On January 1, 2017, Priceless Planning turned 1. We celebrated our first year anniversary in business and we are beyond thrilled! Since the launch of Priceless Planning, we have been able to grow the business faster than anyone expected, better yet faster than we expected. I say we, because, within the first year of business, Priceless Planning has been able to build a small in-house team. But wait there’s more…within the first year of business, Priceless Planning has been able to:
- Collaborate with over 25 fellow entrepreneurs
- Get featured as a guest contributor on 6 platforms
- Participate as an expert of a business course
- Launch our very own business course: Business Plan Project
- Facilitated a Guest lecturer at Nova Southeastern University
- Presented as a speaker at the University of Miami
- Consulted numerous business owners with a plan of action
Now for season entrepreneurs those list of things may be small, but to a first-year entrepreneur, it’s a big deal. Now don’t get me wrong, there were moments when I felt like throwing in the towel. There were moments when I had no clue what I was doing, if what I was doing was even right, or if what I was doing was even what I was supposed to be doing with my life. Hopefully, that made sense. With that being said, it is quite sure that I had my fair share of learning lessons in the first year of business. Here are 12 business lessons I would love to share with you.
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Accept the no and move on!
The truth is that starting out as an entrepreneur no one will trust you. You will have to prove yourself. This has nothing to do with you, however, I have come to realize that it has a lot to do with the competitive marketplace and everyone positioning themselves as an expert. However, you need to accept the no and move on. It is important to accept the no, as there are people out there willing to give you a yes in your first year. Do not let a no stop you.
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Don’t make them regret telling you yes!
For the people who told you yes to working with you, to you interviewing them or collaborating with them…don’t make them regret telling you yes. This means that you should have everything well put together and ready for them to work with you. When they told you yes, it is because they saw something in you so try to be as organized, professional and structured as possible with working with them. As my fellow millennia would say get your ish’ together.
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Ask for help if you need it
If you have a business, it is almost certain that you are skilled in a certain area. What is also certain is that you were not skilled in every area. For the areas that you have absolutely no clue what you are doing in your business ask for help from a professional. There is no shame in reaching out to someone for help for your struggle areas. Asking for help can get you to where you are going much faster.
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You don’t need advice from everyone
While there are a variety of platforms with people giving information about the business, choose 2-3 and stick with those people. Everyone has a different method of doing business and trying to listen to everyone is going to confuse you. You will end up with one too many strategies of what to do and before you know it you will have done nothing. You don’t need advice from everyone, but you need it from someone.
[bctt tweet=”You don’t need advice from everyone, but you need it from someone.” username=”pricelessplan”]
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When you feel like quitting don’t.
Growing up our parents always tell us that, we need to go to the pain to see what is on the other side. Now imagine if you quit everything, you were doing in your business when it got tough. How will you know the beauty that lies beyond the struggle? There were moments that I felt like quitting and going to live on an island, but then someone or something reminded me not to quit. It was after those moments of hardships that I saw the most results. That is why when you feel like quitting, don’t!
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Stay true to you
No matter what happens along this journey of growing your business, always remember the type of business that you wanted to create originally. So if your original plan was to have a hair salon, then don’t go creating a beauty school because it is what everyone else in your industry is doing. Stick to your original plan of action as it is your passion that keeps you driven in the business. After taking the detour, you will always go back to what you originally wanted. So just stay true to you.
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You don’t need every business system
As a first-year entrepreneur, you are tempted to purchase almost every system that is recommended by your peers. But the truth is, not because it works for their business it doesn’t mean it will work for your business. It may also not work for your lifestyle or budget. There are also systems that your business can outgrow. So before you go jumping on the bandwagon for the latest system take a moment to think it through.
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Read
Most recently I have begun reading. Reading business books and articles to be exact. I have found that through reading I have been able to come up with new tips and tricks for my business. Now I know what you are going to say who has time for reading. But we do have time to read. Replace the amount of time you spend reading Facebook statuses with reading a book or business article.
[bctt tweet=”Replace the amount of time you spend reading Facebook statuses, with reading a book or business article.” username=”pricelessplan”]
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Manage your time wisely
There are so many things to get done in a new business. I found that allocating one major task per day work best in helping me develop my business. For example, on Mondays and Tuesdays I would have client meetings and on Saturdays, I will have my admin day, which I will take to plan out my social media content, write my guest blogs or plan out my events. You should definitely build a time management system so you don’t get burned out quickly.
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Don’t hide your qualifications
I spent the first half of my business year hiding my qualifications. I was scared to let people know that I was educated, had experience working for government agencies and a university. I was scared because I was not sure how I would be perceived and did not want to come off being snotty. But I quickly learned that everyone won’t like you, so you might as well not hide your qualifications. Besides your qualifications could make you more marketable to your tribe and this competitive business world, you need all the credibility you can get!
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You need business besties
I heard this quite often starting out and I blocked out the idea at first. But then after a bucket full of tear later and thoughts of moving to an island, I realized that I need someone who understands my struggles and difficulties. So I prayed about God placing someone in my life and He did just that with 2 people. Now my business besties answer the phone at 2 am, keep it real if they think my idea is just pure nonsense, and we have our disagreements and move like it never happens. Better yet they quickly help me put out fires in the business and problem solve issues of life and business when I just can’t do it myself.
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Be honest
Don’t lie to customers. Don’t buy followers and then sell and e-book on how you grew your page. Don’t make false testimonials. Don’t steal another business owner content and repost as your own. Don’t be someone you are not. Just be honest. People love honesty, as much as they love Chic-Fil-A!
People love honesty, as much as they love Chic-Fil-A!
