What You Need to Start Your Own Small Business

I just celebrated my little business’s third birthday and that makes my heart so happy!

Let me first start off by saying- if you are hoping this is one of those blog posts pushing an e-course or e-book teaching you step-by-step instructions of how to start your own business, make money, be successful, create an Etsy shop, etc. then I’ll be honest with you- this isn’t one of those.

I wish that I had all these answers to give you and to walk you through how to be a successful small business owner overnight, but honestly I simply couldn’t do that.

Me and my small business are still a work in progress and I will never claim to have it all figured out!

I may not have all the answers for you, but I will always share my knowledge with those that have questions. Those that have reached out over the years know that I am always willing to answer and help out as best I can. But they also know I always say “I’m no expert but here’s what I’ve found worked for me” or some similar version of that. We are all just winging it and chasing these dreams!

The truth is (and something that I think way too many people in this industry forget) is that we are all constantly learning and figuring it out as we go.

That being said, if you have searched or hopped on Pinterest to try and find these answers, then I am certain you were completely inundated with what I just mentioned above. Warning: Don’t buy into every book or course that claims to have all the answers of how to be successful in business. If you do, you will feel duped quite often, and maybe learn a handful of helpful tidbits. 

If you are going to invest in your business owner education, which at some point in your entrepreneurship journey I definitely recommend, then here is my advice: Do your research on that business owner and the business they are running, make sure it is legit, and has been in business for at least 5 years (shows longevity, profitability, and true business knowledge). 

I am truly not trying to discount anyone that has put something out there to help others in business- I think we all have a responsibility as people to help others and be kind and genuine, but I think there are a lot of resources out there that don’t quite give all they claim to and I don’t want to see you waste your money.

Keep in mind- there is no recipe or course to teach you a strong work ethic, passion, motivation, and drive. Which is where my advice begins. 

I’ll answer any specific questions you have about Bleacher Boss Boutique, Etsy, Marketing, Dreaming, Planning, and Motivation- but here are some things I think you need to start with…

A Dream

A dream, a passion, a purpose- whatever you call it, sister you need one. It can change and evolve over time, but to start you need something worth chasing and working hard for that fuels you to keep getting after it day in and day out. Make sure it is something you enjoy, otherwise the burnout will be unbelievable!

Don’t be scared to go after something in fear that you may change your mind- that is completely okay and normal for businesses to grow and evolve! We don’t all stay where we start and that’s a good thing.

Let go of those commitment issues, girlfriend!

There are affiliate links in this post, meaning I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, see my full disclosure here.

Strong Work Ethic

Now I’m not simply talking about a willingness to work and get the job done. When you own your own business, it is so much more than that.

It’s working until the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning to get things done, work ahead, brainstorm, and keep pressing to do more in order to grow more. When you are a one-man team there is no option but to keep going to get orders completed and grow your business.

When I would be up until the wee hours of the night and have to go to work the next day on limited sleep, I would just tell myself that this is temporary. That working hard and pushing to grow will pay off. And it has. I am now part time at my regular job and have two full days to get done what I only had evenings and weekends to do previously. That was life-changing.

When you work hard and it pays off, there is an incredible feeling of accomplishment. When you actually profit your first dollar, when you have return customers, when you make new connections, and when you can build a community through your business and crush goals you set- that is your hard work shining, girlfriend!

Common Sense, Financial Responsibility, Balance and Priorities

Lumped these all together because I feel like they are all very personal. When starting/having your own small business don’t lose sight of reality in the dreaming process, remember your common sense, don’t go broke trying to simply start a business, and remember what truly matters in your life and your priorities and make sure you don’t put your business above that.

You have to spend money to make money, but I strongly recommend saving, saving, saving before starting your business so you aren’t in the negative from that start and then reinvesting back into your business until you can then finally make a true profit.

Balance is incredibly important. I almost lost one of the most important things in my life, because I got so caught up in growing my business. Don’t do this- it’s not worth it. Remember your priorities and remember what truly matters to you at the end of the day.

Courage and Boldness

Sister you’ve just gotta have both! Courage and boldness to fail, and courage and boldness to succeed.

I’ll be honest with you, I get very meek sometimes when discussing my business with others. I shy away from it and then regret it later. I am horrible at discussing money and prices with people even though I know how hard I work, and I get nervous for people to not like what I do. There is definitely a lot of work for me to do in this department, which is how I know how important it is!

