9 Things Nobody Tells You About Starting Your Own Business
Everyone has opinions when you open a business and most of those opinions are terrible. Dreamers will tell you you’re so lucky you get to live your best life, with no understanding of the sacrifices you’ve made. Negative Nancies will focus on everything you’re giving up, with no acknowledgment of the fulfillment you’ve gained.
If you’re thinking about opening a business, it’s important to be realistic about the challenges coming your way, the steps you can take to succeed, and the satisfaction that comes from making your dreams come true. Experience is the best teacher, but a little foresight doesn’t hurt. Gathered from my experience, and that of our clients, here’s some wisdom we all could have used on day 1:
Your time is your own, but you’re going to spend it working
A wise man I can’t remember once said to me: “When you run your own business you get to take half days all the time – it’s totally up to you which 12 hours you want to work.” There’s ALWAYS something to do – whether you’re just starting out, or taking your business to the next level. And while it’s immensely satisfying to choose the important work you do, have no illusions about going easy on yourself (I mean, if you want to succeed).You don’t get to be your own boss until you’ve been your own janitor
It’s a humbling moment when the toilet clogs in your new storefront and there’s nobody to fix it. Or when the dishwasher cancels and you’re stuck in the back room because only you know how to use the machine. Whether you’re assembling office furniture, scrubbing toilets, or sweating over the grill, there is no place for pride in a baby business. At the end of the day, the buck stops with you, and when the slack is dropped, only you will care enough to pick it up every time.You have to be hungry
Unless you’re ridiculously self-motivated, you need to threaten yourself with rock bottom before you find your fire. If this doesn’t happen organically, you may want to manufacture it. For me, the motivation I needed was moving into an overpriced apartment and quitting my job. Nothing inspires you to go to that networking event like the threat of homelessness.
For more advice on this, I highly recommend Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass books, especially You Are a Badass at Making Money. I met her once. She’s such a badass.Literally – you have to be hungry
It’s one thing to share a business card, it’s quite another to share a muffin. Nothing tells a potential business connection you’re serious like actually showing up – anyone can write an email, but if you actually sit down to hear about their needs, and give them your heartfelt ask, that proves you mean business.You have to hustle all day every day
It’s so easy to get caught up in the thrill of success, but avoid the temptation or you are going to get your ass kicked. I mean, buy yourself a sushi roll, but then get back to work. If you let small scale success go to your head, it won’t last long. Until you get to a point where business finds you, you’re going to have to go out there and find it yourself. To this day, I go to networking events, comb Facebook for connections who need help, cold call potential clients, and interrupt strangers in public if I hear the word “website.”Your plans are crap
Your business knows where it’s going. You don’t know shit. Even if you have a lot of confidence in your plan, know how to listen when your business takes you in another direction.
For more reading on this subject, I highly recommend The Lean Startup.You can’t prepare for everything (though you should still try)
OBVIOUSLY you should think of every possible thing that may go wrong and try to guard against it. But I’m gonna be real with you: you’re going to forget something, and it’s going to suck. The first year of a business (minimum) is going to be full of mistakes. Live. Learn. Cry. Laugh. Write it the fuck down. Don’t do it again. Wait for the next mistake. Repeat.It’s not very rewarding
If you’re lucky, you’ll only ask yourself if this is all worth it once a month. Somebody will write you a bad review after you gave them the royal treatment. Your sink will overflow at 2am and you’ll need to clean it up. You’ll spend days/weeks/months meeting with plumbers and messing with zoning codes before you even get to THINK about the fun parts. Your rent will be higher than your income and you’ll have to scramble to make ends meet. But at the end of the day, the only thing you can do is make that discomfort your best friend because on the flip side...It’s rewarding as hell
I mean, it really is. You have to put up with so much shit, but in the end, you get to say you made something. You don’t have to spend a second working for somebody else’s dream. You decide your goals, your boss will always listen to your opinion (because your boss is you!) and you get to decide if you want to do it all from your couch in your PJs. If you want to make more money, you can give yourself that permission. If you think your time is best spent on the phone, on the internet, drawing, cooking, designing, creating, or selling insurance door to door, that is 100% your call. It’s not for everyone, but if you have the tenacity to make it through, the hell you put up with will only make victory that much sweeter.
Just starting out and need help with your brand or website? Get in touch with Aura Creative to find out how we can help your business Glow Up.
