Five lessons from five years in business

As the diary creeps around to the end of October, it brings with it a special Anniversary. The date I
left my job and went 100% into The Balance Collective! If you haven’t read any of the previous blogs
(why not?!) let me give you a quick introduction.  In 2015 I was working in a job a loved, with a team
that just “got me” and a company culture that supported progression whilst I worked part-time.
However, due to the lack of funding for the project I was managing, it couldn’t continue past its current end date. As a management team, we tried every option possible, every combination of funders, stakeholders, and possible outcomes to make it work.
it just wasn’t meant to be. I had two choices, to stay in a secure organisation, in a role that, maybe, wasn’t quite right for me or take redundancy and stride forward into the world of self-employment. As you are reading this right now, you know the path I took. Now, five years on, let me share my five lessons from five years in business.

Every year I sit down and evaluate what I have learned from my experienced in the previous 12
months. 2020 has proven to be an extra challenging year, for all of us, but has taught me some things about myself that I need to remember for the future!

So, without further ado, here are the five lessons from five years in business.

Confidence builds through feedback
Five years is another milestone in the time-line of self-employment, one that I only hoped to reach when I began. You would assume after a certain amount of time, you just wake up every day secure in the knowledge you are great at what you do. However, something happens with time; your confidence can build but also crash. As your positive reputation and reach grows, you get asked to do new and exciting things; it is at that moment that you may find your self-esteem having a bit of a wobble. So, the best advice is to go back to basics. Grab your client testimonials, surveys and thank you emails and remind yourself what your clients and customers get when working with you!

Your network is necessary
The people that you choose to have around you are such an important part of your work-wellbeing. This goes beyond what is expected; obviously, you know how your friends, colleague and even suppliers often meld into one! However, when you think of the people you choose to have around you, include your clients too! In the early days of working for yourself, you are likely to say YES to everything! We know how important it is to build up case studies and our bank balance. However, being indiscriminate with who you work with means you can end up having some bad experiences; the client that doesn’t appreciate the sanctity of your weekend, the one who always wants to go beyond the scope of the brief, the one who takes FOREVER to pay. Learn from this and put things into to place so you only invite people into your world who are positive and respectful!

Know and share your boundaries
Whilst it is no surprise that boundaries are super important to me, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t moments that they are breached. What happens over time is you are able to spot it happening quicker and nip it in the bud, but you also have the confidence to start communicating these boundaries formally by adding them to your terms and conditions, popping them in your signature,, and learning how to say NO, or NOT YET.  The earlier you scope these boundaries out, the earlier you can implement them in your personal and professional life; they move from reactive to part of your communication strategy.

You get more comfortable with change
Over five year, you start to notice trends. You have more experiences, good and bad, that you can draw on to help you make decisions. You learn who is your sounding board or your confidant, and you start to identify mentors.  Very importantly you trust that your money will continue to come and you invest in yourself; be it a training course, IT, external support or, the most important thing MORE TIME OFF! One of the easiest ways of doing this is a reflective exercise, which is the springboard of this blog. What worked? What didn’t? What put you on the top of the world? What don’t you want to repeat? What answers would you get?

When sh*t hits, you can find the resilience you need
Whilst this is in reference to the global situation in 2020, having to bounce back is not just limited to a pandemic arriving at our doorstep. Unfortunately, no-one is immune from sudden and, often, heartbreaking change; having the elements in your life that I talked about above, can really help you tap into a level of strength you didn’t know existed. The biggest thing I have learned about myself, through my business and life experience this year, is to keep things simple. This covers business, life, health, wealth, and fun; it helps you keep on track, stay focused and when we need it, get back to basics.

What have your learned about yourself through your career and business experiences over the past 12-months? If you would like to share, I would love to read about it in my FREE Facebook group Creating Careers to Enjoy.

Want to see how I can help you create a career to enjoy? Book some time to talk here.

I’m a straight-talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective  has a social mission focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance. Isn’t it time to you had a career to enjoy not endure?