Top 7 Bits of Advice For Starting Your Own Business

I get asked all the time; “What is one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to start their own business?

Well, after 13 years in business for myself I can tell you that it’s not that simple. I wouldn’t want to give just one piece of advice. There is so much to consider and a lot to think about before investing time and money into opening a business.

1) Have a crystal clear vision of what you are creating and why. You need to know exactly what you’re trying to achieve so you can plan accordingly. The plan will change as you go, but there always needs to be a plan and the more clear you can make it the faster you’ll achieve your goals.

2) Mindset is key! No matter how hard you work or how educated you are, if you don’t have the right mindset you will not be able to achieve great success. If you don’t truly believe in yourself or if you have any negative thoughts holding you back, you will always struggle. 

3) Be authentic. When I first entered into the beauty industry I felt like I had to try to “fit in” to be able to build my clientele. When I recognized that I wasn’t really enjoying my job as much as I had expected, I realized it was because I was going out of my way to create an image, and therefore attract a certain clientele, with whom I didn’t resonate. I decided to just be myself and if people don’t like me they can book elsewhere. In a short period of time my clientele had shifted to a different group of people and I began to thoroughly enjoy going to work because they were MY kind of people; and because they were all “my” kind of people, I was their kind of people, so they loved me, they loved my business and they become long-term loyal clients. Always be authentic so you can attract the clientele that you WANT to spend your time with. 

4) It’s going to be tough! If you are building a business based only on the assumption that your idea will be profitable, you are going to be miserable. Business is an indescribably difficult endeavour. You have to be passionate about your purpose so you will continue to get up everyday determined to serve your community. You need to have love for what you do in order to stay motivated during the struggles. And there WILL be struggles.

5) Ask for help! If you are determined to do everything yourself, you will burn out. It will likely be ALL you, ALL the time, in the beginning, but as soon as the workload begins to feel overwhelming you must let go of some of that control and start delegating. A stressed out, busy, business owner is not serving her audience to the best of her ability. 

6) NEVER let fear be your reason for not doing something. The stuff that scares you is most likely the stuff that will take your business to the next level and help you to stand out in your market.

7) Make sure you have fun and always take care of yourself. Running a business can take over all aspects of your life. Remember your priorities (family, friends, your home, hobbies, etc.) and always put yourself at the top of that list. You can’t serve anyone if you’re sick. Your health MUST be the most important thing in your life. Not to mention a healthy body works better and has more stamina to help you cope with the ups and downs of running a business.

No one should ever expect business to be easy, but if you really love something and you feel in your core that it’s your life’s purpose to offer your expertise or speciality to the world then I say go for it! If it’s what you love you CAN make it happen.

Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes and is not intended to replace formal business advice, financial advice, government regulations, or any other form of legal advice.