I think most of us enter into entrepreneurship with a common goal: to take charge of our lives. But most small business owners will share that this is often not the case. If you’re not careful, work begins to creep into every facet of life. Before you know it, your business is running you…
Answering emails during personal hours. Working late nights. Trading weekends with your family just to stay on track with projects. Sound familiar? I’ve been there, too, and fortunately, I have found a better way.
Through 11+ years of experience and much trial and error, I have learned and developed practical ways to streamline, simplify, and up-level my business… without compromising time with my family or creating more work for myself. Today, I am sharing some of my secrets and offering you my support on your journey…
1. Create a Flexible Plan
Before Spencer was born, my business looked sooo different. Truth be told, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to juggle both motherhood and entrepreneurship. Once Spencer was born, my routine was completely thrown off, and he was now the boss. Without a flexible plan, those early feelings of worry and guilt may have resulted in a different outcome. With my flexible plan, I gained wisdom, and clarity, and developed a strategy that exponentially grew my business (and myself).
So, before jumping into the fine details of your business, organize your thoughts and prioritize only your main goals (I like to focus on no more than three at a time). Then, stay focused only on what will move your business toward those goals, not the extras begging for your attention. It’s difficult to do, but when you have a plan, spotting what is actually worth your time and what isn’t becomes a lot easier. Lastly, be flexible.
2. Prioritize Your Life
It can become second nature for busy entrepreneurs to put their health and happiness on the backburner without realizing it. Unfortunately, this will have long-lasting effects on both your personal life and your career. By prioritizing your life first, you will experience deep fulfillment, success, and increased creativity that you can pour back into your business.
For me, this looks like taking time for a morning walk before starting my workday, leaving the office at 4 pm to have dedicated time with Spencer, and not working on the evenings or weekends. Plus, our office is closed on Fridays, so I can take care of personal projects rather than having them take up my entire weekend. As an overachiever, this was a very hard adjustment, but I couldn’t be happier with the impactful results.
3. Seek Guidance & Support
Entrepreneurship has the potential to be either a lonely journey or an enlightening experience. Ultimately, the choice is yours. At the beginning of Staci Edwards Interior Design, I struggled with having enough time and funds to continue moving forward. However, after seeking guidance from inspiring coaches, mentors, and masterminds, I saw incredible growth and gained insightful knowledge that brought me where I am today.
Oftentimes I will get asked, “Staci, how do you do it all?” The truth is that it has taken thoughtful actions, considerable time, and valuable resources to get where I am today. But after developing efficient systems and processes for both of my businesses (I also own a sewing and upholstery workroom), I have found happiness and freedom — and I genuinely want the same for you. This is the reason I started my 8-week mentorship program!
My 8-Week Mentorship for Creative Entrepreneurs
In my 1-on-1 mentorship program, I help you sift through the chaos of running a business to give you clarity, wisdom, and actionable steps that will take you to your unique goals. This is not cookie-cutter advice. This is 8-weeks of personalized mentorship designed to help your business, your life, and your unique needs.
Together, we can address some of the most difficult questions in business, like how to:
- Price your goods or services
- Increase profit and your free time
- Know which ideas to prioritize to grow effectively
- Identify ideal services and your best marketing channels
- Make sales with confidence
- Plan for maternity leave
- Launch a new business without costly mistakes
- Create smooth, high-end, replicable processes (that your team can manage)
- Build a business that supports you and the life you want to live
- Guidance on creating efficient systems, streamlined processes, and increased sales
- Support for your freedom, flexibility, and happiness
If you’re in the early stages of starting your creative business, or you’re ready to take back control, I’d love to support you. Book a complimentary discovery call, and let’s see if it’s the right next step for you.
Talk soon!
Staci
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