Celebrating 5 years with 5 lessons for business growth

Starting a business is a huge life decision, and it isn’t for everyone. It’s a choice that requires determination, vision and the ability to navigate the twists and turns of entrepreneurship. It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. But there’s nothing more rewarding than steering your business to the kind of self-built success you’ve always dreamed of.

Five years ago this month, I decided to combine my professional experience and personal ambitions to pursue a life of business ownership. Since then, I’ve learned many things about how to survive and thrive as a small business owner.

To celebrate my 5-year entrepreneurial anniversary, I’m sharing 5 of the best business lessons I’ve learned so you can apply them to help your own business grow.

Lesson 1: Personal growth and mindset matters

Your personal growth and mindset are permanently intertwined with your business success. As solopreneurs, our businesses start and end with us. No matter how uncomfortable you might feel, you must be at the front and centre of your business. Being known and trusted by your audience isn’t optional. It’s essential.

But it isn’t always easy. When I started, I only had one small photo of myself on my website and the idea of featuring more of me in my business was scary AF. It took time for me to be comfortable enough to put myself out there as the face and voice of my business. But now, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

By focusing on personal growth and a goal-orientated mindset, I’ve learned that confidence, adaptability, resilience, and continual learning all play a big part in driving business success.

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Lesson 2: Play the long game

Business is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about consistently working ON the things you need to grow and evolve your business, and not just IN the day-to-day grind of delivering your products and services.

Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, it takes time, energy and ongoing effort to build up your business in stages. It’s not about going from 0 to 100 quickly. It’s about taking small steps and making consistent progress toward your goals. For example, when I knew I needed to become the face of my business, I rebranded and had professional photos taken. These steps gave me the confidence I needed to put myself out there. Since then, I’ve moved on to filming regular advice videos for my audience – something I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing back in the beginning. Remember, the small steps you take today will be an integral part of what you achieve tomorrow.

In business, I’ve learned, you need the foresight and confidence to first plant the seed. Then you need the patience and determination to water and care for the seedling. Only then will you be able to harvest and taste the sweetness of the fruit.

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Lesson 3: Your network is your net worth

I can’t overstate the value of investing time and effort in building beneficial business relationships. Your network can (and will) have significant impact on your business success.

If you rely too much on word-of-mouth referrals, you run the risk of losing leads if things change – what if your usual champions find other suppliers or move out of your industry?

With a wide-reaching network, you’ll have a constant supply of diverse connections who can offer opportunities and insights to support your business growth. And you can do the same for them!

I’ve learned that building a circle of the right business buddies will pay you back in spades. Remember – not everyone will align with your needs and vision. That’s ok, but it’s why you must choose your networks wisely.

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Lesson 4: Do what works for you

In business, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ roadmap to success. But I guarantee, you’ll get adamant advice and suggestions from so many people! Some will tell you to niche down or to use particular systems or software, while others will insist you promote your business in a certain way. While all this advice can be well-meaning, you need to consider what’s going on in your business at the time and what you really need. Just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will (or won’t) work for you.

When it comes to forging your business path, I’ve learned you need to focus on what aligns with your goals and vision. And seek advice from people who’ve taken the time to understand what you and your business really need.

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Lesson 5: Let go of perfection

The pursuit of perfection is wasteful and costly. Aiming for the unattainable will slow down your progress and make it hard for you to take real action towards achieving your goals. You need to just start on your path to see how your business evolves and remember, no one is expecting perfection except for you.

I’ve let go of the pursuit of perfection because I’ve learned you can’t let the perfect get in the way of the good. The only way to build a successful business is to embrace imperfection and keep moving forward without fear of failure.

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Let’s learn and grow together

When you start a business, you begin a profound journey of personal and professional development. But you shouldn’t (and can’t) do it alone. If you want to dive deeper than these 5 lessons and learn and grow alongside other small business owners who understand the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship, I invite you to join my exclusive membership, Business Tides Community.

Together, we’re overcoming challenges, supporting successes and making our perfectly imperfect business dreams come true.

Learn more about how Business Tides Community can help you and your business grow.