Birthday reflections as CMC turns 12
❗️Mini milestone alert❗️ – CMC is now 12 years old!
Naturally another excuse for cake, but also a chance to reflect and refresh. As a result, the CMC rebrand finally made it to the top of the to do list earlier this year and has been progressing in the background - all will be revealed soon.
During the branding process, I’ve reflected on some of the broader things I’ve learnt and enjoyed about running a business so far. The learning continues, but here are some of my ‘lessons’ to date:
1️⃣ Doing as much as possible yourself may be necessary when you first get going, but quickly becomes a false economy. My business grew more quickly, and I worked more effectively, when I started outsourcing activities such as bookkeeping, admin and design to experts in those fields.
2️⃣ There’s a huge emphasis on networking to build sales leads, but developing networks that enable you to deliver great results are just as crucial. The relationships I’ve built with associates and suppliers have not only enabled me to do more for my clients, but have made my work life far more fun – I’ve learnt loads and built lasting friendships as a result.
3️⃣ Business can often portrayed as ‘dog eat dog’ but that’s not been my experience. Look in the right places and you’ll find an abundance of support, guidance and learning with people willing to share their experiences and help you on your way. The CommsHero community and Comms Creatives Facebook group are great examples of this.
4️⃣ Running your own micro business doesn’t automatically lead to a successful work life balance. Yes, I’ve been able to plan work around family commitments, but there have been plenty of late nights, weekend and holiday working along the way. Getting the balance right is a constant challenge – just don’t take as long as I did to realise that the world will keep turning if you don’t look at emails for a week!
5️⃣ Being clear about what you want to achieve and staying true to your own values makes for happier outcomes. Success means different things to different people. Starting out, my goal was to do interesting and challenging work, with people I enjoy working with, while being able to pick my children up from school. These days it’s more about finding time for university open days and providing taxi services, but the principle of doing great work with great people still holds true.
Do any of these learning points resonate? Let me know what you’ve learnt on your business journey so far – and any tips for my next 12 years - by adding your comments here to my LinkedIn post
#business #milestone #learning