5 Things I’ve Learned
Published by Adrienne Marie,
As of this post, I have been in business for 3 years now and I have learned quite a few things. I wanted to share my knowledge in the hopes that it will help you in your business if you have one or plan on starting one.
1. Everyone's success is different
Once you start a business, especially a direct sales business, you will start noticing people's success around you, and it may start to get to you. I remember just starting out and people that came into the business after me were doing better than me and I was mad! It was like, I've in business x months and they'd only been in the business x weeks, how are they doing so much better than me. Seeing that constantly was annoying. And then I realized that success is different and comes at different times to everybody. I can't hold my own success against someone else's. I will find my own success and you will too!
2. Support
The point that I'm about to make is one of the hardest things I had to learn when I started my business. NOT EVERYONE WILL SUPPORT YOU! Yes, it's all caps because its important to know. When I started, I assumed that my friends and family would be my biggest supporters. Boy was I wrong. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of friends and close family that supports me, but I thought my support would extend a little further than it does
When I realized that how small my support circle was, it really discouraged me. I felt some type of way about it. It was like, I do so much for other people, and the least they could do is by some $5 jewelry to support me. That was the wrong way to be thinking. Every like, every share, every comment is support. It took me a long time to realize not everyone is going to support you in the way that you want them to. And that's ok. The few that outright don't support you are not going to make or break your business. Just keep going and doing you and continue to build your business.
3. Schedule your time
When you start your business, you are going to want to put all of your time into it. It's excited and thrilling and you won't be able so step away. 2 years in and I still find myself working well into the night. But I came to realize that that is not healthy. How can I work my business if I'm too run down to even get out bed.
Now I have a schedule set up (that I still need to work on following) and base my day around that. Set a schedule that works for you. Set a number of days and hours that you can devote to your business. Whatever works for you and your household schedule.
4. Don't get in over your head
I'm about to say something that goes against everything you've ever heard about an inventory based business...Don't get in over your head. We've all heard the horror stories of people buying to much inventory and then not selling it fast enough and now they're sitting on thousands of dollars of inventory and high credit card bills. Don't spend more than you have. Don't max out your credit cards buying inventory. Buy a little bit at a time, sell that and then use that money to buy some more.
5. Enjoy the journey
This ties into the first point, enjoy your journey to success. Enjoy the ups and the downs. Enjoy building your business. Don't rush the process or the journey. You started your business for a reason. Whatever that reason is, make sure you enjoy your business. It will be a lot of trial and error, but just continue ride the waves!
Do you have any tips that you've learned while being in business? Share them below! I hope these tidbits I've shared can help you in any way.