40 Lessons Part 1: Foundation, Fear… and Faith!
.Hello and welcome back to our blog!
This month, we’re doing something really different from our usual posts, by sharing ’40 Things We’ve Learned From 4 Years in Business’.
Today is Part 1 and we’re covering the biggies of Foundation, Fear & Faith… yikes!
We’ve had an absolute ball since starting In The Bag PR in 2013. Sure, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing and we’ve learned many valuable lessons along the way, but we’re here, we’re happy and we’re excited for the next chapter!
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40 Things We’ve Learned From 4 Years in Business
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- Focus on building a strong foundation: it feels like there’s so much hype in the greater business community lately about bursting onto the scene and making ‘6 or 7 figures’ from day one. Sure, that can happen, but not without a strong foundation. And that can take time to evolve. We had a professional, long-term vision for our company from the get-go, and we honestly believe it’s the reason we are where we are today.
- Feel the fear and do it anyway: totally clichéd, but absolutely true!
- Build a network: our network of business friends (both here in Dorset and throughout the UK) have been a constant source of invaluable support. Anyone who’s started a business knows there are challenges along the way, and having trusted people to turn to, who know what you’re going through but also what you’re trying to achieve is a real blessing.
- …But be careful who you listen to: pretty soon after launching a business, you find that everyone has an opinion on how you should run it! We stay focused by taking advice from people we trust, who have a proven track record of success in the area of advice they’re dishing out. If we listened to everyone in those early days, who knows what type of company we’d be today… or if we’d be a company at all!
- Go get ’em: following on from ‘Foundation’ there’s a big preconception that ‘if you build it, they will come’. It’s not always so easy, so being proactive when seeking new clients or contacts (even when it’s out of your comfort zone) is an absolute must.
- Focus on service: getting results, being professional, consistent, generous… these all go towards building your personal brand. Focus on service: it will get you noticed.
- …And make it personal: as Maya Angelou said so eloquently, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Can’t do something? Either learn it, or outsource it. Do whatever makes better sense for your time, budgets and sanity: work ‘on’ your business, not ‘in’ your business. Often easier said than done, but a vital growth mindset that’s helped us get to where we are today.
- Celebrate… everything! Getting our first client was a huge milestone for us. We celebrated. Our first retainer client: celebration. First National client… first double page spread… first feature editorial… you guessed it, we celebrated! We appreciate our journey and taking time to enjoy our success – however small – keeps us focused on our mission and passionate about our brand and clients.
- Keep going! Remember ‘The Why’: this one comes down to faith. The first year in business can be such a mixed bag of emotions and the process may not always be as smooth sailing as you’d like, so focusing on your goal and working hard while having faith that you’re on the right path is a good recipe to see you through. That, combined with good business friends, great clients, and champagne. Lots of champagne…
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See you next week for part 2 in our ‘40 Things We’ve Learned From 4 Years in Business’ series, where we’ll be talking teamwork and trust.
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To your PR & Marketing success!
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