It's my born day. As you get older you reflect. I wanted to reflect on my lessons learned from mistakes I've made.
It happens, those darn mistakes that we make that set us back. I’ve made them, many people make them, but you know what, it’s okay. I wanted to share with my readers today as I take you on this journey of small business entrepreneurship Gods way one of my greatest business mistakes.
First of all, I never want to give off that I have “MADE” it. Truth is, we’re just getting started with where I see our family business going. Honestly, the only reason I started this blog about my journey is because I get asked SO many questions on a daily basis. I wanted to use this platform as a way to share with you all some lessons I’ve learning and AM learning along the way. We have multiple businesses running under our household and one of them we’re running as a “test” business. Surprisingly, it’s becoming one of our most profitable businesses which leads me to my biggest mistake I made and I see others making as well.
So, what it is? Focusing on what you love before you profit AND trying to plan without consulting God.
Profiting is so important in being an entrepreneur. That’s why we do it, right? If that is the case why do we build systems and business that only WE can do. Why do we focus on a small part of our business and limit it based upon how much WE can do. My biggest business mistake was thinking I can do it all. As a person who knows what she wants and how I want things to be done, I got to a point where I thought I have to learn this and do it myself because I know how it should turn out the best. Right? Wrong. Eventually, I bruised my head good enough to realize I needed a team. Not only did I need a team, I needed to manage the goals of the team. I needed to learn to trust and delegate where people had talents far beyond my own. We all have gifts and talents that suite and serve us but we can’t do it all. We can't even do half of it effectively. We need others to help us. So what are the areas for me that I got the most help in:
1.)Marketing & Advertising: I know a little bit, but marketing is an art. I’ve gained some basic understanding but there are people out there that do this with ease. I like working smarter not harder so one of my first hires was a person to help me in this area.
2.)Branding: I was the QUEEN of DIY when it came to branding. Problem is I was HORRIBLE at it. LOL! I laugh now because it was a disaster and anyone that has been following me for awhile knows my path...whew! No judgement lol! I FINALLY broke and got help. This website is an example. See the link in my footer if you need help. She’s amazing.
3.)Administrative task: My issue with administrative task was not that I couldn’t do it, it was that it was taking up SO much time to do that I just didn’t have. Being present with my daughter, family outings and cooking dinner daily is important to me. In order for us to run multiple businesses under one roof we HAD to get administrative help. A great place to start is Upwork.com. Just make sure you choose someone that has already worked and has high ratings. Takes a bit of trust but it will be AMAZING if you can find the right person.
4.)Business Coach / Mentor: I've gone through a few and I can tell you all coaches aren't created equal! Think about what you need, where you are and how to get there. If your just starting out and have a limited budget, seek a business coach that is just a little bit farther than you. Later on, get a better one. There is no law that says "thou shalt not change business coaches" Lol...it's okay. Find one based on your budget, needs and goals.
Finally, don't ever, ever, ever run ahead of God. He knows the future and sister/brother it's in your best interest to follow Him. Check with Him and get a GOOD understanding of what He's saying. Not just your interpretation or what you think He's saying. Take your time to listen, adjust and ask again! Another scar I have, as I've mentioned before is running ahead of him and boy did that one hurt.
Learn from me. Don't make my same mistakes and like always...let's go higher! 😘