Being your own boss
It’s been a year since I started my own business.
I know!!
I can’t believe how quickly it’s flown by really, although it does seem a while ago since I had to rush out of the door in the morning, to be somewhere I didn’t want to be.
My 1st business birthday feels like a good time to pause, and reflect on what I’ve learnt before ploughing on again.
So, what’s it like going from being an employee to running your own business?
Here’s a reflection of the things that I have learnt in the last year (and if you’re a small business owner, you might recognise some of these points):
Not everything has to be perfect
When I started out, I felt like a lot of things had to be in place before I did anything and that everything had to be perfect. That was basically my internal fear talking.
I had to have this in place, I had to have that in place.
My marketing had to be seamless. I needed to know everything, about everything… and so it goes on.
And it’s absolute nonsense!
Striving for perfection is quite exhausting, so working on things as you go along is far more realistic.
Working through the business “to do” list one small step at a time :)
Always being proactive
At the beginning, I knew that I always had to be proactive and that’s how I’ve been throughout my career, so it was no hardship to get in to that mindset.
I updated my LinkedIn Profile with my services, experience and call to action, took the dive into social media, and advertising my services.
It felt incredibly cringeworthy marketing myself, but if I was going to make this a success, this was something that I had to get over and get over very quickly.
I dropped my business details in local Facebook groups to let people know that my services existed.
I asked for reviews from people that I used to work with.
Once the reviews were received, I actively looked for people asking for an assistant or the experience of working with an assistant, in local business groups, and directed them to my LinkedIn profile and reviews 😊
I started to join some networking groups and that’s where my luck started to change.
I was sat in front of my target audience and they could see the value of what I could add to their business or life, which in turn bought me new enquiries… yippee!
Understanding My Passions
It was important to me to offer services that I loved.
As an assistant, there are so many things that clients can ask you to do for them but, for me, if the task isn’t something that I enjoy doing, I won’t do it.
My services are based on my passions. That’s the whole point of starting your own business, you get to choose what you do and don’t do.
Understanding that not all clients are for you.
The same as the fact that not all tasks are for you, the same goes for clients.
Not all clients are for you.
I quickly learnt that if a client doesn’t reflect my values, isn’t very good at communicating, doesn’t treat me very well or like a business owner, or isn’t polite (I'm a stickler for manners) they're probably not for me.
Understanding that clients come and go
In the words of Jo Munro, clients aren’t forever. They come and go, sometimes very quickly.
It can be hard when a client decides that they no longer need my services.
I have recently understood that this isn’t a reflection on me, but something that the client has decided is right for them at that moment in time.
When you are a sole trader, you feel accountable and responsible for absolutely everything so when a client decides to call it a day, you feel responsible.
I’m now learning to look at this as the universe giving me the space to welcome something more exciting in to my working life.
As one door closes, another door always seems to open and that’s how to approach the client merry go round, and approach change positively.
Being responsible for EVERYTHING!
It’s great working on your own because you have no-one to answer to.
However, that’s a two-edged sword because you are also responsible for everything!
It’s difficult to turn the business brain off sometimes, and think about anything else other than business. It can get a little obsessive if you let it.
I’ve recognised, more than ever, that it is important to have a good work life balance, and take some out for myself and my brain.
In the words of Stormzy: “Heavy is the head who wears the crown”, and whilst that’s a bit overdramatic for running a business, it can feel like that sometimes.
Being Ambitious
I’ve always worked incredibly hard, been passionate and cared about what I do throughout my career.
I never really had any great sights, or vision, of where I would like to go or be… until now!
It comes back to sole responsibility again because all of a sudden, I have ambitious drive.
My ambitious drive has been hiding for so long and I've no idea why it never made an appearance before.
Making a success of my business is definitely driving it though.
Acknowledging that some days you just don’t like it.
Some days it’s wonderful working on your own. I can crack on with my tasks without any interruptions.
Other days, I just don’t like it or enjoy it.
I have no-one to bounce ideas around with and no colleagues (other than my long suffering husband, who works in the office next door).
I wonder what the point is, and whether I should just throw in the towel and go and find a job.
This feeling soon passes after a few days though because……
The positive reasons for running your own business
If you’ve got this far, congratulations!
You’re probably thinking, after reading all of the above, why the hell would you want to run your own business?
Well, it’s because the following things far outweigh all of the above - tenfold :)
Driving your own narrative and flexibility
I can decide who I want to work with.
I decide what I want to work on.
It is my decision when I work and when I don’t work.
There’s no need to be somewhere at a specific time of day (unless it’s a client / networking meeting).
I’m learning new skills every day, developing skills I didn’t know I had and improving on my existing skill set.
If I want to work, whilst watching the tennis and simultaneously soaking my feet in a bucket of warm soapy water, I can.
Or alternatively, if I want to work sat in my gym kit whilst eating my breakfast, I can.
(One of my previous bosses wouldn’t let any team members eat at their desk.
Another wouldn’t let you buy a drink for your team mates during your own lunch break!
Time that was your own and you didn’t get paid for.
Both absolute control freaks!!).
I’m also discovering more about myself, enjoying meeting new people and being braver in general.
I will continue to push myself out of my comfort zone, as I go along, whilst trying new things.
So that’s the beauty of running your own business.
It’s hard work, constantly evolving but very rewarding.
If you’re a small business owner and can relate with the above, keep going! We’ve got this!!
If you’re an employee, hopefully this has given you an insight in to the world of what it’s like to be a sole trader.
It’s FREEEEEEDOM!! 😊