In 2010 I left my job as a teacher and began my journey as a freelance writer. I say “journey” rather than “career” because it wasn’t much of a career until I became an entrepreneur. The journey began with me naively thinking that because I know I can write, others will see this and they will just offer me writing work left, right and centre – unfortunately, this was not the case. I became very familiar with the words, “we do not accept unsolicited articles”, to which I responded (shouting at my computer), “how can I get exposure if you need me to have exposure before you ask me to write anything for you, which will get me exposure?!”
As you can imagine, this unproductive cycle was driving me slightly insane, and so came the idea to add a bit of clout behind my name. Myself and my husband started Lotus Media because we, like so many creatives out there, had the passion and the talent (and a bit of experience), but we lacked the fancy titles, awards, and exposure that many companies were looking for. Becoming entrepreneurs instead of remaining freelancers opened doors for us that, I feel, we would’ve only come across years and years later had we not taken the entrepreneurial plunge.
We have now been working for ourselves for about 2 years, and here are the top 5 lessons we have learnt so far:
1. Just begin…
If you are thinking about it when you wake up, and you are thinking about it in the shower, and you are thinking about it when you should be listening to your friends, and you are thinking about it when you go to bed at night, and then in your dreams you dream of being an awesome entrepreneur, then you just need to do it! Quit your job, don’t quit your job, but whatever you do, just begin…
2. It doesn’t get easier, it just gets more rewarding…
Do not expect that one day it will just “be OK” – the work is never done, the search for clients and customers is never done, the marketing and advertising never ends, but what does happen after a while is that you begin to reap the rewards.
3. Learn to let go…
Let go of the client who can’t for the life of them reply to emails within a one week period. Let go of the fact that not everyone knows how to communicate on the phone. Let go of the anger towards people who continuously suggest changes to your business (without being asked!). Let go of the fact that your big dream sometimes feels like a long nightmare (you will get there!). Just let go of all that could affect your mood and make you cranky – let go and move on!
4. Change needs to be your best friend not your enemy…
The plan you had for your business in the beginning might not be the plan you have 6 months down the line. Revisit your business plan all the time – you’ll be surprised how off track you can go – businesses have a life of their own, and often they take you on a whole different journey. Accept these changes and new opportunities – for lack of a better statement, “just go with the flow” and then assess the flow and adjust accordingly…
5. Admire how far you have come…
Take a moment every now and again and look at what you have achieved, buy a bottle of champagne, and celebrate (feel free to do this even after your first logo is completed) – the more you celebrate, the more you emphasise the positive and move attention away from the negative. Be proud of yourself, no matter how big or small the accomplishment.
There are possibly many other lessons we have learnt, like never going into business without a contract or a deposit, but we thought we’d focus on the more philosophical ones for now. I have no doubt that in 2 weeks there will be even more lessons, and then I shall share them too – please feel free to comment below about your entrepreneurial lessons, we’d love to hear about them!
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