(Not so secret) secrets of Sweetness Skulls and Light

Words KATHERINE McCALLUM

I have a varied career history, but operating a successful small business on a budget is definitely one of the most challenging things I have done. And I cannot sit here and say, “I’ve done it!”, as just as much energy is required to keep the ship on course.

The title ‘entrepreneur’ gets bandied around everywhere. If you believe all the hype, you may think every fifth person is a successful entrepreneur striking it rich with their new start-up company. You will also have heard the term ‘overnight success’. This phrase is misleading and more often than not, downright incorrect. Often, businesses hailed as ‘overnight successes’ have been in operation for extended periods, even years, before the spotlight. Successful business skills don’t come easily – almost all my successful business lessons have been learned the hard way. One way to truly learn something is to really get it wrong and then have to fix it. My learning has cost me a small fortune and countless hours of my time.

With increasing specialisation in all aspects of business, it is easy to take a back seat when considering certain aspects, especially if you are time-poor. If you are going to engage (and spend money) you need a solid understanding of the basics. For example, social media advertising can be a black hole of budget consumption with little to no benefit if you don’t have a basic working understanding of how ads on each platform work.

This principle applies across the board, including bookkeeping, accounting guides, point of sale systems, inventory, marketing and promotion (print, digital, social), business presentation online and social media, and customer service and satisfaction. Before you delegate, make sure you understand exactly what is required!

Quite simply, be prepared to change, as you will have no choice than to do so. Your business may be successful today but not tomorrow, due to circumstances beyond your control. The small business realm is competitive and continually evolving. Yes, this even applies to a super niche business such as a crystal skull dealer! As more people look towards self-employment to improve their quality of life, you need to keep ahead of the curve. And don’t have rigid preconceived ideas of what success looks like, as you could be selling yourself short.

Failure is inevitable; it is what you do subsequently that makes the difference. This is a mantra I have adopted and I lovingly remind myself of it frequently, especially during failure. Love the process and enjoy the ride anyway. Like life, ‘success’ is not a destination.

www.sweetnessskullsandlight.com