The biggest mistake I’ve made as a business owner
I'm sitting here writing to you, feeling really proud and honoured. This week I'm celebrating 5 years in business. 5 years since I founded my company, Adesse. At times it's been pretty tough, no more so than the last few months, and I really wish I'd taken a photo on Day 1, so I could compare the grey hairs and wrinkles to how I look today.
"A posse ad esse" - from possibility into reality
My company is called 'Adesse' because I truly believe you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. I'm fully behind the 'art of the possible'. Bearing that in mind, I'd love to share with you ten massive lessons I've learned over the past 5 years of running my business (I think these apply whether you're running your own thing, or employed and trying to do the best you can).
1) Action leads to clarity. You're never going to have the perfect plan. Just keep taking the next right step, and the way will appear.
2) Find your tribe. You need people around you who will support you when things are going wrong, but also kick you up the bum and tell it to you straight. Shout out to Lean In Leeds, and The Collective: Female Leaders of Farsley.
I’m also a big fan of building networks - I founded a community called ‘Audacity - for values-led leaders and entrepreneurs’ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/audacityadesse/
My other passion is bringing together like-minded, values-led recruiters in The Authentic Recruiters’ Society - you can join us here
3) Innovate. Try new things, have fun, explore. You've taken the risks of being self-employed, so why not have some fun with it too. During lockdown I've launched 2 podcasts, taught myself to build a website, and am building a digital course.
4) Balance is a myth (initially). Many people set up their business for better work/life balance. In the beginning, you've got to graft. I work SO many hours - but the difference is, I love my work, it's my passion.
5) Sack your clients. BIG benefit of running your own company is that you get to work with people you share values with. Of course, you need to do an excellent job for clients, and if you've messed up, you need to move heaven and earth to fix it, but if a client is feeling more like an albatross than a joy to work with, maybe it's time to move on.
6) Boundaries. You need to get comfortable with tough conversations. With staff, with suppliers, with invoicing... Absolutely, collaborate and compromise, but recognise when something's not right and stand up for yourself.
7) Mindset is everything. Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right. And an even better quote, to paraphrase Zig Zigglar, "mindset is like a bath, you need to do it every day or you'll start to stink".
8) Everything is figureoutable. I believe to be successful, you've got to be a life-long learner, open to new ideas, and willing to grow every day. You've also got to back yourself, of course you're going to come up against challenges, but you've got to know in your bones you'll figure it out.
9) Start scrappy, scale when you can. Unless you've inherited millions, there's a certain pressure to make money quickly. I ran my business for the first 6 months on £140 p/m overheads (I won't tell you what it is now, but it's A LOT more). One of my favourite bits of being an entrepreneur is getting scrappy, and being able to do everything end-to-end myself (see: podcast recording, editing, producing etc.). When you can, and as you scale, invest and get bigger and better.
10) Strive to work in your zone of genius, not excellence. Running a recruitment company for me is in my zone of excellence (I have a great track record, and reputation, people come to me and ask for my help). HOWEVER, coaching is my purpose, my fire, my genius. Helping people live values-driven, authentic lives, and be all they can be is such a privilege. Ignoring this calling for so long was the biggest mistake I've ever made.
Thanks for being with me on my journey so far, I can't wait for the next chapter.
Claire