What I've Learned from 20 Years in Business

This month, we are celebrating 20 years in business. 20 years. Wow!

Over the past 20 years I have been so blessed to be able to serve small businesses, independent business owners, and non-profit associations across the world. It's been amazing and fabulous journey.

I want to share with you my top 10 tips for wherever you are at in your entrepreneurial journey. I feel like I've embodied all of these tips and hope they are useful to you.

Always keep learning

Education is never a waste. Always keep learning. Whether it's a course to learn a new skill, a new software, a new way to grow your business...learn and grow. Your clients will appreciate it and it will set you apart.

Keep your why in focus

What is your "why" for doing what you do? Is it to move away from a full-time j-o-b? Financial freedom? Your family? Keeping your "why" in focus will keep you moving in the right direction.

Keep your priorities straight

Do you know what your priorities are? If not, take a moment to think about them and write them down. Is it your family? God? Free time? Write them down and post them to see.

Don't worry about what others say

You may have fans, and likes, and all the social media things but what others say about you is not your business. You have no control, so no need to worry.

Passive income is the key

Passive income is an extra stream of income that comes from your business that requires very little touch from you. Is there something you can make passive in your business?

Don't be afraid to fail

We all fail at some point. The question is....are you going to let that hold you back or even worse - stop you from doing what you are meant to do? Learn from failure and move forward.

Don't should on yourself

"I should have done it differently," "You should have called earlier"' - "Should-ing" on ourselves or others puts doubt and a level of guilt on people. Change your vocabulary and reap the benefits!

Invest in yourself & your business

Maybe it's a morning exercise class, a comfortable chair in your office space, upgraded software, a virtual assistant - things that make your job easier.

Run lean and prune

Cut the good to get to the great in your business and your life.

Toot your own horn!

You may have fans and followers, but they are cheering the end product. Believe in yourself and toot your own horn. Be creative and grow. If you don't - who will?

Over 20 years, I keep going back to these these top 10. They keep me centered, and I know at my core I know that if I follow these 10 things, I will always stay on the path that I want to be on. In the past year, I’ve fully embraced number 9 and the spirit of pruning. I've taken the time to prune away a division of our company that no longer served the direction that I wanted to go into, and I've taken some time to actually develop some new things.

I am excited to share that there will be some new courses and a new membership site, in collaboration with a great colleague of mine. She’s got so much to offer, so we’ve got you covered between the two of us. Be sure to join our email list to get all the updates on these coming out in the next couple of months!

Thank you to everyone who has helped make our 20 years fabulous and for letting me be able to do the thing that I do best, while being at home with my family. It’s been a dream. Here’s to another 20 great years!

Want a printable copy of this list? Grab one here.