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Starting a New Business: The Trouble, Strife and Triumph, Month Thirteen
Guest blog post by new entrepreneur Natasha Spencer. She is doing a monthly column for us, sharing the trials and tribulations she encounters while starting a new business. Read about Month 12 here.
February has certainly been a month of highs. On the 9th February, I celebrated my first year anniversary of going solo! Lots of folks say the first year is the hardest so I’m feeling confident that I can make it through the second. Here’s to year two! And if that wasn’t enough, on the 10th February I officially became a Prince’s Trust supported business! February has been one of those strange months where I made business progress without necessarily realizing it but it was not all easy sailing.
I realized that as I’d spent the entire year focusing on getting clients, making happy clients and continuing the cycle, I’d neglected to do the exact things I offer my clients for myself. Ironic, isn’t it? I’ve heard it’s not as uncommon you might think. Businesses, both new and established, have spent years building up a reputation based on doing a good job that sprucing up their website drops to the bottom of their to-do list because paid work is taking precedent.
But for year two, I'm making my website my focus. They’ll be no end of updates on this, I’m sure! I’m hoping that the second year doesn’t live up to its ‘terrible twos’ moniker.
For almost a decade now, I’ve gone on and on about my intentions to travel and while I’ve gone on some incredible holidays, I’ve always yearned for more. Some may say greedy, I say determined. And while strife does play its part, as everyone may not support this way of doing business, I am writing this remotely so why not continue starting a new business while abroad for say a few weeks at a time? With my lofty ambitions and books under my arm, that is what I did in February. On the 17th, I set off for Venice and I’m currently in Florence sitting in a little coffee shop watching the world go by. To think that little over a year ago, I was doing a three to four hour daily commute to travel to and from my little office cubicle, things are looking good.
For more trouble, strife and triumph in the world of a true start-up, come back next month for the latest news from me as I encounter highs and lows as I’m starting this new business.
February has certainly been a month of highs. On the 9th February, I celebrated my first year anniversary of going solo! Lots of folks say the first year is the hardest so I’m feeling confident that I can make it through the second. Here’s to year two! And if that wasn’t enough, on the 10th February I officially became a Prince’s Trust supported business! February has been one of those strange months where I made business progress without necessarily realizing it but it was not all easy sailing.
TROUBLE
- Website woes
I realized that as I’d spent the entire year focusing on getting clients, making happy clients and continuing the cycle, I’d neglected to do the exact things I offer my clients for myself. Ironic, isn’t it? I’ve heard it’s not as uncommon you might think. Businesses, both new and established, have spent years building up a reputation based on doing a good job that sprucing up their website drops to the bottom of their to-do list because paid work is taking precedent.
But for year two, I'm making my website my focus. They’ll be no end of updates on this, I’m sure! I’m hoping that the second year doesn’t live up to its ‘terrible twos’ moniker.
STRIFE and TRIUMPH
- Change in direction
For almost a decade now, I’ve gone on and on about my intentions to travel and while I’ve gone on some incredible holidays, I’ve always yearned for more. Some may say greedy, I say determined. And while strife does play its part, as everyone may not support this way of doing business, I am writing this remotely so why not continue starting a new business while abroad for say a few weeks at a time? With my lofty ambitions and books under my arm, that is what I did in February. On the 17th, I set off for Venice and I’m currently in Florence sitting in a little coffee shop watching the world go by. To think that little over a year ago, I was doing a three to four hour daily commute to travel to and from my little office cubicle, things are looking good.
For more trouble, strife and triumph in the world of a true start-up, come back next month for the latest news from me as I encounter highs and lows as I’m starting this new business.