When I started to explore having my own business, I was completely and utterly unprepared for the reality! I was sure my corporate experience would stand me in good stead, and it did to a degree, but I still had so much to learn. Here is a list of some of the things I’ve learned, do let me have your thoughts in the comments below, and of course book a session if you’d like to go deeper and explore you and your business together.

1. You are the most important asset in your business – be kind to yourself, take special care of you
2. You are probably the hardest boss you never had – see point 1!
3. Book time off (NOW!), you must protect yourself from burn out – see point 1!
4. You can’t do everything yourself (you will become a jack of all trades and master of none) find the WHO’s that you need in your business and outsource tasks to them
5. Understand the fundamentals of what you are outsourcing before you ask others to help, it prevents costly mistakes
6. Aim for mastery, anything else is just the same as anyone else
7. You need a business family – your own family (and friends) simply don’t cut it as a sounding board, they love you too much and they bring their own sh*t to the party!
8. You need FOCUS to work for yourself. There’s lots of bright shiny objects to distract you, all cunningly disguised as being a busy business owner!
9. Don’t be drawn in to the ‘shoulds’, you should run your life and your business your way – yes, I’m aware of the irony
10. Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry! Get a coach, or a specialist to help you BEFORE you need it, otherwise it’s like shopping when you’re hungry – you buy crisps, cream cakes and biscuits, instead of fruit and veg. And that can be costly in time and money (and the waistline!)
11. Get your systems in place – there are so many benefits to documenting your systems, but primarily, if it’s in your head it’s not repeatable, so your quality is subject to your mood
12. Make progress every day, doing that builds momentum which has a compound effect, doing just 1 thing every day moves the needle way more than 365 steps in a year!
13. You no longer get paid for every hour you work – You need to spend time growing your business and running your business, these hours are not ‘paid’ for
14. You will very likely undercharge your first few clients – constantly review your pricing and learn to appreciate your value
15. Keep going, until it’s time to stop. When the going gets tough, become still. In the stillness you’ll find the next step, whether that’s moving on in the business or moving out of the business.
16. And finally, (in the same way that super actors are listed at the end of the film credits, this is the biggie) You must understand your numbers – it’s the one area that will make a huge impact on your decision-making capabilities – and usually the last area people want to get into .. to their detriment!

About the Author – Sharyn-With-A-Why

To find out more about Sharyn, take a look at her profile in Practitioners Corner