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“If you could start your business again, what would you do differently?“

We asked the Flying Solo community and here’s what they said…

Supported by DOT (Digital Office Technology)™ from Telstra

“If you could start your business again, what would you do differently?”Perhaps you wouldn’t have bought the world’s cheapest van, hired your brother-in-law as your accountant or spent a year in polyester uniforms.

As part of a month-long campaign to improve small business productivity, Telstra and Flying Solo posed this question

to the community.

Scores of members openly shared tips, stories and ideas on what they’d learned on their business journey and this

eBook is a compendium of the finest responses.

Whether you’re a start up, or an existing business looking to rejuvenate, we’re sure you’ll find some gold in the

following pages.

A huge thanks to Telstra and all the wonderful contributors - we LOVE your work!

The t eam a t F ly i ng So l o

Flying Solo’s ‘Productivity Month’ Challenge. Supported by DOT (Digital Office Technology)™ from Telstra. From today, there’s a better way of working with DOT (Digital Office Technology)™, the all-in-one fixed, mobile and broadband solution from Telstra. Make today your Day DOT ™, the first day of the rest of your business. Find out how DOT can transform your business at telstra.com/dotDOT is not available in all areas or to all premises.

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Submitted by: JenG

A little less nicheAs an online retailer, I think I would have chosen a less “niche” product! As much as I love my business, I think I could

have made it easier on myself. There’s “niche” and there’s “a little too niche!”

Submitted by: SuzsSpace

Research, research and more research...Research, research and more research is the top thing I’d do differently. I wouldn’t just follow people blindly.

I’d also be far more careful with my money, ensuring I actually had a cash flow rather than just leaving it to chance.

Submitted by: Warren Cottis

Engage a mentor sooner!I would engage a mentor... then a better mentor... then a better mentor and so on.

A mentor is anyone who knows more than you in the field that you are pursuing and WANTS to help you. Some of

them you have to pay, but I find the best ones are the ones that you meet by accident.

The best way to meet mentors is get rid of the people in your life that find reasons why you can’t do what you want to

do. All they are doing is wasting your time.

Surround yourself with people who support your decisions and don’t stop looking for more. Just keep your eyes open

and only take advice from people who have reached the level of success that YOU want.

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Submitted by: KarenC

20 things I’d do differentlyI began my business in 1987 - it was virtually to give myself a job because in my field no one would employ me with a

baby. I was even told by some that ‘my place was in the home’ despite my abilities having made more for the company

in client work than my male colleagues. However, my (late) dad who was an accountant always believed in me, and

encouraged me to go it alone. If I was setting up now ...

1. I would not buy someone else’s business and business name.

2. I would work on a definite business plan with products not services.

3. I would make use of all available technology to market myself.... I made use of all technology available at that time

as it was pre-computers, but I would certainly now include an immediate web presence in website, FB and Twitter

being my primary means of marketing contact.

4. I would network.

5. I would not drink so much coffee but more tea.

6. I would take a walk every day.

7. I would not worry about what other people think of me.

8. I would not allow bullying from anybody, including clients or potential clients.

9. I would hold my head up high and be proud of being a female in business right from the start.

10. I would not work on weekends.

11. I would have more confidence in myself.

12. I would have my studio in a separate room attached to the house not a separate building.

13. I would treat myself to a massage a minimum of once a month, preferably weekly.

14. I would standardise my work processes and record them.

15. I would engage a business coach.

16. I would take time each day to say I was grateful for everything in my life.

17. I would set aside time each week to be creative just for the fun of it, not for work.

18. I would definitely make use of my iPhone and all it’s tools for business including calendars and more.

19. I would throw out what was unnecessary.

20. I would start each day with quiet time/meditation/prayer.

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Submitted by: Steve_Minshall

Invest in measurable advertisingOnly invest in advertising whose results can be measured quickly and tested on a small scale. Invest more capital up

front to accelerate the start up phase (easier to say with the security of hindsight).

