 | 21 THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS YEAR | | | | | The very last post of 2011 ... | Posted on 30/12/2011 @ 08:30 |
So this is the last blog post of 2011 and, of course, it has to be mine doesn't it? In my Merry Christmas post on slogit.com itself i've already said a lot about how pleased I was to see my idea grow and develop over the past 12 months, and I also looked to the future regarding my plans. So what else can I say?
 wishing you a very happy new year and we'll see you in 2012
As an entrpreneur you have to be open minded, you have to find people you can learn from then you need to listen to them. It's up to you if you implement their teachings, but the important thing is that your knowledge base keeps on expanding. Something that isn't very important right now may well click into place with something you learn in the future, so never discard any information imparted to you!
As i've already said a lot of stuff about the past, present and future on recent posts I thought I'd give you a list of the top 21 things I've learned this year and give you a short explanation of why it was useful to me. So in some sort of loose, possibly even random order:
- Money isn't the reason to build a business ...
Surely money is the motivation behind all business so why am i saying that mad thing? To me, having lots of money means I don't have to worry, but it's not the be all and end all to me. Yes, I want nice things and a comfortable lifestyle but it's the challenge of building something great that I'm in it for. You have to get your priorities right and figure out exactly why you're in business and what the end result of any project is. It's the challenges of the journey that turns me on and my end result will be the satisfaction that I built something great. Yeah, ok, huge amounts of money will be nice, but as I said, that's not my motivator.
- A social life is really important ...
I really do work a lot. I think that at the beginning of the project I was working a lot more than I am now, but maybe it's just that I've got used to it so it's more natural to me? However, I do prescribe to the "work hard, play hard" mantra and if I want to go out at the weekend and party until the sun comes up I will do. My weekends are my own and I do what I want with them. It is very imporant to spend time with your friends and family and have some fun.
- Time for yourself is even more important ...
Equally, some weekends I just want to switch off and eat pizza in bed. I have neck problems due to a car accident years ago and sitting in front of a computer all day tightens my shoulders and strains my neck, which can give me headaches. I've found that taking a couple of hours in the middle of the day and just relaxing - whether that is reading, watching a film or even taking a power nap - keeps you fresh and focussed - even if you know you'll be working until midnight as I usually do. This translates to an entire weekend very nicely!
- You don't have to follow the rules ...
Why should I have to follow the accepted rules of commerce? 30 day terms? I'm sorry ... for a small business that's just wrong and I refuse to work like that! Our clients have to pay within 7 days or else we switch off their blog! Although I like nothing more than to dress up and be the centre of attention, my usual business attire includes jeans and no-one will ever change that. Now ok, there are different rules in different industries, but I'd rather be seen as a crazy CEO than a stuffy one. Personality and confidence has a lot to do with getting away with being a business bad girl, and the more you've got, the more you can set your own rules. I'll even go to business meetings on my motorbike if I get the chance! Well, why not?
- Business networking really works ...
I was sceptical about business networking when I first started my company. To be honest, I was terrified of it to the point of shaking during my stand-up 30 second intros, but experience pays off and now I can even do full-on 20 minute presentations at networking events. So don't hide away ... find some networking events and get your face out there. And if you need a business networking mentor, then give me a call because I understand your fear!
- Embrace your awesomeness ...
This ties in with business networking, but really has to show in everything you do. Awesomeness! Live it, show it in everything you do, let your customers, prospects and entire business nework know how awesome and brilliant and passionate you are about what you do. And stay that way. It doesn't matter if things are going wrong ... You have to be awesome, all of the time. To the outside world there is no room for negativity!
- Don't give it away ...
Well you got into business to build something great didn't you? Or possibly it's about the money with you? It doesn't matter. Although you may have to give a few freebies in the early stages of your business you have to know when to draw the line and stop doing it. What you do has value doesn't it? Get paid what you're worth and don't ever compromise yourself just to get a deal.
- Always take responsibility ...
This is a lesson that was brought home to me very sharply this year. Everything that happens in my business is my responsibility. I'm not going to talk further about this for fear of letting slips some company secrets but believe me, the owner of the business is 100% responsible and the only way to resolve a situation is to stand up and go "yeah my fault, i'm sorry, now how can we fix this?". It's far better than burying your head in the sand , hoping an issue will either go away or resolve itself.
- Balance the technician, the manager & the entrepreneur ...
Many of us start a company because we believe we can do it better than the people we're employed by. We have a huge flash of entrepreneurial brilliance, then fall into the trap of creating just another job for ourselves and never moving forward. That's our inner technicians fault. It get's comfortable doing the work and forgets that our inner manager needs to do the accounts and organise things or that our inner entrepreneur needs to go out and sell. Keep it balanced ... Let all the 'roles' inside you have their turn.
- Always get it in writing ...
Never, ever take someone's word that you've got the deal. I learned this lesson years ago but forgot and did a load of work for a new client who changed their mind right at the last minute. I was absolutely furious and it made me create our interim design agreement where a client agrees to pay one months fees should they pull out before a blog goes live. I always get it in writing now!
- Be honourable, honest & keep your integrity ...
