What I Wish I Had Known Before I Started My Business

I admit it. I am a dreadful wages employee. I love and thrive on change and variety in my work. My passion is setting up systems, procedures and thinking through strategies … yet day to day Human Resource Management as an employee is all about routine and boredom.  I have managed Human Resources for companies of up to 7000 employees, have tripled the size of organizations and turned unprofitable businesses totally around – but after a time Human Resources always ends up in tedious administration.

So, in my last long term employee role as a Human Resource Manager, as soon as the business went from “how do we boost productivity” to “I hate pleats in the front of my uniform pants - can I wear flat front pants” I knew that it was time to leap out into the unknown.

Where was my guide book? Where were my comforting words of wisdom as I traveled off my beaten track of the known?  Imagine driving from Brisbane to Birdsville via Adelaide without a map or a GPS and you get an idea of my journey into my own business.

Here is the beginning of that guidebook I was looking for, with 7 things that I wish I had known before I took the leap of faith:

1. Business profitability and self esteem are inextricably linked. When you are feeling low, your profits will also be low. The best way to improve your profits is to work on belief in yourself.
2. It’s OK to say no to work. When you start it is very easy to grab every job that comes past – no matter how much the alarm bells ring. You fall back into automatic wages patterns of saying “yes” when asked to work. One of the most freeing things you can do as a self employed person is to only say yes to people and work you enjoy. If you are not enjoying it … say “no”. When you say no to what you don’t want and yes to what you do want, more work will come to you that better matches who you are and what you like doing.
3. Alliances and friendships are vital to success. Some of your best clients will come from the friendships you have made with no thought of reward. Your business friends will help you on your down days and celebrate your successes with you – take time to build and nurture friendships.
4. Give, give and give some more. If you hide your talents and are miserly with your information and support for clients, you will never be as successful as when you freely share.
5. Learn copywriting & marketing. I can’t highlight this one enough. Unless you can promote yourself and your services, it will not matter how great you are, no one will know you exist.
6. Choose your networking events carefully. I used to be the networking Queen – if there was the opening of a paper bag I was there competing to see how many business cards I could get. Now I have learnt to enjoy a few selected smaller events in more depth – getting to know people and making friends. Costs me a heck of a lot less and with much better results.
7. Value your raving fans. I have clients that have been with me for years … clients who always refer others on to me and always pay on time. They also just happen to be the people I love working with the most. They are gold and I will do anything for them (including pitching in and helping out on their stalls at Trade Shows if they need a hand or sweeping the floor at their place if that is what is needed that day to reduce their stress levels).

My bottom line is to have fun with your business. It will become as all absorbing as a new baby in the household and just as challenging. Look into it … admire the beauty you have created and enjoy its perfection as it grows into something wonderful (Oh, and of course hire in help for the bits you are not good at or don’t enjoy).

Ingrid Cliff is a Brisbane based Business Development and Human Resources Consultant to Small and Medium Businesses with her company Heart Harmony www.heartharmony.com.au.