Lessons I Learned in My First Year as a Business Owner
A year ago, I found myself at a crossroads. I had been laid off from my previous job and was facing repeated rejection when applying for marketing positions. The recurring rejection spurred me to take control of my career and focus all my time on my own social media management business. It was a big leap of faith, but I believed in my vision and was determined to make it work.
Now, a year later, I'm proud to say that my business has not only survived, but reached goals I didn’t expect to reach.
With multiple clients under my belt and a wealth of hours spent on projects, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the past year and share some insights on what life as a social media manager has looked like for me.
This year brought some new and very real steps towards becoming The Social Nicole.
These Included:
Registering as a sole proprietorship. Are you really a business if the government can’t tax you?
Growing my client base and booking over five clients.
Publishing a website and blog dedicated to journaling my experience.
Continuing my journey as a business owner, and not giving up.
These ups have been the biggest yet. However, they were married with some troubling downs, including:
Coming this close to quitting *insert index and thumb emoji almost touching.*
Butchering a client pitch so bad, I’m still traumatized to pitch in person again.
Being ghosted by several businesses.
Days spent in bed wondering if pursuing a business is worth it.
It’s hard to learn when you’re teaching yourself.
It’s easier to keep going when you have someone to support you.
I have had one true and constant supporter on this journey and it’s the only reason I’ve kept on going. My mom.
She networks for me, using what resources she has to help me find clients.
She attended events with me when I didn’t have the confidence to go alone.
She was always there to persuade me to keep going.
Lesson learned so far: Don’t quit.
Or at least find someone who won’t let you quit.
The experiences I’ve had over the past year is not some Hollywood movie plot. It’s not even what people post on LinkedIn. It's a raw and honest depiction of what it takes to build a business from scratch.
Consistency has been my key to success: I've learned to celebrate every victory along the way, no matter how small.
When I wasn’t feeling up to it, I used my support system to encourage me to keep moving forward.
As I continue to push forward and work towards the ultimate goal of making my business my full-time gig, I know that I'll be able to look back and appreciate the hard work and perseverance that got me there.
Keep up with me on social media! Follow @thesocialnicole on LinkedIn and Instagram.
