I still remember the first time I sold my services as a web designer. I worked for a small site, and I charged pennies for a ton of work, but I finally turned what I loved into a business.
I felt that my days as an employee in a bank were behind me as I was finally able to sell my services. The game was on!
That small success fueled my efforts, but I still had to face a lot of challenges and negative responses. I had to knock on many doors and send a ton of emails to get enough clients to sustain myself. It was harder than I imagined.
And you know, I’m grateful for those times. Yes, they were hard and, to be honest, there were times I wanted to quit.
But those challenging moments allowed me to grow and be where I am now. They allowed me to understand that launching your own business takes a lot of courage.
As small business owners, we spend so much time looking at what’s next that we forget the path that brought us here in the first place.
When you launch your business, you need to take a stand and embrace how much your life is going to change. You are devoting your efforts to one idea and embracing uncertainty.
You also need to develop a sense of agency while taking control and responsibility for your actions, and learning how those actions affect your business.
Your life and your work will become one. It’s not that you turn into a workaholic, but even in the back of your mind, you will always look for ideas to grow and implement to attract new clients.
And you need to put those ideas into practice. Some will succeed, and others will fail. You will learn from both experiences and grow not only as a business owner but as a person. You will develop the necessary strength to tackle the challenges ahead of you.
Yes, you will feel discouraged sometimes. It’s normal. I have never met anyone who runs a business without a story about overcoming desperation. Most were ready to throw in the towel, but they still achieved victory in the face of impossible odds.
And with each victory and small success, you will develop a real confidence in your skills. It’s not arrogance, as you still create products and services to aid your audience. It’s more like a tiny bit of wisdom that allows you to help others better.
But above all, you will create your path for your business. You will throw away anything that doesn’t help you. And soon, your values will start to shine through your creations.
Those values will be the ones that will guide your hand and will help you bring your business to the next level. They are your guiding compass, and as long as you keep yourself true to them, you will attract the right audience.
Little by little you will become better, selling your products and services will become more natural with each new client, because you know that you are genuinely helping them achieve the results they want.
I know this has been true for me, and if you have been running your business for a long time, I bet this is true for you too.
And if you are just starting out, don’t worry. You will become a better business owner with each passing day. If you keep true to yourself and your audience, you will soon be nodding while reading this article.
Remember, you have already shown a lot of courage by starting and working on your own business. Be proud of it.
And now that you have remembered how you got here, it’s time for you to go back to work and keep growing.