6 Months in Business: Here Are My Takeaways

6 Months in Business: Here Are My Takeaways.

It’s been 6 months since I left my full-time job at The Children’s Trust to pursue my lifelong dream of running my own video and marketing company. I know it’s still early in the game, but boy have I learned some lessons.

It’s safe to say that entrepreneurship definitely comes with its peaks and valleys. But to be perfectly honest, I don’t know how I could ever go back to working for a company. The level of satisfaction when you work for yourself is unmatched by employment. I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. Here are some takeaways from the past 6 months:

👉 First of all, it’s been challenging to get used to uncertainty. When you’ve relied on consistent income for so many years, it’s scary as hell to not know where your next client is coming from.

👉 Say goodbye to a fixed schedule. While being on my own certainly affords me flexibility with my schedule, I’ve come to realize that I’m truly never off the clock.

👉 No amount of marketing is as important as a strong network, especially in the early stages of a business. It might sound contradictory for me to say this being a video and marketing company, but if you’re just starting out, networking and professional relationships are your best source for income.

👉 Not everyone wants or cares about your product or service. This was a tough one. Naturally, I thought that every single person I would encounter would be immediately sold on my company’s services. Obviously, that’s not the way it works in the real world. I’m now using that experience to better explain and sell my services to the right audience.

👉 Everyone claims to “hustle.” While hard work is definitely a requirement to being successful, I’ve also learned that focusing your energy on the right things, with the biggest returns, is a more effective and efficient way to use your time.

👉 Positivity: when times are slow and clients seemed non-existent, stay positive. This is a tough one but it is absolutely critical to maintaining a healthy mindset.