It’s not easy to start a new business from the ground up but if you are passionate about it, it’s definitely possible. There are a lot of struggles, and you will make some mistakes along the way. I did. But there is one mistake you should avoid at all cost. The biggest mistake I made as a small business owner.
When people decide to open an online shop such as Etsy sellers, to become full-time bloggers, to start their own private practice, or any type of small business really, they want to do what they are passionate about, what they care about. They have an entrepreneurial mind and they are looking to do what they love for a living.
Mistakes are bound to happen. But millions of entrepreneurs have made mistakes you can learn from.
One of the main one, for instance, is not viewing your endeavor as a true business journey. If you are trying to turn your passion into a money-making entity, you have to view it as a business and not just as something you enjoy doing. In other words, stop viewing it as a passion. It doesn’t mean that you can’t love what you are doing, it means that you have to become an entrepreneur and learn all aspects of it, whether you like it or not. To make a small business work, treat it as is, put the work in, and you will succeed.
You will need to surmount a lot of obstacles on your entrepreneurial journey. However, the one biggest mistake I ever made as a small business owner is this:
Thinking I wasn’t good enough.
It holds you back
Why would people buy my art, I’m not that good?
I’ve had that thought before. There are so many talented artists out there, how could I ever compete? Maybe you make jewelry on Etsy. Jewelry is an over-saturated market on that website for handmade goods. But how do you think the top-sellers made it? They worked hard, they kept trying, they put themselves out there. And they succeeded. Thinking you are not good enough is the biggest mistake to avoid.
How will you know until you tried? If it doesn’t work the first time, try again harder, get better at what you do, push the boundaries further. Don’t compare yourself to others. You should see the first paintings I ever made, oh my god they were terrible!
When I started, I barely had anyone interested in my art. But you know what? I kept trying, I got better and I found my style. I still have a long long way to go but hey, the journey is what it’s all about right? The biggest mistake I made as a small business owner is the one thing that really held me back in the beginning.
You loose focus
You will start juggling with tasks, changing your mind, and losing your confidence. Running a small business is tough and focus is important. You have to take care of the task at hand and work your way through the maze one step at a time. Concentrate on what you want to accomplish and don’t worry about the rest. If you don’t believe you can make it then you never will.
You end up underpricing
As a small business owner whose brand new to the game, it’s too easy to underprice your products, especially if you don’t think you’re good enough. Don’t overcharged either of course, but you have to ask for a price that reflects the quality of what you do. Make your product as perfect as possible, and charge accordingly. It’s always good to check out the competition but don’t measure yourself to them. If they do something better than you, then find a way to do it differently so you have an edge.
Take my custom pet portraits. Do you know how many incredibly talented pet portraits artists there are out there? I could never compete if I imitated them! My angle? A colorful, abstract, fun style. I don’t try to be too realistic. I try to infuse the pet’s personality in the painting through color splashes. I love working with colors and I believe this is what I am good at, so I chose to concentrate on that.
Get a custom pet portrait of your fur baby in my Etsy shop!
Find your angle.
Know your value.
Think positive
I could have started my art business years earlier if I hadn’t made the mistake of thinking I couldn’t make it as an independent creative entrepreneur. That’s really the biggest mistake I ever made as a small business owner.
Now, I sell artworks on a regular basis in my online shops and I have a partnership with iCanvas, who works with artists on publishing their art prints on their website and other major retailers, and hopefully that’s only the beginning!
I made a lot of mistakes down the line and I know I will make some more, nobody is perfect, and mistakes are how you learn and improve. But you should avoid that one at all cost. It’s the one thing to fend off if you want to make it as an artist, or as an entrepreneur.
The biggest mistake I made as a small business owner was to think I wasn’t good enough.
Never think you are not good enough.
You are.
I’m guilty of not thinking positively. I tend to always think the worst, and that’s a habit that I need to change!
It’s a tough habit to break but you can do it!
A great post and just what I needed to read today! Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. Bold words really. Kind of brave to share it. Appreciated the post.
Thank you!
Thinking and staying positive is always hard, but glad you can recognize and identify it!
It is! I know I can’t always be positive but I try!
I appreciate this post so much. Even though it’s really hard to stay positive all the time, reminding it makes a good job.
I agree, sometimes I have to remind myself to hope for the best instead of dreading the worst.
Know your value – I couldn’t agree with you more! Thanks for sharing your experiences, and I hope you finally achieve your business goal this year. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this insightful post. Made me think a lot and be positive.
I’m glad it helped!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Reminding everybody to stay positive is really something that can save someone’s day.
Thank you! I hope so!
I am so guilty of this. Thank you for sharing and for reminding me I am worth it. Amazing stuff
You can do anything if you put your mind to it 😉
There are many mistakes you can make, but I think an even bigger mistake is not learning from them.
Very true!
A lot of the times we forget how awesome we are and let fear take over. Never let fear take the wheel. you’re better than that.
Very well said!
There’s nothing more powerful than changing your mindset. You’d be surprised how much you can get from thinking positive.
I completely agree! The power of the mind is impressive!
Wow, you are so talented! These are such encouraging and helpful words for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Thank you!
There are so many aspects of a business that are important to be aware of in order to be successful. This post is really helpful! Thanks for sharing
Thank you!
these are all things to make sure we avoid. it is a process of learning and most especially patience.
Yes, patience is very important!
I’ve definitely made some of these mistakes in the past and these are really useful tips for me. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome! 😉
These are some of my mistakes I made as well as a blogger including really under pricing myself because I thought I was not good enough or did not have enough readership.
You’re totally right. It’s easy to lose focus when working alone and nothing having a reminder person. 🙂
Yes I think so too!
This is such a useful post but I think it’s important to make mistakes as it allows you to learn from them and grow.
Very true, mistakes are how you learn and they are not necessarily a bad thing.
These are definitely things any business owner needs to think about and always stay positive!
Positivity is so important in my opinion!