Okay friends, I can’t believe its been more then 3 years since I started Krieger Customs. Looking back to my first year to now – I cant believe how much ive grown as a person, artist and business woman. I never went to school for business, I’ve been completely self taught with the help of some girl boss babes on the internet giving some wicked advice. So if you are a small business owner like me, or maybe youre thinking of launching your own – take a peek into 10 things that ive learned since ive started my small business.

You’ll have a new sense of Pride in your Creativity

  • owning your own business is like putting a little piece of your soul out in the world in your own corner of the internet, but as scary as that may sound it actually gave me a new outlook on my work. It gave me a sense of ownership and authority over something that I made and I created with my own two hands. It was like showing the world my creativity for the first time, and everyone welcomed it with open arms!

When you own business its a 24/7 job

  • Well news flash friend, you cant put a 9-5 on your own business. Because guess what – you’ll never stop working. Especially if you already have a 9-5 like me. So get ready for the constant emails and social media work wee into the night. But as much as I say that, you can learn some simple tricks to avoid that – ill chat more about these soon!

Theres the Dreamers, then theres the Do-ers

  • This is a lesson I learned about a year ago. We are all dreamers here and always have these big goals for ourselves. But how many have your ‘dreams’ just stayed dreams? How many dreams have you turned into reality? I learned this lesson when I dreamed of running my own full time business. I’ve made the business part, but now I just have to make the full time part. So I’m working towards that goal by sourcing out education, marketing my work better and expanding my business. I did have to ask myself that tough question though, are you a doer or just a dreamer? It’s okay to be just a dreamer… but I want this business to thrive and do everything in my power to make it happen. So, I answered my question as a doer, and I made a vow to myself that I was going to put in the work, long nights and make the sacrifices along the way. Are you a doer or a dreamer?

You will lose track of some friends…

  • This was a super hard one for me.  I knew my schedule was going to get busy, and I knew that I wasn’t going to be super social anymore. But I didnt know i’d lose touch with some friends that were once so close to me, but I think we have ‘seasons’ of friends and life long friends. And those life long friends are still by my side cheering me on, even if I chose to work on my business every Friday night vs going out on the town, they are still there for me!

You’ll get addicted to growing

  • I was never a huge numbers gal when I was younger,  but I can say that I thoroughly enjoy looking into my businesses analytics. And I can really get caught up in them – so every week I give myself one chunk of time to go over my numbers and see my growth patterns and where my traffic is coming from. This is a great thing to keep on top of to see any trends, but can get addicting. Try to keep that balance!

You have to learn to rest intentionally 

  • This is one statement that I’m still learning. You can get busy, and I mean busy and it can quickly consume you. You have to learn to relax, take a breather, unplug and be present in the moment with people around you. It will leave you refreshed and motivated to get back into your office and get to work.

You have to keep learning 

  • This is a big one. When you feel like you business is thriving and doing alright – get back to work! You have to keep learning – ways to expand, improve, reach more clients etc. There’s always room to grow. No one is perfect!

Ivensting in your business is a must

  • Things goes right along with #7 – along with growing, there is also ways you can invest in your business. Higher education on specific aspects of your business that may cost money. Or, simply outsourcing different aspects of your business that could free up more time for you to create! I’ve done just that to create this blog, look at what it allowed me to do! If I didnt outsource, this blog wouldn’t be here!

Learn to Celebrate! Pat yourself on the back once in awhile

  • This is something that I struggle with. So many times I just let things pass without giving myself some props! Simple things like reaching 500 sales on etsy. Hello! That’s a huge accomplishment Sam, pop some champagne! You need to do the same in your business to reward yourself for all your hard work, blood sweat and tears!

The hustle & grind will pay off!

  • Im still living this one – but your hard work and determination will pay off. You are the main captain of this ship, and the harder you work, the more success and positive vibes will come your way. Keep hustling and grinding, your later self will thank you!

Running a business is my absolute favourite thing to do right now, but things can get tough. You will be faced with tough questions and have to make decisions with only your business in mind. So dont let I guess the ‘negative’ sides of owning a business scare you or get your down, it comes with the territory. Ive always been a huge believer in the quote ‘let your success be the noise’ rather then throwing around the fact you own a business. Work hard, stay humble and keep your head down. Let your success be the noise!

Talk soon, Sam xx