My First Year of Entrepreneurship: 8 Lessons Learned

Lessons learned from my first year of entrepreneurship, happy birthday

My First Year of Entrepreneurship: 8 Lessons Learned

Something big happened recently. December 2019 marked the first official year that I created Isn’t That Charming, LLC!

Somehow, my first official business anniversary came and went without me even realizing it. Blame it on many things: “Busy” is my go-to, and who really keeps track of their LLC birthday (ha!) besides my legal council, who diligently reminds me of important renewal dates?

But when I think about this milestone, it’s actually quite exciting! One year in is an important time to reflect and refocus. What did I do well? What wasn’t I so great at? Where do I want to go from here? What are the top lessons learned from my first year of entrepreneurship?

I spent some time thinking about all of this, and I’m excited to share my top 8 lessons learned from this past year. It’s often said that the first year of entrepreneurship is the hardest, and while I have no other years yet to compare it to, I can see why! There’s a lot of uncertainty coupled with diving into your own business endeavor, and the hurdles faced by any growing business can be very tough. You really need to be smart, efficient, and prioritize progress over perfection.

Alright, enough lead-up. Here are the top lessons I learned in my first year of entrepreneurship as a small business owner.

Lessons learned during my first year of entrepreneurship

Done Is Better Than Perfect

One of the important things I’ve learned about myself through this whole experience is that I tend to be a “big idea” person that also falls into deep rabbit holes when I feel passionate about something. This can be a good thing. I’ve been told my quality of work is excellent (that feels weird to type, but I’m keeping it in for the purpose of painting this point!). However, it can also be a detriment when there’s a lot on my plate. I can take too much time getting certain things done.

I’ve learned that done is better than perfect, and it’s something that I’m actively working on with my mentality and productivity. With big ideas, making smart decisions fast is key. With tactical projects, just doing it is so much better than waiting for the perfect scenario to get things done. A post started in a half-hour is better than waiting for a 2-hour window to sit down and write the whole thing. See what I mean?
Especially with entrepreneurship, things don’t have to be perfect, they need to get done. You don’t have the luxury of a team to fall back on or big budgets to help with resources. It’s all you, baby! That’s all the more reason to trust your gut. Moving forward is better than not moving at all, and if you make the wrong move, that’s okay because you can always pivot. Which leads me to…

Don’t Be Afraid To Pivot

When I first quit my corporate job, I thought creative consulting would be a key area of my business. In the first part of 2019, that’s where I focused the majority of my time. I was proud to win multiple clients, and I spent a lot of time on each one, diligently working to provide digital and social strategy for them.

But mid-way through the year, I realized that something had to give. My consulting projects were taking up a ton of time, and I wasn’t able to keep up with things how I ideally wanted to. My long-term goals reside in this website and other creative pursuits that don’t necessarily include consulting, so I had to have an internal realignment with myself.

When I took a closer look at the realities of my hour-to-income ratio, I realized I was making more from blogging. What if I took all the time I was dedicating to consulting and put it toward my website instead? I pivoted and started to focus more on things here, and as a result, I doubled my income from blogging in the last half of the year.

I’m so happy I dove into creative consulting, because I got to experience all that it entailed. Now I have a much clearer focus on where I want to go from here. I still do consulting here and there to help subsidize income! I just am significantly more picky with the clients I take on, and I’ve learned only to take on things that time will allow.

She always prefers the drivers seat, Kate Spade Coffee Table Book, business lessons learned

Think Different

Einstein famously said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” I think of this quote when I’m faced with stagnancy in my business, which any small business owner knows can be far too common!

At those moments, I try to think about how I can do things differently in hopes of driving different results — things like new ways of thinking outside the box, new strategies to try, or objectively trying to look at how my own hold-ups may be holding me back.

If you’re running into hurdles with your business — or with anything, really — doing the same thing over and over won’t produce different results. You’ve got to think differently and try new things to find out what creates your desired outcomes.

Technology On The Go = Your Productivity Friend

In today’s world, this is a given! Technology can help make us much more productive, and I’ve discovered tools for business owners that are invaluable.

