5 Lessons Learned From My First Year In Business

One year ago I took the plunge into entrepreneurship and started Outventure Hub, an outdoor-focused digital marketing agency. I’ve loved the adventure so far but I would be lying if I pretended that it had all been plain sailing since launch day.

Here are 5 lessons I’ve learned on the journey so far.

Lesson #1: Start before you’re ready

Before launching my business I spent forever evaluating different concepts, researching my target audience, writing my business plan, tweaking the website, re-writing the business plan, re-tweaking the website.?

But it’s only when I let go of the idea that I had to have it all figured out from the get go that things started to gain traction. I launched, I got feedback from my audience, and that’s how I learned what works and what doesn't.?

So now, when I have an idea for a new service, I get it out there even it doesn't feel perfect. Because I’ve learned that testing a concept in the real world, rather than on paper, is the best way to make progress.

Lesson #2: Value your work and learn to sell

This was a difficult one. My engineering background gave me many valuable skills but sales isn't one of them. In the beginning, I felt so uncomfortable selling that I kept massively discounting, or even working for free. Until I realised that without clients and sales, I didn’t have a business, I just had an expensive hobby.

As uncomfortable as it felt, I started charging prices that reflect the value of my work. I learnt to better describe what I offer and how I help. I learnt how to structure sales conversations more effectively.

I’m still working on it, but with every new client I’m gaining confidence in my skills, my value and my pricing.?

Lesson #3: You don’t need to be doing ‘all the things’

When I started Outventure Hub, I wanted to do everything at once. I wanted to have a newsletter, start a podcast, work with clients 1:1, launch an online course, be on every social media platform, start an online community.?

All these projects were very exciting but I was spreading myself too thin. It wasn’t a very effective approach; I felt stressed out, and frustrated because I wasn’t seeing results.?

So I chose to focus on a smaller number of projects and marketing tactics. I still keep a long list of ‘cool projects I wanna do one day’, but learning to prioritise has made it much easier to gain traction.

Lesson #4: Invest in yourself, and in your business

One of the best things I did for my business was to join a mastermind program for early-stage entrepreneurs. Over six months we met every two weeks via Zoom. We discussed our challenges, gave each other feedback, and kept each other accountable. It helped move my business forward much faster than if I’d tried to do it all on my own. And it also gave me the opportunity to meet inspiring, like-minded women.

Investing in coaching or mentoring can be a difficult decision, especially in the beginning when there isn’t as much cash coming in. But based on my experience so far, it’s worth it in terms of ROI.?

Lesson #5: Enjoy the journey, including the detours

The ultimate lesson I've learned is that it’s ok for your business to shift along the way, in fact that’s the beauty of entrepreneurship. Whatever you put into the world on day one isn’t set in stone. It will evolve based on everything you learn and based on opportunities that arise. I’ve learned to embrace and enjoy this continuous state of ‘work in progress’.

While goals remain important, it’s also important to stay curious and open to the unplanned. Because that’s often where the magic happens.?