So many of us have dreamed of becoming rich and successful. Starting something of our own and living life as we see fit. Am I right? Well as for me, I despise working. I mean, I absolutely loathe the thought of it. Clocking in and out like a robot, rules to follow, vacation and other incentive days waiting to be approved. And oh, let’s not forget about the people we have to deal with (UGH!). Yea, it’s a no for me.
In order to never put myself in the position of being an employee again, I had to do something different. I had to reinvent myself so that my habits would align with the new life I wanted to live; a life of freedom and limitless income opportunity . So, just over a year ago I tried my hand at finally becoming an entrepreneur. My very own Jewelry and accessories line! I was scared, hesitant and anxious. I didn’t think that I was capable of building something from the ground up and actually being successful at it. But even-still, through all my self doubt and negative thinking, I did it; HeadSlay was born.
Here are just a few things I learned, almost immediately, after launching my line…..
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. I learned the hard way, that I could no longer be lazy. It wasn’t at all possible for me to do the bare minimum and receive a nice check every other Friday. NOPE! I had work so much harder than I was used to. And I had to be consistent. No business will EVER succeed without consistency. How could it? As a matter of fact, no goal you’re trying to reach can be sufficiently reached without it. Starting a business takes work; hard work on a daily basis. The amount of effort you put into business will surely show in its growth. Do you want to end up making $100 per year in profits, or $1 Million? You decide.
Forget about Family & Friends. WHEW! Now this needs to be said and understood for anyone going into business for themselves….🗣 DON’T 👏🏽 COUNT 👏🏽ON👏🏽 YOUR👏🏽 FAMILY 👏🏽AND 👏🏽 FRIENDS👏🏽 TO 👏🏽 HELP 👏🏽 GROW 👏🏽 YOUR 👏🏽 BUSINESS! You hear me? If you’re lucky, those close to you will support you every step of the way. Buy products, share your posts on social media, donate to your cause… anything to keep you running and generate new clientele – But don’t bet on it. The people who are going to keep your business thriving are complete strangers. Don’t take it personal, it’s just the way it is.
You’ll feel like giving up. Creating and running a business won’t always be easy. Especially if you’re trying to create something larger than a mere side hussle. You might find yourself comparing your progress to others who are doing something similar to you. There are times the negative thoughts will come creeping in “Am I wasting my time?”, “This isn’t going to go anywhere”. It might even take awhile for you to see any real profitable income. Most people work hard for Atleast 5 years before they are able to consider themselves successful (depending on what their own scale of success is). But through it all, the best thing you can do is keep going. Don’t stop to compare your business to anyone else’s, don’t let the negative thoughts (or negative people) distract you, and definitely don’t doubt your ability to do just as good as others. YOU GOT THIS!
You aren’t pushy, you’re persistent. When it comes to promoting your business on social media, you may start to feel as if you’re being annoying with your content. Posting constantly on your feed or in your stories about your business may seem a bit overwhelming at times, but how else your followers supposed to see you? I’ve learned that the more you present yourself to your audience, the more curious they’ll become about your life hat you’re doing. There’s always someone who hasn’t seen you yet, and then there are others who are waiting to see more. So promote the heck out your business, everyday!
Do what works for YOU. One thing I was guilty of when trying to figure out the type of business I should start, was looking to see what other people were doing… “Oh this person made so much money selling soap! I should try that.” No! Do what works for YOU! Your success is based upon your own passion. What do you love doing? What are your talents or interests? Tap into those things and put them to work!
You’ll always be a student. No matter how long you’ve been in business, there will always be something new for you to learn. The world is forever changing, and you’ll need to know how to stay on top of catering to your customers through effective marketing strategies as their needs and interests change too. Listen to what your customers are asking for and seek help when you need to. There’s always something we can do better, and there’ll always be something new to learn.
* BONUS TIPS:
JUST START! Start before you’re ready, start while you’re scared, start while people are doubting you, start broke…… I don’t care where you are, just start! If you wait for the perfect time, it’ll never get done. *
Don’t be too invested in the thought of making money. That should NEVER be the foundation of your business. And if you’re not totally passionate about you’re doing, it’s ok to take a step back and reroute!
Are you an entrepreneur? What business do you have? What were some of the lessons you’ve learned when starting your business? Let’s chat!
TTYL,
LEXI 💋