Get my initial Website and AdWords campaigns built in tandem and ready to go before opening.

Create my Website with both an SEO and an AdWords landing page plan.

Find out which trade body I can join that gives me merchant facility savings as a member with greater savings than the

cost of their membership.

Submitted by: michaelceegee

Developed my sales/marketing skills earlierI was happy with the planning and implementation I put into setting up my business which has been running for nearly

10 years with solid growth every year ...until now.

I now wish Id spent more time on my biggest area of weakness - my sales and marketing skills. These skills don’t get

any easier to develop as you get “mature” (old dogs, new tricks etc.). Also I wish that I had spent more time staying

ahead of the technology and social media opportunities instead of following behind in it’s wake.

As a positive at least I am in there exploring what I can do with Facebook, Twitter, apps etc. and not ignoring them. I

just have to work out what will work for me and what is an unproductive waste of my time.

Submitted by: The Copy Chick

Set up customer management systemsSet up more comprehensive systems to keep track of clients, referrals, lead generation, etc.

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Submitted by: Peter Crocker

Maintained a detailed customer databaseOne thing I wish I’d done when originally starting up my writing business was to start and maintain a detailed customer

database. I recall writing about this in an article:

“Over the years you meet, email and work with hundreds or even thousands of clients, but unless you conscientiously

maintain a database, it eventually all becomes a mess of cards, random email addresses and half-remembered names.

A detailed and up-to-date database is a valuable tool for launching new services, starting email newsletters, keeping in

touch with prospects and sharing valuable information with an interested audience. Maintaining it is a job that has to be

done almost daily.”

Submitted by: SimplyReplica

Formed a network of experts before jumping inPersonally, the one thing I would ideally love to implement (when I learn how to time travel) is to surround myself with

the appropriate network of experts before I jump in. In retrospect, we have accomplished much on our own although

there is a blatant gap that if it was filled before the journey commenced, I might not have gone as wayward as I

had recently.

Submitted by: microsync

Automation, outsourcing, lead generation...I would say from the beginning, focus on the core and care less about the mechanics (automate and outsource

where possible).

Lead Generation - capitalise more on existing relationships to build your leads. Continually build fresh mutual

relationships and great referral systems.

SINCE MY DAY DOT™

MY CALLS FIND MESet all your mobiles and landlines to ring at once so you can answer customer calls the first time. DOT (Digital Office Technology)™, the all-in-one fixed, mobile and broadband solution.

Make today your Day DOT, the first day of the rest of your business.

Visit your local Telstra Business Centre, call 1800 331 039 or go to telstra.com/dot

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: DOT (Digital Office Technology)™ is only available in locations where an ADSL2+ service of sufficient quality is available. The Spectrum device and ™ are trade marks and ® registered trade marks of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN 33 051 775 556.

Ian, Altered Images Photography

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Submitted by: vhit

Figure out how WordPress works!In the start I created many websites that were unprofessional. I was so proud of the websites at the time! I finally sort

of figured out how WordPress works, and paid someone on oDesk to make me a WordPress website, using one of the

themes. I would have done that the first time around.

Submitted by: PerfectNotes-Kathy

Don’t wait to be forced into businessI would go into business for myself voluntarily, rather than by force, due to the business I was working for going

into administration.

I would work harder on ensuring that the lead generation process happens - whether I’m bogged down in actual

programming or other work, or not!

Submitted by: estim8

Do more business planning, outsource more...Hindsight is marvellous ... I could write a whole blog on the things I’d do differently.

The biggest for me, is that having high-level skills, is very different from having a successful business. The first, does not

necessarily convert to the second. I’d do more “business plan” homework, before jumping in.

Outsource all bookkeeping and accounts control, and have better cash flow budgets (and stick to them). I’ve always

been a “d” grade bookkeeper and credit manager.

Walk away sooner from business ideas that suck, instead of flogging dead horses into the ground (see “business plan”).

