I’m now three months into my journey as a new business owner, and while the cliché is to say ‘I can’t believe it’s been three months already!’ I actually feel the opposite. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only been three months. My business is still in its infancy and therefore still at the stage of looking around, listening and learning. I have to learn to walk before I can run… have I exhausted this metaphor yet? 😅

So anyway, here are 5 things I’ve learned in my first quarter in business. Curious to know if others have similar experiences?

1. Networking events are totally worthwhile.

They make me want to hide under the table, but I have won new business as a direct result of meeting someone new or reminding someone I exist. They’re worth their weight in gold, so suck it up and get your name tag on!

2. You need to tell people stuff, repeatedly.

Related to the above. I live in a small community and arrogantly thought everyone already knows what I’m doing and will come find me if they have work for me. WRONG. People are busy, social media is noisy, press releases get buried. Or missed. Or forgotten. Tell people what you’re doing and why. Keep in regular touch. It can feel ick at first (legit business term) but it pays off.

3. Stick to your strengths.

To start with I had plans that Rebel could offer a vast range of services by forging professional networks. I still think it can, long term, but I’ve realised that what I wrote in my business plan doesn’t necessarily marry up to my lived experience since launch. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of my work directly relates to the area where I have most expertise and experience – and that’s communications. I’ve had a lot of copywriting work but even the contracts I’ve won in business development are very much driven by communication: capturing and articulating a vision and then getting people to line up behind it.

4. Cashflow is king, but payroll is the devil’s work.

I think most of us these days stress about personal finances – mortgage payments, selling a kidney to pay utility bills, etc. I used to live for pay day but now the satisfaction of a pay cheque is accompanied by a pang of worry about cashflow in my business. I know it’s the thing that brings down many new businesses and so far I’m doing just fine, but it’s not for the faint hearted. Also, even with the wonderful FreeAgent it still feels needlessly complicated. Or am I just allergic to all things finance?

5. God, this is fun.

For all the stresses there are even more rewards. There’s so much creativity, innovation, drive and determination behind every new start. There’s so much freedom in picking and choosing your own hours. A lot of day-to-day stress has melted away, albeit replaced by a different kind of pressure. But most of all, it’s so much fun. The work is incredibly diverse, and no two days are ever the same. In my first three months alone I’ve written about Scottish history, international film festivals, game theory, digital marketing and even spine surgery. I’ve helped shape a business strategy for a tourism brand and pitched for new business in aviation, renewables, oil and gas, and the third sector. All of which reminds me that I also need to make time to update my portfolio and blog more regularly…

I’d love to hear from others at the start of their new business journey. What tripped you up, and where have you triumphed?

Photo by Valeria Zoncoll on Unsplash