My business has taken different shapes and forms over the years. I’ve had a few “graduating” moments where it underwent a significant shift...
The most recent one being after my son was born. It caused me to reevaluate a lot of what I was doing and why. There were three clear signs I was ready to move away from DIYing everything and move to a more mature place with my business...
#1. My weaknesses were apparent
Weaknesses are inevitable. We can't be a jack of EVERY trade. When we're running our own business, we tend to carry a lot on our plate... from our product or service we offer to finances to design to social media to marketing to client communication and the list goes on and on and on...
Because we are so passionate about what we're doing, it's easy in the first phases to sacrifice and do whatever we have to to get to the next level. But eventually, when reality kicks in, and burnout sets in, something has to give.
For me, the client work was easy. I loved it and I thrived off of it. What I didn't love was the regular communication, the social media demands, and the financial nitty gritty...
So, eventually, my weak points became pretty obvious and it was dragging the potential of my business.
#2. I was wasting time and money
Especially after having my son, I realized I no longer had the luxury of spending extra time figuring everything out.
I was done YouTubing and googling how to perform every aspect of my business.
I knew not only what I was good at but also what was life giving and fulfilling for me to be doing. I also knew the things that left me depleted, tired and frustrated. I had a family and a life that I wanted to be present to and was no longer willing to sacrifice just so I could save a buck here and there because the truth is it actually didn’t...
It's easy to think doing everything yourself saves money but the truth is, it often wastes it. When we spend 10 hours figuring out how to do something it could take someone else 1 hour to complete, is that really saving us? One of the best things I did was sit down and do some hard math to figure out what my hour is worth. I did research to see what other people in my industry charge hourly, threw in years of experience and demand, and voilà, I had my magic number. It was then easy to make the decision to see if it actually was worth hiring someone or if I was better off doing it myself.
#3. I was holding myself back
I was at this point where I knew I was doing good work, I was getting positive feedback from clients and yet
I was still dealing with things that were holding me back.
I’d accept some clients that weren’t my ideal clients because I didn’t want to say no and loose out on a paying customer. I had projects that would take way too long and were draining. Clients that were abusing my time. I would accept projects that I didn't feel aligned with my values. I kept my rates too low. I was too accommodating...
Ultimately, I knew my business was capable of functioning at a higher level but I didn't know how to get there.
I was feeling frustrated and restless for a more mature version of my business.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. As I was feeling this restlessness, my sister brought up the idea of merging our two businesses and together we took a huge leap forward. After making that big shift, I no longer felt like I was wasting time or money. I didn't feel like I was holding myself back anymore. I was functioning at a higher standard and level than ever before.
And I know I'll have many more "graduating" moments in my business. As we all do. It's required of growth. Adaptability is one of the greatest skills we can have as entrepreneurs.
So, if you are feeling any or all of these signs... don't hesitate to reach out to us at Animella Brand and Design Agency. We'd love to help you get to the next step...
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