What I Learned In My First Year Of Business

In 2019, I left corporate America for a number of reasons – 

1. I had lost vision over my life and forgot how to dream for myself. 
2. I couldn’t imagine sitting in that gray cubicle for the next 30-35 years 
3. I felt my soul dying 
4. I had created idols and was serving my job and money more than my Lord Jesus Christ.
5. I felt like a slave and wanted to break free.

 

It was time to go. When I left, I went from making a high paying salary with benefits to making $0. I didn’t have a career plan. All I knew was the peace and tranquility I felt from being free was amazing and indescribable.

I spent months restoring my soul, mind, and body. I didn’t have plans to start a business. My husband opened my eyes to the business world and helped me to explore my skill set and how to monetize it.

I combined my love for design and photography and started helping women solopreneurs transform their online presence by giving them new branding, website, and photos. In the beginning my expectations were endless. I saw other designers who excelled in their businesses in a short time frame and I knew I could too.

At first I was booking a new client every month for the first 3 months. Then Covid-19 hit in March of 2020 and business came to an abrupt stop, or so it felt.

Now here I am a year later and there are a few things I’ve learned about starting a business and being an entrepreneur

Successful businesses are not built overnight, it takes time

Being positive and naive are two different things. I think I was naive in the beginning, thinking that I was going to make all this money and have tons of clients and that it would happen fast and easy. Starting a business, maintaining it, and scaling it takes time. With time you will learn how to build, scale, create connections, get your name out there, increase profits, and build credibility.

Create more, consume less

It’s easy to consume a lot of information from different sources, such as trainings, webinars, professionals, etc. Get the knowledge you need, however make sure to put it into action. Work on the tasks that will move your business forward. Make sure you are creating more than you are consuming.

Let your voice be heard

Have the confidence to tell people what you do when you meet them in person. Market yourself on social media consistently. Don’t be afraid to sell your services online.  Speak about your offers like they are the best solutions ever, because they are!

Consistently work hard

Remember the Tortoise and the Hare children’s book? The hare was concerned about being the fastest and finishing the race first. The hare was very fast and speedy and the tortoise was slow and consistent.

Fast is slow and slow is fast. Slow and steady wins the race. When someone goes too fast, they can crash and burn. Be patient. You’ll see better results when you are consistent in what you do, rather than pushing out fast, sporadic bursts here and there.

Believe in yourself

Believe in your gifts and that you can help others. It’s ok if you don’t feel like an expert. You have a special gift to share with the world. 

Know your value and worth. If you know your services cost a certain price, don’t drastically lower the price in order to get clients. It may get you a few clients, however, after you’ve done so much work, you’ll end up feeling like you lost in the end because you didn’t receive the proper wages you deserved for your work. Offering cheap prices can also make people feel like your services or client experience will be cheap as well.

Surround yourself with like minded people

Having a business can get lonely if you aren’t surrounded by other entrepreneurs who are like minded.  Join business networks and communities that put you in connection with other people that you can exchange knowledge and information. Find close business friends with whom you feel comfortable sharing stories, tips, advice, support, and encouragement.

If you’re able to afford a business coach, invest in one. A coach will motivate you and give you strategies to help you in business. This is an investment that I hope to make very soon in my business.

Join a community that will help you get clients. I recently joined AlloBee, an organization that helps women freelancers get connected with clients who need creative services. Also, if you need to outsource work (such as social media, web design, podcast editing, bookkeeping and more), AlloBee can help. Use this link to get a qualified expert on your team to help streamline your processes. Let them know Melanie Latrelle Grandoit referred you.

Include God in your business

Know that God cares about you and your passion. Invite Him into your business. Don’t think you know it all. Ask Him to guide you and help you make the best decisions. Pray over yourself and your business regularly. Pray that God will put you in touch with the right people and communities where you can make a positive impact and use your gifts.

I hope this helps. If you’re a new business owner and need help getting your website up and running, I can help.  I love to work with women solopreneurs who are passionate about their purpose. I’ll transform your branding, website, and photography so you can eliminate burnout and streamline your business processes. Once you’ve checked out the projects I’ve completed, let’s chat and get your website transformed. Fill out this application and I’ll be in touch!

Until Next Time…

Melanie Latrelle Grandoit