As 2022 comes to a close, Founder and managing director Adele Slater takes time to reflect on the first six months in business and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Make a schedule and try to stick to it.

When I started working for myself, I felt an odd sense of freedom – not too dissimilar to how Kevin felt in Home Alone. There's no one here to tell me what to do. Do I want to get my nails done at 10 am on a Tuesday? Binge-watch TV for 3 hours before heading back to the office – just you watch me.

This lasted for about two weeks until wedding season took over, and holidays and weekends became a thing of the past. Friends and family would worry and raise their concerns as I napped on their sofa, and some would even deliver food parcels to ensure I still ate a balanced diet. But, unsurprisingly, within three months of hard graft, I soon felt burnt out.

This was my first lesson. It's important to schedule time for yourself when launching a new business. Social media has created a 'hustle' culture, where people feel pressured into working 24/7 and not taking time to relax. This is not healthy! And if you ask most sensible business owners, they'll agree that it's not sustainable either.

Done is better than perfect.

As a type A person, I used to hate this quote. Why would you want to publish something that isn't perfect? Everything that you do is a reflection of your brand. So, when it came to launching my brand and telling the wider world what I've been up to, I dragged my heels.

I’d already won work by recommendations and previous relationships, so launching my brand didn’t seem as urgent as it would have if I’d been sat worrying about work.

I soon realised that not having a website and a digital presence was much more damaging than promoting a stripped-back website. So, with a deep breath and some words of encouragement from my best friend, I launched my site and began promoting my business.

Surround yourself with good people.

If I were to rank the importance of my lessons learned, this would be top of the list. You must be surrounded by good people when you start up on your own.

Yes, in business, it's good to be surrounded by well-connected or intelligent people, both of which I am fortunate to have in my immediate circle. But there’s nothing better than surrounding yourself with like-minded people who will support you through the more challenging days (of which there are many).

Invest in expert advice.

Pay someone who knows what they are doing. Seriously! Doing it all yourself is a false economy.

Parting with your hard-earned cash can seem daunting when you've just started up and are solely responsible for securing the work that pays your bills. I understand because I used to be the same.

But as I became busier, I soon realised that I didn’t have the time to try and teach myself new IT skills or develop my accountancy knowledge. 

Paying a professional to help is the best thing you can do for your business. As experts in their field, they will finish the work quickly and to a higher standard than if you did it yourself.

Take time to celebrate the wins.

Starting your own business is one of the most challenging things you can do. Anyone who tells you differently is lying to you. But it's also one of the most rewarding. Take some time to reflect on all you've achieved. Celebrate the wins when they happen. You're doing something courageous, and whether you realise it or not, your friends and family are incredibly proud of you.