Tips, tricks and lessons learned from my first year owning my business.
These are from my perspective as an artist entrepreneur and stay at home mom, however these lessons are relatable to all small business entrepreneurs. so let's jump right in!
1. Stay organized:
Make time to put things away in your studio or even set times to specifically do extra organizing in your studio and with your supplies. But also with your finances. Figure out what you need to keep track of and measure and find ways to do that. I use quickbooks and love it!
2. Work on a routine:
Know that it will probably change.. be willing and flexible to try different routines to figure out what works. But having a clock in and clock out mindset is very important! I am a stay at home mom so figuring this out is a daily challenge and always changing. I need to be flexible.
3. To try something is a win. To fail is a win:
We need to change our mindset about failure. Starting a business can be very scary especially if looking at all of the pieces at once. However never trying is the real loss. Trying something new requires failure and mistakes but that’s actually A GOOD THING that’s how we learn.. from our mistakes but also make pivots towards what we actually want.
**(Bonus tip: take things in small mouth fulls. One thing at a time. Break down the big goals and tasks to manageable ones.)
4. Network:
more important than a sale is networking and building relationships. That’s with previous customers, potential future customers, other businesses, other artists.
Having a community mindset is exceptionally valuable for you and for what you can bring.
6.Remember your why:
Remembering why you’re doing this and chose this is key. Because if you forget or lose track.. what’s the point?
Reevaluate if you’re prioritizing the right things and enjoying what you’re doing! Life is too short to be full of stress or to hate your job.
**Okay another bonus lesson I learned!
7. Rest and recharge:
don’t forget you can work too hard even at something you love. Especially as a creative putting yourself out there through your art can sometimes be exhausting. Maybe not the art itself, maybe it’s the marketing and business side. Either way take time to rest and recharge so you can live inspired. ✨
I know I have lots more to learn and I’m excited about it!
If you have tips that I left out which you feel are great for new businesses! Please share in the comments!