For the aspiring biz owners... 🔥

A Campfire Story for aspiring entrepreneurs after just a short year...

Just over a year ago, I put in my two-week notice at a job I loved to do something I thought I'd love more: being my own boss.

It's been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I love owning my schedule, controlling my income, and seeing direct results of my work pay off (most of the time)! But the first year was sheer scrappiness and hard work. In the past few months, I've received a few emails from fellow women who want advice on how to take that leap from full time employee to full time business owner. Here are some tips for those of you just starting out that helped me a ton in my first year.

Start writing and keep writing.

All successful businesses start somewhere, and that somewhere has always started with pen and ink. I know writing is tedious. I know it takes a ton of time. But I also know writing is the only way to get where you want to be. Write down a business plan, write down your goals, write down your mission statement, write down everything. If you don't even know where to start and can't invest in a copywriter yet, just start writing.

Network like your income depends on it.

In my first three months, I set at least three networking calls each week (all of them virtual). Each person introduced me to a wonderful web of professionals, and with every introduction, it was like I was opening Pandora's box into a new network, and then another one, and then another. Now, it seems we're all connected in some way!

Don't worry about niching down right away.

I talked to so many people who told me I needed to find a niche. But I think there's a lot of power in having the ability to work across different industries, with different types of businesses. I still don't have a super narrowed-down "niche." Maybe I will someday. For now, I'm relishing in the freedom and variety of working with whoever I want!

Book retainer clients if you can.

If you're a service provider, think about how you can offer a retainer service to rack up consistency on your books. For example: If you're a brand photographer, can your clients book 2 hours of brand photography with you at a monthly rate? Booking these types of clients has been a game-changer for my business and has helped me feel more secure.