My 5 lessons in young business

"Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice." Peter Drucker

No one ever promised us that getting into business was going to be easy. But from where we were sitting, my bestie and I had put it off for long enough, so getting off our butts was the only option left open to us. We were itching for more.

After a mere two years in business, I can say with absolute certainty that- ideas are easy, but implementation is hard. Here are my top 5 lessons learnt in business so far.

1. To work IN the business is not the same thing as working ON the business.
(This is a difficult lesson for most start ups to learn. As business owners there is a real danger in getting so busy with the day to day operations, that there is no time to work on strategies that will chart the overall direction of the business.)

2. Keeping it lean and clean, is not just a choice you get to make as owners. It is a matter of survival.

3. Have a business advisor or a mentor.
(Especially one with a knack for strategy, numbers and attention to detail. Things that we as creatives often think about as an after thought.)

4. Find ways to self motivate.
(The day to day running of the business will deplete you- mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As a result you will need to replenish your stores.)

5. If like my partner and I, you are in a 50/50 partnership and you also happen to be close friends, then you must know that your partnership is like a marriage. Simply put, it will require constant communication, constant work and if you are of the religious persuasion, constant prayer too. It is The most important element of your business. The better this relationship works, the better it is for your business...and of course for your sanity.

Year 2 has been fraught with potholes and detours. We danced to a tune neither of us was familiar with and we were stretched to the max. But we grew immensely and we also reached new depths in our knowledge of what it truly means to be business owners. Its been one heck of a year.

Thats all I will say for now.

If you haven't taken the leap yet, but have always wanted to- do it. And if you have no desire to pursue this course,that too is admirable. Here is to wishing you the courage to bring your vision to life. Whatever that vision may be! 😉