For example, here are a few of the technology applications that I really lean on to facilitate my business and be more productive, particularly on my mobile device because I’m always on the go:

All things Google – Seriously, Google helps run my world! I don’t know what I’d do without it. Gmail is my main email hub, both personally and professionally. Google Calendar organizes my dates, meetings, and appointments. Google Drive is where my files are backed up and primarily organized to save on data and storage.
Lightroom – This is mainly how I edit my photos! I use Lightroom on Desktop for my DSLR imagery, and I use the mobile app when I take photos on the go.
LiketoKNOWit & RewardStyle – RewardStyle enables the backend of how I link to products for you to shop on the go, and LiketoKNOWit is how you can shop them! I can do all this via desktop or on my mobile device, which is super helpful.
Wave – Wave enables for me to send invoices to clients easily. It’s super intuitive and user friendly!

As you can see, productivity on the go is a big part of the equation for me as an entrepreneur! I did want to take this moment also to note a great tool for anyone looking for a reliable mobile plan option.

Did you know that Xfinity has mobile plans available?! It’s a great way to be productive while saving money.

Here’s the scoop.

Xfinity Mobile is the only wireless network that automatically connects to millions of secure WiFi hotspots and the best LTE everywhere else. It’s also the only wireless network that lets you design your own data plan, so you only pay for what you need.

You can share data between lines, mix data plans with unlimited plans, and switch it up at any time. No one else lets you do that! You can pay for data one gig at a time, and with millions of WiFi hotspots, you won’t have to use that data as much while you’re on the go. If you want Unlimited data, Xfinity has that too!

PLUS, there are no activation fees, and you can get Xfinity Mobile and Xfinity Internet together to save hundreds of dollars a year on your wireless bill.

Need I say more?! Transparently, I’m partnering with Xfinity on this post, and I honestly didn’t realize all these benefits before writing it. Doug and I are both switching to this plan, pronto! Swing by this link for more info if you’re interested.

… All right, back to entrepreneurship lessons learned.

Happy first birthday, blowing out birthday candle

You can do anything, but not everything

ISN’T THIS THE TRUTH?! I really believe that if we work hard, any of us can do anything. But the reality of time and life is that we CANNOT do everything. We have to choose our priorities.

As I mentioned prior, I tend to be a “big ideas” person. I will think of something exciting and be like, “OH MY GOSH WE SHOULD DO THIS!” My intentions start out great, but then I’m often left with way too much on my plate. That means I don’t do everything that I’m doing well.

This has been so important for me to learn in life and in business. I can’t do everything, nor should I. I have to choose. It’s good to choose. Focusing enables success and growth.

Make A Plan & Get Organized

Fun fact: I have more than 2,000 unread emails in my inbox right now. This is not okay, especially as a small business owner. I know this. I’m making a plan for beating this.

One of my goals for the first part of the year is to really, truly get organized. (Remember my “Keystone Habits” post? This is a part of the plan for getting organized!) For me, this means clearing clutter in my physical space and in my digital space. It means taking the time to sort through my emails. Cleaning up my work space and saying, “Bye bye” to anything unnecessary. It also means setting up “admin days” — something I’ve committed to every Monday morning in the new year — to take care of invoicing and planning weekly content.

Organization is so important for success, especially when so much is on one person’s shoulders as an entrepreneur. I want to be ahead of the storm, not constantly catching up to it. This is an area I definitely faltered on a bit during my first year of entrepreneurship. It’s one that I’m really focusing on in 2020, because getting better at it makes me and my business better.

Be Open To Advice, But Don’t Listen To Everything

What I’ve learned is that what works for one person may not work for everyone. It’s valuable to listen and be receptive to smart advice where applicable, but you ultimately need to figure out your own secret sauce.

That may just be the factor that propels you to huge success. Remember how I mentioned the importance of “Thinking Different” before? You can’t do that if you’re constantly catering to what everyone else is doing.

This has been so key, especially during my first year of entrepreneurship. It’s far too easy to fall into the trap of, “Well, that worked for them, so shouldn’t I be doing the same thing?”

Surround Yourself With Cheerleaders

If you have someone in your life who doesn’t believe in you, makes you feel inadequate, or doesn’t have good intentions for you, then go ahead and say “Byeeeee Felicia!” Aint nobody got time for that.

Remember, being an entrepreneur means stepping out on your own. Taking risks. Being brave and bold and strong. Anyone who doesn’t see and celebrate your efforts shouldn’t be a part of your journey. Period.

I hope the lessons I learned in my first year of entrepreneurship were as helpful for you to read as they were for me to reflect upon!

Ultimately, I think the biggest takeaway for me is that time is limited, growth isn’t guaranteed, and to be successful in a small business/entrepreneurship, you have to have a solid strategy in mind and work toward it in the most efficient and smartest way possible. And all those little productivity tools, such as Xfinity Mobile, are so important in making those efficiencies happen!