Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. Nor is pursuing any vision you have for your life. Following your dreams involves considerable learning and preparation. Believing in yourself is where it begins.
From there, know that lessons will be learned. There are ebbs and flows of money, people and joy. Following your heart’s desire makes it easier, not easy. The life lessons are invaluable no wonder what endeavor you strive to achieve.
Here are the lessons I learned along the way:
1 Go for your dreams.
Have a plan for your life and your dream. I worked part-time for an old boss doing auditing for almost a year before I made a living in my business.
2. Starting a business is not done in a day.
A business plan takes time to create. Gathering resources and equipment to do your business is critical and time consuming. Allow a period of time to unfold rather than thinking you are starting your business on the day you decide to establish it.
3. Know who your supporters are.
My parents had taken the leap thirty years before me. So, I knew when I went to complain or was stressed about this undertaking, they would listen. They may not understand the details of my profession, but they had been there. (Unlike another relative who had told me, “Get a job then,” when I vented at the kitchen table. She had not ever been a part of a small business.) Experience makes the greatest supporters.
4. Build a network.
Gratefully, right off I was welcomed into an informal group of wonderful women who were all fabulous Certified Financial Planners. Were they competition? Maybe but not really. We were all different and supportive of each other and referred to each other. That experience led me to New England Women’s Business Owners (NEWBO) where I met other women in different careers but sharing the same challenges.
5. Get experience.
Before I started my own financial consulting business, I worked for two other firms that did financial planning. They may not have been the best paying jobs but the experience I received helped me be clear on how I wanted to work and what was important for the vision of the business.
6. Seek an education.
In graduate school, I learned the importance of a business plan. Laying down on paper what I wanted to do created clarity. In addition, already having attained a Certified Financial Planner designation gave me, and therefore my new business, credibility from the get go.
For me, owning a business has been an honor because of the people I serve.
Go for your dream. Be Practical. Be Patient.