Advice for Beginner Business OwnersTaylor Swope2025-02-27T21:24:39-05:00
You gotta want it. I mean like really, really want it. Like want it so badly you’re ok with missing out on other things in life. You need to be willing to sacrifice the stability and predictability of traditional employment. You need to be ok with people questioning you, criticizing you, and doubting you, and you need to be ready to free yourself from the pressure of being accepted by the mainstream. Being willing to work hard isn’t enough. Lots of people do that in all sorts of professions. Entrepreneurship is a different kind of commitment.
Document everything. You will be grateful later for every detail you record. Weather, day of the week, current events, life changes, personal mood… all of it affects your day-to-day results, and lots of it is outside your control. Don’t trust your memory to provide accurate perspective in the future. Notes taken now will become your greatest asset.
Ideas are not your problem. Execution is. You’re an entrepreneur, which means, by nature, you’re someone with ideas. People will come to you with ideas too. You don’t need more of them. What you need is help determining which ones to focus on and how to most effectively bring them into the world. Clarity and a deliberate plan pave the path to success.
Experiment often, with caution. Stick with your steady sellers while also making time to play with concepts that excite you. Some will succeed. Most will fail. Keep your investment in new ideas low and predefine the metrics by which you’ll decide what to keep working on.
Take breaks, but don’t quit. You will have many days where you question your decision to start a business. Get used to it. Ride them out by making time for other activities. That’s when you’ll solve your puzzles and find some of your best ideas, so you can go back to your work energized and inspired. Whatever you do, KEEP GOING!
Don’t chase trends. And while you’re at it, fuck the algorithm too. You will never be able to keep up. Do you. Be you. Create what you want. Post what you want. Aim to set trends instead.
Be mindful of your communication. Talk to people the way you’d like to be spoken to and keep your distance from those who don’t offer you the same. Don’t engage in negative self-talk. If you make enough noise, plenty of other people will do that for you. No need to help them out. Don’t respond to critics. Don’t defend yourself to strangers. Go ahead and state your feelings and beliefs, but do that when and how you want to, not because someone provoked you.”
Don’t work exclusively from home. You’re self-employed which means you’re going to feel isolated. Find another space to go on a semi consistent basis. The key here is to form a routine that creates relationships, because repetition is how we get to know people. Working alone will at times be essential to your work. Recognize when it’s not and get out among people when you can.
Build a world beyond your friends and family. I’m not saying they won’t encourage you and cheer you on (most will, some won’t), but your success depends on reaching people outside your immediate network. You will get to know yourself better in the process, which will help you to focus on what makes your product or service unique and valuable.
Mark your milestones. Don’t forget to notice your accomplishments. As we progress, we tend to move our goal posts which can create a sense of never getting anywhere. Take time to notice what you’ve built so far. Celebrate your achievements. Nobody’s bringing you a cake, so go get your own. Doing so will help you to see that what you’re doing now would have never been possible without everything you’ve already done.
Finished is better than perfect. Whatever you’re creating it could always be better. Perfection is a trick. It doesn’t exist. Give up on getting there and aim for launch instead. Your business can’t support you if you don’t share your products or services. No need to wait until you’re better at anything. Start now. Get good as you go.
Learn how to use tools. The more you can do yourself, the better you can bootstrap. There’s all sorts of kinds of tools out there, whether we’re talking about hands on tools or digital tools. Learn by doing, and make time to self-educate. Avail yourself of online resources as well as community resources. This is a great way to build your network too.
Prioritize your well-being. You will you be able to handle the demands of self-employment better if you eat well, get enough sleep, spend time with people you love, exercise (and stretch) often. Your mind needs space to wander, and these activities will give your brain the opportunity to think (see #5). You never know where that flash of inspiration will hit you!
Have fun with it! If it’s not fun, it’s going to be so much harder to stick with it, and honestly, what would be the point anyway? Some days will be tedious, and others will be outright awful, but those days will fade in the glow of the good days. You’re likely to realize you have a different definition of fun than most people, and if they don’t understand why you have such a good time working so hard on your business, that’s ok. You’re the only person who needs to get it.
