I am a recovering introvert and reluctant solopreneur. I started my business in 2015 because the path I was on dead ended, and I had to figure out a new road.
>> The long read on that career change
Along the way, I have made plenty of mistakes in my business. Among them:
tried to be everything for everyone
become caught up in what my competitors were doing
wore the title "introvert" to avoid networking
waited too long to invest in people and tools to help me grow
held back ideas for fear of alienating someone
Many of my early mistakes were technical and came from being new in business. However, most of these were based in fear. Fear of spending money, taking risks, or doing something that looked radically different. Fear that there wasn't enough opportunity.
So how can you avoid these common mistakes?
Business Process
First, let's begin with the easiest one: processes or systems for your business. Start with the areas of your business that feel messy. Are there places you are duplicating efforts? Does onboarding an employee or client feel stressful? Are you constantly shuffling deadlines or appointments?