Never go near a bank for capital, or overdraft finance, until there’s proven sustainable cash flow.

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Submitted by: bill0902

Just ‘gone for it’ rather than limit optionsI started a business building fish boxes to fit on jet skis. It’s a small but growing sport and I was convinced that everyone

would enjoy the activity as much as I do. We therefore targeted a limited number of jet ski dealers thinking we wouldn’t

be able to keep up production. Wrong, and 2 years later this still creates problems having given exclusivity to only a few

dealers, some of whom we knew nothing about. We should have just “gone for it” and got what we could.

Submitted by: Breevree73

Hire a sales person soonerMy sales skills are not great, so it would have made sense to hire someone who could sell early on - instead I have

wicked marketing, and then a very tough time converting. Once converted, my clients are completely happy chappies!!

Submitted by: Be You Coaching

I would have started it earlierWhen you finally find a passion it ceases to be work and becomes fun!

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Submitted by: Guy Manicom

What’s in a name?If I could start again I would pick a better business name. Ha!

Submitted by: Kate Underhill

Boundaries between home and workI wouldn’t have given out my home phone number as a business number. I have since taken it off my business cards

and replaced it with my mobile number, but my very first clients still use it. Now I have some clients who phone me

over the weekend or late at night and sometimes my children answer the phone.

Submitted by: Leisa Dent

Google power!If I could go back in time I’d put far more effort and money into search engine optimisation (SEO) from the beginning.

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Submitted by: Matthew Smith

Press the fleshGiven my time again I would not rely on Yellow Pages so much and get out to more networking and business events in

person. We didn’t have Facebook back then though!

Submitted by: David Moore

Charge!In hindsight I would charge properly (more) and focus, focus, focus on what I am good at and outsource the stuff I

don’t like. I realise I needed more support from the start.

Submitted by: Lead Design

OutsourceIn terms of marketing I would have focused more on networking and SEO. Also I would go back and outsource

elements of the business that are not your core business like doing accounts for example – that way I could focus

more on designing and other important things in the business.

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Submitted by: Lisa Wise

Location, location, locationMove from a stagnant regional area to a thriving community and work from home to cut overheads.

Submitted by: Links Locals

Be system reliant, not people reliant.My advice is to focus on building systems. Invest your time building the system, procedures, and ops manuals. So no

matter who comes or goes from your business (including yourself) the business can keep growing. Include your vision/

mission statements. Once that is done, spend the $$ and time developing the best people for the system.

Submitted by: Merryn Padgett

Target your ideal clientReally understand my ideal client and have a targeted approach to finding them and solving their problems.

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Submitted by: Vanessa Emilio

Cheap can be nastyPut more money into good help and not try to do it all myself initially! It’s worth setting up properly with good

contractors and staff at the beginning so that when you grow, they grow with you. And if you try to do it ‘on the cheap’

it shows and your customers will know! Do it right the first time, be proud of it, and your customers will too.

Submitted by: Alison Jose

Focus!Focus more on just one or two points rather than being too many things for too many people.

Submitted by: Sharen Jeffries

Focus on doing one thing at a time and doing it well. Still need to do that now.

Submitted by: Simon Davies

Slow downI would have enough funds to fall back on during the harder times. Also brush up on planning and concept

development before rushing things too fast.

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Submitted by: Kellik

Reduce my initial product rangeWell, only been in my online baby store biz 7 weeks… but I’m already thinking I should niche down a bit...sell 1 or 2

products not 150!!! There’s just too much competition I’m finding.

Submitted by: Laura Cerra

The sky is the limit!I would carefully consider logo and branding as a priority even early on. Set guidelines and stick to them. Never let a

client barter down prices. Stay true to what you stand for and be confident in yourself. The sky is the limit!

Submitted by: Trevor Hauser

Look back and learnI would look over my past results and learn from them by creating a more comprehensive business plan. Also review

my S.W.O.T - Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats.

