I had been at that company for less than 90 days when it became clear I had no business being in that job. So after hiding in her office all morning with the blinds drawn, the boss called me into her office and gifted me with three pages, single spaced, of all my sins. You know how they include just enough truth but skew it so it sounds terrible? Well, I then told her she could get my resignation papers ready.
With three kids to feed and only $700 in the bank, this single mom left work that day with no backup plan. The next morning I started my business. That was three decades ago.
Some said it was brave.
I said it was crazy, desperate and exciting all wrapped into one big adventure.
25 years later the experiment is still working!
My mentor then gave me two pieces of advice:
- “Never be afraid to turn down business when it’s not the right kind of business or the right kind of client.”
- He also said, “Keep your overhead low.”
Two pieces of advice I wouldn’t have known without his help.
Want to know what else I learned?
What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Small Business
Yes, I stumbled into self-employment like a newborn puppy, tripping all over herself as she struggled to find her momma.
But I learned a lot, including these 7 things:
- Create a contacts list. Don’t rely on LinkedIn, Facebook or any other social media platform as the place to store your connections. Why? Because they could delete or hide your profile without warning. If you have a newsletter, download your list of newsletter subscribers — if not, see number two. Also, you can download most of your LinkedIn connections by following these instructions:
- Start a newsletter. Even if you’re not ready to leave or launch, you can start writing about your passion and gather subscribers. (See #1 above) You can publish it for free on Substack and write as often as you wish. This will form the foundation of all the exciting new adventures ahead of you. Make it very specific, add some humor if you can, and let all your friends know about it. Put the link on your LinkedIn profile, in your email signature line and on your Facebook page if you have one. (Warning! Don’t subscribe people without their permission.) If you can afford the postage, consider publishing a print newsletter also. You’ll beat out the competition.
- Buy your name as a domain name. Then, never let it go. Even if you already have a website for your business or you don’t think you’ll ever be self-employed, one day you could end up writing a book or running for office. Maybe you’ll want to teach writing classes, or hold fly fishing clinics. One never knows! If your name is already taken, include your middle initial or “The” in front of your name. It’ll only cost about $20.00 a year. And you can just park it until you’re ready to add a blog, website or registration page.
- Get a professional email. Get rid of that yahoo or hotmail email address and use a professional one like YourName@YourBusiness .com. Avoid long, cryptic addresses or anything hard to pronounce. Gmail is a good option or if you want a secure email and are willing to spend a bit of money, try Protonmail.
- Buy small amounts of business cards. If you decide to change your email, tagline or other info, you could end up throwing them out and feeling wasteful.
- Re-purpose and re-publish work you’ve done. Create templates and systems, downloadable PDFs, guidebooks, blueprints or playbooks. Share your wisdom with others. Check out the Stan Store or Gumroad as a resource to distribute digital products. Start small with a checklist or tip sheet. Charge a nominal amount like $17.00 to get started, then you can expand from there. You never know how far these digital products will go, spreading your name to prospective customers.
- Make friends. I once struck up a conversation with a lady sitting alone at a conference where I was speaking. She asked about my work and within months I was hired to help her leadership team with development. I worked with them for three years. So, you never know where a conversation will take you! Connect with people who share your passion, either in person at a Meetup group, on Substack, or a networking group. Be there for other freelancers, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Be generous with your time and encouragement. It’s hard to be in it all by yourself, so your support will be greatly appreciated and often, reciprocated.
Even if you only do one or two of these things, you’ll appreciate the progress you’ve made when you look back on your results years later.
And you’ll be waaay ahead of most of us who didn’t know what the heck we were doing!
Wait, before you rush off…
Want to read the rest of my story and grab the other 20 Tips I’ve created for you? I’ve put them in a downloadable PDF that will cost less than lunch at your favorite diner.
Click HERE to get the rest of my sordid story and the full 27 Tips.
Warm wishes,
Laura