It's difficult to quantify honour, honesty and integrity. You either know what these qualities are or you don't. You either have them or you don't. I've turned business down this year because I was given caveats I couldn't share with my business partners. The Cashflow into the business would have been epic, but the fact I would have had to act dishonorably meant I turned the work down. If you don't have these qualities then you may still reach the top, but I don't want to do business with you.
- Keep evolving or you'll stagnate ...
My company is a website and I'm constantly adding new features and functions that enhance both our visitors and our clients' experiences. I could have drawn the line in June when I said, naively "it's finished" ... Erm, no it's not ... sblogit.com will never, ever be finished! There is always some new idea to build into it and the same can be said about any business. Innovate or die!
- If you're not growing, you're shrinking ...
This is a bit of a no brainer really. Don't be happy with your current client base! Go out there and get more, and more ... and more! You will lose clients organically and if you're not getting more clients to replace them you're shrinking until eventually you'll pop out of existence. The only way is to grow, isn't it?
- If there's a problem, deal with it face to face ...
In any relationship - either business or personal - problems will crop up. However, you have a choice how you deal with them. If it is that important to you, swallow the ego and deal with it face-to-face. Fix the problem immediately - so there's a positive outcome or good compromise for both parties - and move on. Email and text messages have no soul and it's easy to turn a bit of a squabble into a huge, explosive row. The telephone isn't much better because you can't see body language.
- Don't be afaid to ask for money ...
Why are the British so afraid? Just ask why don't you? I'm lucky because all my clients know the concequences of not paying and it's important that their blogs keep getting fresh content, but if someone owes you money, don't be afraid to ask for it back. Even if it's in instalments - it's better than collapsing through stagnant cashflow isn't it?
- Every client is your friend ...
Ah, the golden rule. The Customer is King! Roaaaar! Well yes, but that means you do exactly what the customer wants you to do and I don't feel that is good for the company. The best business relationship is one where your friends with your client because you respect them and they respect you. You can always work out a deal with a friend, but if you need to bow down and compromise on price or value just to please your client then it's probaly not worth doing business with them. Is that me being a bad girl again? Seriously, be friends with them and you'll reap the rewards.
- Find your niche and stay focussed on it ...
I see lots of business people trying one thing, not seeing immediate returns, then putting the first thing on hold whilst they go off and do something new that they hope will bring in instant reward. Why? That's madness ... If you're really, really good at something and totally passionate about it, then stick with it through thick and thin. I'm defining an entire industry with sblogit.com and still think I'm ahead of the curve by about 2 years. That's why I have a five year plan. I will not, under any circumstances, take my focus off business blogging. The world will catch me up eventually!
- Build a self replicating machine ...
Build a living machine capable of being replicated over and over. Define all of the parts, procedures, rules and results, find what works and be willing to tweak the cogs to make them more and more efficient. In my machine, you feed in raw thoughts and out come finished blog posts. It works in the UK and once it's tweaked enough it'll work around the world too! Whatever you feed in, if what comes out of it is what the client asked for then you're onto a winner!
- Know your strengths, understand your weaknesses ...
I'm an awesome web developer. I'm an excellent editor, i'm a good entrepreneur. These things are all true. I will be brilliant at editing and "entrepreneurialism" one day, however I'm still learning. Because I know my strengths i can use them to my advantage, but as I also know my weaknesses, I surround myself with people who are good at the things I'm not good at. Understand your own strengths and weaknesses then put a team around you to do the things you're not very good at.
- Find people you admire and model them ...
This is an NLP premise called 'modelling' that means you can take the things you like about people you admire and integrate those qualities into your own world. I admire leaders like Richard Branson and Steve Jobs and look for ways to add their methods of success into my own persona. Equally, you can admire qualities in friends, family or people you meet in everyday life too. There's nothing wrong with modelling them so don't be scared to try new behaviours because if what works for them works for you - sometimes with a little modification - then that will only result in a positive outcome for you won't it? I'm modelling one particular person right now and integrating their behaviours and attitudes have resulted in a massive change in me over the past year and I'm very, very happy about the end results. Thanks lovely :)
- Believe in yourself and your abilities ...
And finally, the most important thing to me is my total self belief. I know sblogit.com will be a worldwide brand within a few years and I will be it's CEO. I know I'm an attractive, likeable, interesting and knowledgeable human being that people want to be around. Is that bordering on arrogance or possibly narcissism? I'd like to say no, but i suppose all entrepreneurs feel that way about themselves. How could we function otherwise? How could we chase our dreams and follow our passion? Having self confidence means that you'll push yourself harder and hang in there longer. It will help you to find the light in your darkest hour and will let you overcome the obstacles that present themselves along your journey to greatness. In my world, there is no other way to function.
So there you go ... 21 things I've learned this year and a short-ish explaination of each of them. I do hope you've read this far and that you found value in my words and may even have learned something new. Please do leave me a comment below and tell me what you've learned yourself this year.
And as this is the very last blog post on the sblogit.com network for 2011, let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy New Year, thank you very much for reading our clients posts, and we'll be back in 2012 with more great writing from our awesome clients!
Love, light & logic ... 
STEFFI LEWIS
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"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead :)" | |
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