You have to have courage and boldness more so than just in the beginning when it’s all new and exciting. No matter what type of business you have or are starting, you have to have guts to begin and guts to keep rolling when things get tough.

Blinders

Sister, those blinders have to go up as soon as you decide to start going after it. Blinders to the judgments of others and what they are thinking of you/your business, blinders to what others are doing, and blinders to the vanity metrics.

If you are going to start your own business you have to grow this layer of thick skin. People will doubt you, people will judge you, and people won’t understand. People will think it’s a phase, or a hobby, or that your dreams aren’t attainable.  And man, is it hard. It is something I still struggle with from time to time, but it has gotten so much easier over the years! You have to have blinders up to other peoples’ judgements and what they are thinking of you/your business.

If you are going to start your own business, you have to focus on what you are doing and not what others are doing. If you are constantly looking left and right to see what others are doing or where they are going, you will never be able to move forward on your own. People have blatantly stolen my work, my captions, and my words, and it is extremely hard to not dwell, get angry, and lash out. But at the end of the day I know what I do is genuine and true, and that I am looking forward in order to move forward and not looking left and right.

Also, if you are constantly looking at what others are doing in their businesses, then the comparison game sets in, emotions take over, jealousy evolves, and you can begin to doubt yourself.  You have to keep the blinders up to what others are doing and focus on your own business.

And in case you need a reminder, check this blog post out: To the Girl that Feels Like she’s Failing

If you are going to start your own business, you have to focus on the right numbers. For those that may not know, vanity metrics are essentially follower counts, likes, views, and metrics that might look good to others and feel good, but aren’t necessarily showing you your actual business growth.

I know this firsthand. My Instagram has less than 1,000 followers which from time to time makes me realize that I haven’t put much effort into that growth and wish that I had. However, my business IG has quality over quantity. And that is something of value to my business! You don’t need to have high vanity metrics to have a successful business. Don’t get caught up in these numbers and lose your worth or your business’ worth there. 

This to say, growing your business social media accounts is important and beneficial to your business and it is good to keep track of vanity metrics, however getting lost in them is where you can go wrong.

If you focus on growing your business without worrying about others judgements, others businesses, and vanity metrics- then I promise you will have A LOT more fun with your business! We all want that, right?

People Who Have Your Back

This might be the most important thing you need in order to start your own business, so I saved it for last! I am not talking about social media followers and customers. I am talking about the people that are cheering you on day in and day out, clapping for you working those long hours, jumping in to help with marketing, production, packaging, etc, and reminding you to rest.

These are the people that support your dream and passion with no guarantee that it will work out, but are there for you.

It might seem pretty self-explanatory to why this is so important, but if you are new to business then I’ll explain a little deeper. Here are some examples of when you will need these people:

• When you are burnt out, exhausted, and not sure if you want to keep trying
• When it doesn’t come as easy to you as it “seems” to for others
• When you have put your all into a new release, collection, announcement, launch, product, or drop and it doesn’t go as well as you had hoped
• When you get in over your head on work and need some backup
• When you have an idea and need to bounce it off someone else
• When you mess something up and need advice
• When you need a reminder to rest and take care of yourself

These are also reminders to you to keep powering through all of those feelings. 

I will be your cheerleader through these too if you need it. I know of all of these examples because I have been there. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have kept going through if it weren’t for the people that had my back. Whether it be your spouse, kids, family, friends- you need people in your corner!

This world of business is a huge up and down process, and like I already said we are all just figuring it out as we go.

I am willing to help anyone that has specific questions, but I am no expert. There are some incredible female entrepreneurs out there that inspire me so much, and I’m so grateful for these people that have paved the way.

I hope in years to come as I continue to grow and expand my business to more than just cute shirts on Etsy and custom orders, that I can be one of those entrepreneur inspirations one day to young women. 

Maybe one day I can provide those step-by-step instructions for ya to be successful overnight, but until then I suggest you heed my advice and start here.

A Dream. Strong Work Ethic. Common Sense, Financial Responsibility, Balance and Priorities. Courage and Boldness. Blinders. People who have your back.

If you have these things and keep them in mind then you have an incredible foundation to start whatever business you want!

All the love,