Confetti Social has officially been in business for a year now so I thought it was about time for me to share 12 lessons I’ve learned about being your own boss over the past year.
12 Lessons I’ve Learned About Being Your Own Boss
Lesson #1: Good time management is everything
I don’t know about you but if I don’t have things planned out in advance then they probably won’t get done. Having the flexibility of my own schedule was definitely challenging at first but once I was able to get myself on a consistent schedule, I became a lot more productive.
Lesson #2: Your own sanity and well-being should come before your business
While your business is extremely important, you should be able to maintain some semblance of work-life balance. If your business is taking over to the point where you’re not prioritizing self-care then you will need to reevaluate because if you let it get too far then you may experience burnout.
Lesson #3: Business besties are critical to your success
Being an entrepreneur can be lonely so having those key people in your life who are going through similar things in their business is necessary. They will be there to support you when you’re going through tough times and be there to celebrate your wins.
Lesson #4: Self-employment tax is no joke
I was prepared for this going into it all but seriously, setting aside 25-30% of your income each month for taxes does not get any easier. I’m more than happy to be prepared come tax time but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it.
Lesson #5: Goal setting is a necessity
At the beginning of 2017, I set goals that I wanted to achieve in my first year of self-employment. I have always been someone who enjoyed setting goals so I knew how crucial it was for me as a business owner. I have achieved nearly all of the goals I set out for myself this year and I couldn’t be happier.
Lesson #6: There will be “busy” and “slow” seasons
Even when you own your own business, you will go through both busy and slow seasons. Take advantage during your slow seasons by doing these 18 Things to Do When Business is Slow.
Lesson #7: Continued education is key
I have always enjoyed learning and that hasn’t stopped since I stopped working full time in the corporate world. I continue to take courses, attend webinars, and the like to expand my knowledge in my industry.
Lesson #8: You’ll be working more than you did at your day job
Although I don’t mind this fact because I absolutely love what I do, I do work a lot more than I used to. Building your own business is a 24/7 thing, especially in the beginning. In addition to doing client work, you’ll be handling the finances, marketing, sales, and plenty of other aspects of your business.
Lesson #9: It’s okay to say no
When first starting out, I said yes to absolutely everything and that quickly led to me feeling overworked and burnout. Now I only say yes if it’s something I am genuinely interested in because I have learned to value my time more.
Lesson #10: Getting clients on the phone makes it 10x easier to seal the deal
I never considered myself to be much of a saleswoman. In fact, when applying to jobs right out of college I avoided all sales related positions like the plague. But selling my own products and services? That’s a totally different story. I feel like somehow I thrive doing that and the majority of the time that I get an ideal client on the phone, I will end up landing the client which is the absolute best feeling.
Lesson #11: Networking will do wonders for your business
I just finally started getting myself and my business out there locally in the past few months and it’s something I regret not doing sooner because it’s been so beneficial for me to become more active in the San Antonio community.
Lesson #12: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there
Because I’m a bit of an introvert, I was definitely scared to put myself out there at first but you’re not going to land any clients or make any connections if you’re too busy being scared.
Your Turn:
I hope you truly enjoyed this post about lessons I’ve learned about being your own boss. If you’re a business owner, what is one lesson you’ve learned about being your own boss? Please feel free to let me know down in the comments.
