June marked one year for our business, and it’s been a whirlwind! We had great successes, surprises and a few mishaps, but overall, the experience was amazing. We’ve learned a few things that might help others along the journey of entrepreneurship.
- Real failure is to never start. So many people don’t do things because of their fear of failure. The truth is things never will go
according to plan. Things will go wrong. Your best ideas will crash and burn. You will have to say “I’m sorry” many times, but you will learn and do better the next time. That is not failure! That is learning, growing and getting up with determination and a different perspective. Those are valuable lessons you can’t learn if you never start in the first place. Don’t fail, just start. - Buy new equipment. It may seem like a great deal to buy used equipment at a better rate, but unless you know how to fix it when it breaks, don’t. Buy it new and with a warranty.
- Have a vision statement, mission statement and measurable goals and refer to them often. This keeps you from going off on rabbit trails that cost you money and don’t serve your purpose.
- Take things personally, but don’t take them to heart. This business is your baby; of course, it’s very personal to you. That’s what gives you the drive to do the long hours and hard work it takes to do it well. The problem comes when you allow emotions to cloud your vision and decision making. People will criticize, complain and give you bad reviews. Take them in, ask yourself if there is a nugget of truth to what they are saying and be humble enough to correct the issue. Most people don’t complain; they just don’t buy from you any longer, so try viewing complaints as a gift. They cared enough to share valuable feedback. It’s important to be able to see past the hurt feelings to the path of improvement.
- Give yourself margin. If you spend all your time working in your business, you will not have time to work on your business, which means no growth, no room for improvement and no time for the most important tool in your tool belt: rest. Your brain, creativity and problem-solving skills work only when well rested.
– Kelly Nagel is president of the Acworth Business Association. She is the chief marketing officer and “bagel tester” for Nagel’s Bagels.
Leave a Reply