What I wish I had known at the start of my business

Today I want to share some of the things, I wish I had known at the start of my business.

It takes time

I wish I had known, that building a business takes its time. It’s not done overnight. And it takes a LOT of consistency. When it’s no fun and no one is reading or commenting, you still need to show up. You need to have some sort of plan in place, so you know you can follow through with it, also when the going gets though. Maybe you’re sometimes looking at other creatives, that are doing exactly what you dream about. And you’re wondering, what their secret is? Most likely, it has taken them YEARS to get where they are, they have likely educated themselves during these years and they’re most likely also very CONSISTENT. Remember that everyone started with 0 followers. 0 likes. 0 sales. And now it’s your time. But don’t give up before you have even started. It does take time. But if you know what you want and you’re ready, it doesn’t have to take years.

Don’t quit your day job too soon

When I started my business, I didn’t have a second job to help pay the bills. I just jumped right into it. I didn’t even take a single ceramic course. And I was a single mom with a 2-year-old at the time. I do NOT recommend doing this. It was though the first years. While I will always cheer you on, if you want to quit your day job and make a living from your business, I WILL tell you, that you must have a solid foundation before you take the leap. I know that sometimes you must create a vacuum for new things to happen (like quitting your job to make the time for your business), but I would highly encourage you to have your foundations in order before quitting. This means: Having your products ready. A website. A customer base. An e-mail list. A brand. And of course – sales.

Permission

I wish I had known that no one was going to give me permission. I had to give that to myself. I had to give myself permission to follow my dreams. To make a business. And to go through everything that comes with this. Building a business is not only about the business side of things. It’s also about you and your own thoughts. I still need to give myself permission to do the things I dream about. Like writing this mail to you. And if you need a permission slip today, I’ll give it to you right now: You’re enough and you have permission to follow your dreams. You have permission to do the thing you love and make money at the same time. You have permission to have it easy. And you have permission to want to change things in your life. You’re not ungrateful if you want more. You have permission to be ALL of you.

Does this feel overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be – and building your business can actually be a very rewarding and fun experience. We all want to live life on our terms and I’m having a feeling you’re the same.

I’m cheering you on and I believe in you. You’ve got this!

All my best,

Caroline