Last month during my " soft launch " of my business I shared on my IG and FB page some of the actions I took to get this business off the ground. These actions by no means are expert level business building tools, however these are my experiences that so far have resulted to be good. Today I'd like to expand on some of these topics in hopes that it will help you if you are deciding to start a business .
Learn everything !
Just kidding take your time but have some knowledge of the service or services you are going to provide . All you need is the foundation first , then you build your skills as you go along. Read books on your craft, listen podcasts , surround yourself with people that are in the same line of business .
When the seed was planted for me 3 years ago about starting a Home Staging Business , I began looking for training courses , some were on-line and some were in person. The newbie that I was , I signed up for a home staging certification course that costs me XXXX's and don't get me wrong , that's the price point for most Home Staging training certifications however the method of training was overlooked on my part.
I didn't enjoy it , I felt like I could have learned this myself by googling things , I felt cheated and I felt like this training wasn't a good fit for me. Unfortunately , there was no money back guarantee or anything like that so I did the best I could and went with it.
Even though I have the gift of putting curated rooms together so quickly and easily , I wanted to be considered a professional home stager . That was important to me.
So whatever your craft is, invest in yourself .
Years later , I began to add several other trainings and certifications that built my skillsets in the Home Staging realm but I did that little by little with caution and research. I was not going to chase the shiny objects anymore. I was more interested in the value of the trainings and the instructors accessibility .
It's so easy to get caught up in every training course, every marketing material pushed to new business owners such as apps , subscriptions or services. It's so easy to fall into that because basically what you are doing is you are releasing control and handing it over to someone else for them to run your business , the business you are just starting !
I realize that when you begin , there is a budget to be respected, there is a time to be accountable to and there is a learning curve that needs to be allowed.
All these play a pivotal role in what you will do hands on and what you will hire out.
In my case, I was quoted thousands for a website from a reputable website company. They said just give me your details and we will have it ready for you in a week. The offer was enticing even though it was going to take a good chunk of my budget . So
I began researching on how to build a website and I came across this one, WIX. www.Wix.com
Now , I'm going to date myself here but back in the days there was a social media platform called " My Space" , this made everyone a website designer . I mean if anyone out there can remember those codes , we made it happen.
I thought, I'm gonna take a stab at it. It's cost effective, seems pretty simple and If I get stuck they offer consulting and someone takes over the wheel for a small fee.
Long story short, I created my website, took me some months but I did it and I saved thousands. I learned something new and I'm in control of it . So if I need to make a change, I do it . Moral of the story here is that you can save yourself a lot of money if you have the time to learn and apply your skills to your business.
Lastly, but probably the most important piece of information that I can provide you , is get out of your own way .
I hear this time and time again, from the most decorated, eduacted, certified professionals out there, confidence is key . Get your mindset right!
Change your thought process on your limiting beliefs. I can't. I'm not good enough. Why would someone hire me ? I'm new . I don't have the professional education . I'm not this or that , stop it!
You are! You are good enough! You have the talent, you have skill and you have the ability to learn ! You have the drive, the dream and the courage to do what it takes to get yourself out there !
Get out of your own way and just start !