I feel like everyone always shouts from the rooftops what they’re doing really well.
But it’s easy to forget they made mistakes and learned lessons along the way. That’s a normal part of life and growth… but those things just don’t get shared as much as the successes 🤷🏼♀️
I don’t know if people see sharing mistakes as shameful or if we think people will judge us for it, but honestly, sharing my mistakes means YOU can learn so you won’t make the same mistakes!
And if we all have the mindset of community over competition, and teaching one another… the world would be a better place where we can ALL have more success.
That being said, I wanted to share with you 3 big business decisions I made early on that I would go back and change if I could.
Maybe you’re not as far along in your business journey as I am. Take the lessons I learned so YOU can do things differently!
1. Invest In a Paid Business Mentor Sooner
I did many free and low-cost courses, and I am grateful for anyone who was willing to teach me for free. This is not to say having a free mentor or coach is a bad thing – because it’s not!
But when you invest in a paid mentor, business coach, consultant, or whatever – you have more accountability. There’s a financial stake in the matter, and many times, money is the ultimate motivator.
Some of the jobs of a mentor or coach is to keep you accountable and on track, ask you your goals, help you think things through, and inform you about things you’re not as knowledgeable on. When you know that you’re spending $400, $800, $2000 a month on this mentor… that’s going to keep you really honest that you are ACTUALLY doing the work.
I also believe that you get what you pay for. There are a ton of bad apples out there. You really need to do your due diligence before you pay someone to be your mentor. But the right person really doesn’t cost you in the long run, because their help turns into revenue in your business.
I didn’t invest in a paid business mentor until year 4 of business, and I’d probably be much further along if I’d taken the leap in year 2 or 3.
2. Streamline My Offers Sooner
I would’ve streamlined my offers waaaaaay sooner… and by sooner, I mean BEFORE the year 2022 after being in business for 6 years 🙈
I wanted to say yes to everyone. I was doing way too many different types of services, and it was leaving me frazzled.
I wasn’t able to serve my clients at the premium level that I wanted without burning out, and I wasn’t able to dive in and be a true expert in any one area. I was splitting my time, and it was really, really stressful.
Now that I’ve streamlined my offers, I can focus purely on tax planning, advance tax strategy, and the tax preparation surrounding that. I am able to complete 60-80 hours of continuing education so I can stay up-to-date on knowledge for my clients, and constantly bring them better information than the year before – and that’s the whole goal.
This means that sometimes, I’m turning away clients who aren’t a good fit for my offer. I’m honest with them and tell them we’re not a good fit now (or maybe ever!).
3. Don’t Say “Yes” to Just Anyone
I said “yes” to any person who was willing to pay me in the first year of business – and it led to burnout, bad client fits, and missed revenue opportunities.
I was doing ALL the things. I was running around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to serve 25 clients – and they were probably paying a tenth of the service and value that they were getting (and that’s WHY I was burnt out!).
I think this comes from the insecurity of leaving a W-2 job with a steady paycheck. We have imposter syndrome and worry about the “what ifs?” of if our business doesn’t succeed.
But honestly? We just need to have confidence in ourselves. Most of the time, when we say “no,” a better opportunity typically opens up not long after.
So I’d really encourage you not to say yes to just anyone who’s willing to pay you. I know it’s really freakin’ scary to say no and turn down that money… but it’s worth it in the long run.
Wait for the right opportunities to come along… because most of the time, they do!
