been an invaluable resource for my business and I highly recommend them! If you are in need of a contract for your business, you can take advantage of my affiliate link HERE and take an additional 10% off your purchase using the code “DAHLIA” at checkout.
Contracts are so incredibly important because you never know when you’ll need them. They are similar to insurance, you never know when you’ll need it and want to have it ready to use if need be. The more my business has grown, the more vital a solid contract has become. There have been a number of situations where I’ve had to refer back to my contract to protect my business and I could breathe a sign of relief knowing that I was protected.
Business owning is a long game
It goes to say that this has probably been one of the hardest things for me to learn. There is no such thing as instant success, unfortunately. Business owning is a journey and it’s a very, very long game. Sure, some people might have faster success but what is not seen is how long it takes for someone to achieve that success. Most people work for years in their business before they have their “big break”. Why? Because it takes time for people to know, like, and trust you. And the best way for you to gain trust from people is to put out free content and be generous. This simply takes time and consistency though.
So, take this as an encouragement friend that your work matters! Keep going, keep pressing on, keep creating valuable content for people, and keep being generous. Growth will come and you will experience success, maybe even faster than you think.
You choose your boundaries
Establishing boundaries as a business owner is one of the most important things you can do for yourself right from the start. You don’t have to be a slave to your business but we often feel like if we don’t do everything for everyone then we are failing as business owners. This just isn’t true and it’s important to be reminded of this.
One of the BEST ways I learned to establish boundaries for myself was to have set office hours and communicate those to my clients. I communicate this both in my contracts and in my email signature so my clients are aware. The more your business grows, the more important your boundaries become. You don’t want to wait until you need boundaries in place to establish your boundaries.
Enjoy the journey
Finally, don’t forget. to enjoy the journey. Business owning truly is a long game and there will be seasons of such incredible joy and there will also be seasons of deep heartache. Through it all though, we are learning, growing, and chasing big dreams together. The journey is absolutely worth it, your dreams are worth it. I’ve learned to enjoy the journey by creating lists of what I’m grateful for, surrounding myself with an amazing community, choosing to rest when I need it, making scary investments because I believe so deeply in my dreams, and so much more! I remember so vividly the day that I took my business full time having no idea what would happen but kept going. There has been so much growth over the years and I’m excited to continue growing as a business owner for many more years.
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