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Submitted by: Jodie McLeod

Set up systems and processesI used to go about my working days guided by instinct, attending to whatever I felt needed doing in the moment

rather than having set procedures or structuring my work time. While I may have survived okay, I found that when I

wrote down some set procedures for regular tasks, and when I structured my work days with micro-goals, I became

incredibly more time efficient and could fit a whole lot more into my work time.

I think people in creative industries (in my case - a freelance writer, editor and copywriter) can sometimes feel they

work best when things aren’t so structured. But I urge those who believe that to try the opposite! As a business owner,

you can’t afford to have your head in the clouds all the time. Save that for the real creative stuff.

Submitted by: Diep Tran

Get a business coachGet a business coach and create a system for your business!

Submitted by: Dan @ Ocius Digital

Track your timeIt’s nice and fun to whistle through the day and ride the wave, but usually it will all catch you up when you least expect

it and you’ll lose more time in the long run.

There’s a lot talked about Xero on various forums here - who provide small business cloud accounting, and it’s very

popular for its simple easy to use nature. Something that’s not mentioned as much here is WorkflowMax. This is a job

management product owned by Xero, but specifically aimed at creative agencies and associated industries such as

architecture and design. It’s a really good product for tracking all the tasks and time associated with jobs, which are

something more complex than a simple transaction.

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Submitted by: MissSassy

Face-to-face networkingNetworking from day one is something I am doing with this new business and something I have not done with

previous businesses that I have owned. It is the one thing all businesses need to do.

Submitted by: Robert Gerrish

Get yourself a financial buffer!One of my early ventures was opening an art gallery - in the late 80s - and were I to start that business again, I’d have

hung onto some greater cash reserves (and spent less on fitout) and then maintained the courage to stick to my niche.

By not maintaining any financial buffer, I started panicking, shifted focus and in desperation filled the walls with

commercial work. In the process I lost interest, lost serious buyers (who were hovering around me waiting to see if I

was committed and consistent - I proved to be neither!) and ultimately lost my house.

All good experience and the launch parties were fabulous!

Submitted by: sam_leader

Set aside time for yourselfI made that absolutely classic Solo Stuff up 101 and did not schedule in time for myself. It’s amazing how when you

don’t set boundaries, work will seep in to every crevice and because there was so much to do, my priority was to just

do it.

This was okay for a time but soon it became unsustainable and it made me lose interest in my work and, later, bear a

grudge against my business.

Fortunately I committed to a twice-weekly gym class and things started to turn around from there.

Why-oh-why didn’t I do this from the get go? Why-oh-why did I wait for a crisis before acting? Because life has to be

lived forwards and understood backwards... or something.

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Submitted by: Dave Gillen

Make yourself the astronaut!It’s funny. For most things in life that we want to become good at we get lessons, or coaching, or take classes, or we at

least sign up for a weekly group class, or competition (think tennis, piano, puppy training, yoga...).

Yet for the important things we don’t (think business, relationships, health). Well I don’t anyway.

There is a certain pride about being able to make it by yourself, but when I look at elite performers (athletes for

example) I realise that they take a polar opposite view - they embed themselves into a team/program/system/schedule

that carries them towards their goal. Procrastination, laziness, poor nutrition, poor fitness, loss of focus, lack of

knowledge, lack of skills, lack of confidence - all these things are addressed and conquered or removed by someone in

their team. They wouldn’t think of doing it all themselves any more than an astronaut would try to get to the moon on

their own.

When I started I was one of those people jumping off a jetty with a pair of homemade wings. If I could start again I’d

make myself the astronaut.

Submitted by: alliedib

Focus on networking, marketing and mentoringI agree with the importance of networking. There is no point being good at what you do if your target market doesn’t

know it. For me, I would also have engaged a business mentor earlier and worked out the marketing plan from the

start, rather than relying on myself to do it when I had time...

