Running a business can be a wild ride! It starts with so much enthusiasm, energy and excitement. And the inevitable hurdle will present itself and figuring out how to get over/under/around or through it can take all the wind out of your sail!
I have run side hustles all the way to co-owning a full fledge company most of my adult life. Some were great successes – our eBay side hustle started in 1999 when I had 4 children age 12 to newborn. We needed some extra $$ and found a market for things we were passionate about (fabric and koi food of all things!). Some were a ton of work and were not very profitable. My first business was helping companies with their marketing mail outs and promotional material including hand labeling their products. So. Many. Labels. It was a good ride, but not something I could do long term. Then my husband and I started a little printing company when we lived in South Africa. It grew from our two person effort to 44 employees pretty quickly.
I am so grateful to be able to do something now that marries my passions in life – creativity (expressed in paint and flowers) and helping people.
These are the 5 things I have learned along the way:
Foundations are important!
With the enthusiasm that comes with a new project, it is easy to rush past the foundation building process and just dig in. But I have learned that taking time to figure out the “who, what, when, where and why” of what I want to do has given me a roadmap to follow as I grow my business.
Do work that has meaning to you
If you are doing something that has purpose, it will help you stay motivated during the strain of owning a business – those long hours, the personal sacrifice, the occasional mishap. Whenever I feel like crawling under my comforter to hide, I remember what got me started with my business in the first place – and it revives my spirit and helps me keep going.
Stay Flexible
If there is anything that is needed most in business, it is the ability to pivot and adapt. So many factors can influence a plan – and being able to adjust will give you endurance and longevity in your business.
Stay Committed
Do you see the theme here? It is all about how to deal with the ups and downs of being in business. Working through challenge, staying on course – these are the things that have helped us to see success.
Have Fun
This may be the most important – and may be a challenge for some. The strain and responsibility – the personal tie we have to our business – especially as creatives – can suck all the fun out of what we do. Keeping perspective and finding ways to really enjoy and celebrate our work is key to staying motivated.
Whether you are considering starting your own business (and have been following me as I build mine) or are just curious about what makes me tick – these 5 little lessons are not a bad model for life. I try to live by them – though admittedly am always learning to do better.
Together, as we do what we do, we can make the world a little bit brighter.