I have a nugget of knowledge for those looking to start a business or who are already in business and feel like they are hitting a brick wall. That nugget is, Don’t Give Up!
You may look at my website and at all of my social media and say, “Wow! She is doing it big!” To tell you the truth, some weeks I may have some big sells, others I may not have anything. That’s just the way business is. While it has its ebbs and flows, it doesn’t stop me from doing what I love. Honestly, it took years to build it to where it is now. Some people I’ve seen, give up on the first try, or they try some “quick and easy” way to make money. Been there, done that. 🙋🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️ I’m sure we all have, but you can’t do that because it’s a short lived thing. And you’re going to find yourself continuing to run and chase the next quick idea. If you have done this, use it as a lesson.
Listen, you have to give your business time to do something, then you make small tweaks and adjustments if something isn’t working. I re-branded myself twice. The first time I did it on my own. I redesigned my website, changed my logo, started using all of these different apps to help me post on all of my social media several times a day…while working a full-time career with a family. I’m tired boss! 😫 I didn’t like it so much so I went back to my original logo and started doing some vendor fairs. That was exciting for a while, but then it turned into focusing on making stuff for the different events, chasing the next event, and making my booth fee back. Last month, I hired a freelancer to help me to rebrand myself. I think it was the best choice I made so far. It speaks to who I am and what my business is about and helps me stay true to myself. I still have work to do as far as marketing, but that part is going to come. How do I know? I know because I’m not going to give up.
Some people are lucky and hit the jackpot with that perfect niche and the perfect following. Congratulations to them! 🎉🎉🎉 I love seeing people win! But, we are not in competition with them…I repeat, We are not in competition with them. We compete with ourselves. We have our own visions and our own why’s and our own way of doing what we love. The only thing that should be the same across the board is staying true to ourselves and having the don’t quit mentality. Don’t quit and stay consistent.
I used to look at the number of followers people had and at all of the Tiktok videos…That stuff doesn’t matter to me anymore. I tried the followers thing. Please don’t do it. If you do or did, chalk it up as a lesson. You end up with so many followers that aren’t even real, or not even in your country, or definitely not in the market you are trying to reach and sell to. Or they have no interest in whatever you are trying to say or do. You end up talking to either yourself or other people that are doing the same thing and have no interest. Don’t do it, please. The clean up is a beast!