So I just thought I would record a little conversation about starting a business and the things that I've learned and I just wanted to share them with you because I wish I would have had some guidance like this before I started my business.
So whether you're in the early stages of putting everything together or it's just a dream right now,
I want to encourage you first of all that the energy and the effort that you put into it,
You really will reap what you sow.
I,
For myself,
Prayed a lot during the start of my business and I entrusted my business to God.
And there were so many decisions that I made that went against probably what the world would tell me.
And it was very challenging.
It went against my flesh.
It went against,
I guess,
What you could call the norm.
And to this day I still operate that way and it has been so incredible to see how God works when I listen to him even above myself.
There have been so many times I could have pursued an invoice or taken someone to court or fought a battle that probably would have ended up stressing me out and ending nowhere.
And so I am just so grateful for.
.
.
The times when I listened to God and how much it humbled me.
And how much he has blessed me in my business endeavors and I just want to share with you today some things that I've learned.
First and foremost,
I live in Southern California so there are free resources for you if you do live in Southern California that have helped me so incredibly.
And it's essentially like a business coach,
But it's completely free.
And the people that they fit you with,
That they match you with,
Are extremely qualified and they're experts in their field.
And so it's kind of like having a little army behind you to help you scale your business,
Build your business,
Give you valuable insights,
And kind of hold your hand along the way.
The name of the resource is called OCIE SBDC and if you don't live in California there may still be resources like this where you live and you can just look online and research and see if there's you know,
Essentially business coaching,
Business consulting.
Through the state,
Through the government.
So that's one resource that really helped me scale my business and continue to maximize my profit and to have goals and to keep accountable.
Like that's the biggest thing that I think is difficult as a business owner because you're wearing so many different hats you're the manager you're the owner you're the employee sometimes so you're in so many different roles and it's really hard to stay accountable essentially to yourself you know so I really enjoyed having a partner,
A business consultant to helped me along the way,
And.
.
.
You know,
It also helps to exchange ideas.
It keeps you feeling collaborative and creative.
It just helps to have conversations with other creatives and other experts.
I think the other thing that I learned that I wish I would have known beforehand is how important it is to have a very strong contract in place,
A contract that you and your client will sign protecting you and protecting them so that there's no confusion,
There's no misinformation,
There's no misunderstandings.
Unfortunately,
I had to learn the hard way and I had a client one time who believed that I had copied her logo design and her brand design for another client.
And it wasn't the case.
She hired an attorney and tried to sue me.
I had to hire an attorney to defend myself and thankfully the case was dropped because it was completely false but it was really really really stressful and really expensive and I could have avoided that entire situation if my contract were more clear and if I would have said I can contract with as many people who I want in whatever industry I want,
That would have saved me money,
Stress,
Time.
That's another thing I just want to say I found really important.
Even if it does cost a little bit.
Of an expense for your business to find.
A solid expert who can help you write up your contract,
I definitely recommend doing that.
I didn't go to school for business,
So I had to learn kind of everything on my own,
And I'm still learning.
I'm sure there are still things that I can uncover that I'm not doing to 100% best of my ability.
But one thing that I learned about doing my books and bookkeeping and having a CPA is how important it is for you to understand taxes and your write-offs,
Your expenses.
So I would just recommend making sure that you're very educated on that.
You can find courses online.
You can hire a CPA to consult with you and give you best practices and go through your books and audit them and see what you're doing well,
What you could be,
You know,
Maybe writing off more.
And also thinking about your retirement.
You know,
Are you.
.
.
Are you saving for your retirement?
Are you paying yourself?
You know,
How do you want to set up your business?
There are so many different ways you can set up a business and you need to know the right way to set up your business to protect you and for you to meet the goals that you have for yourself and for your future.
So those are just some thoughts I have today.
If you have any feedback for me,
Any other information you want me to share,
I would love to provide another talk,
Another chat,
So feel free to leave a message for me,
Feel free to write me a review,
And I wish you the very best with what you have ahead,
And I'm excited if you are starting something for what's to come.
It's such an amazing journey being a business owner,
And I love how much it afforded me the lifestyle that I wanted,
Which was to spend time with my family,
Me.
And I think it's really important that you also get clear on what your goals are so that you can set up your business in a way to reflect that and to align with your lifestyle goals.
So thank you so much for listening and God bless you.
