Success.

Success is a complicated formula. Everybody has a different impression of what it is, what it looks like and when you know you are successful?

Starting a business is a goal for a lot of people. Although, it’s not for everybody. I recently spoke to a family member who was explaining how happy he was in his role, and under no circumstance would he consider taking a risk with his income, his life, and his family.

One of the most important attributes to possess when starting your own business is resilience.

No one else can see your vision of what you are trying to accomplish in the beginning. Some of your closest friends and family will try to put you off your dream. In my opinion it is because your dream is not their dream.

What I’ve learned.

Being self-employed since 2014 has taught me many things, about myself and those around me.

I have learned a lot since the beginning, and would like to give a few pointers to anyone planning to take the leap, taking away the safety net, and following their hearts.

1. Be careful where you get your advice. (Not everyone wants to see you succeed).
2. Being self-employed can be incredibly lonely. (Working late nights, and days on end by yourself. Make sure you organise time for coffee regularly, preferably with someone in the same boat as you.)
3. Listen to your gut.
4. Failing every now and again is inevitable. Accept it like a friend, who picks you up and tells you to try not to do that again. (You probably will).
5. Set yourself small achievable goals. (One of my goals was to make it to the end of the month with my account in the black!!! That took a while, but thankfully it happened.)
6. Build a team of referral partners. Trustworthy and professional who understand what you do.
7. Understand what you do. (Sounds simple? It sometimes isn’t easy to explain to others what you do. I struggled with this for a long time).
8. NEVER let one client be more than 30% of your business. (NEVER!!!!)
9. Your attitude will determine your outcome. (Approach every task with a positive outlook)
10. Be clear what success look like to you.
11. Play the long game. Be patient. (It takes 10 years to be an overnight success- Jeff Bezos).
12. Work hard.
13. Value your worth. (Not everyone will)
14. Be aware that a lot of people have champagne taste and beer money.
15. If you can help as many people as you can get what they want, you will get what you want.-Zig Ziglar
16. Remind yourself that we are always learning.
17. When you need help, ask.
18. Be careful with your time. (Not everyone’s priority is your priority).
19. Truth trumps everything.
20. Apologise when you should.

These are my opinions.

I’m sure I could go on and on, but these are the best pointers that I can offer. I hope this helps?

Brendan