Submitted by: CharlieS

Focus on marketing earlierIf I were to start my business over again I would definitely seek out a marketing coach earlier. It doesn’t matter how

good your products and services are if no one knows what they are!

I think I was a little naive about how much time I needed to spend on marketing and sales, I am now rectifying the

balance and improving my systems so I get more out of the time I spend.

I would also be more proactive about building in time to socialise with potential clients and partners - these

relationships take time to incubate so starting earlier and being more consistent really helps.

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Submitted by: Upward Dog

ASK AROUND. Hint: Flying Solo is great for this.While my partner and I were in the midst of planning and launching our new business, I agreed to take on a role doing

very part-time admin and marketing for a relatively new non-profit. Almost immediately, however, problems starting

bubbling up around the website - the cornerstone to the work - and I have since spent ALL of my time doing repair

work that isn’t nearly as good as I’d like it to be.

I reckon that all of this came about from group decision making without any expertise. If I had been hired - cheaply, at

that - to review the organisation’s plans before launching then everything could have been done differently and been

working from the start.

It’s okay to try and do something you’ve never done, but it’s not in your interest to jump in without the benefit of real

knowledge and experience.

Submitted by: Orbit Sites

Make mistakes earlyI would make a more solid plan before starting - but then again you only learn by making errors. Better to make them

earlier rather then later. And make the experience your own knowledge, not just something you read in a book.

Submitted by: PerfectNotes-Kathy

I can go for a bike ride!My addition to this topic is that, having planned time every week to look after myself, I would not have let the

pressure to complete client work make me move it out on the basis that ‘next week would be better’. Next week was

never better. It was only recently that I have flicked the switch in my head that says I CAN have a 1 hour bike ride (or

whatever) 2 or 3 days a week without my customers believing that the business had totally gone to pot. Now - to keep

the switch in the right position - and keep looking after myself, so that I can keep doing my best for our customers!

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Submitted by: JPFS

You can do it!I would have more confidence and trust in myself to know that I really can do this!

Submitted by: SimplyReplica

Enjoy, and start the momentum - today!Am truly enjoying this post, making all of us contemplate our humble beginnings and potentially pinpointing some

areas that can be left flapping in the wind for others about to take the journey.

Personally, looking at our beginnings has highlighted some paths I could have addressed better from the start, although

just now realising that these can still be addressed and still be improved upon.

One more little thing, something I would do differently is to stop flailing away at the conceptual aspect of my dreams

(business) and turning them into reality quicker by actioning my instinct and being able to identify when I was

procrastinating/stalling. Allow me to leave this post with a quote I adore:

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao-tzu - Chinese philosopher (604BC - 531BC)

Enjoy, and start the momentum - today!

Submitted by: gidgetmedia

Connect with other small business ownersI only started my business in September, so I’m not very far in, but I think I would speak to a lot more similar business

owners earlier, as I’m finding that other small business owners are not only great sources of information, but also great

supporters of my sanity!

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Submitted by: Dean @ Four P’s Marketing

Stress lessI would have hired my business coach sooner - rather than waiting over a year! I figure if the best athletes in the world

still have a coach, then I certainly need one for my business! Maybe then I wouldn’t have stressed so much during the

quiet days [and the busy days] in fact - everyday!!

Submitted by: JimmyD

Consider open source optionsIf I could start again I wouldn’t pay a company with their own content management system that you have to buy

the licence to use and host my website. I learned the hard way there is very little flexibility in using them, I couldn’t

implement any open source widgets and they were charging through the roof for the simplest additions. After wanting

to take the company in a new direction and not being able to take my website or any of the information on there with

me I definitely learned the hard way and should have read the fine print much more carefully.

The better alternative would be to find a developer that can develop the website you need off a WordPress/Joomla/

Drupal based open source client and it really improves your flexibility and control over your website or go looking for

templates and learn some basic HTML like I have now done. The new website isn’t quite launched yet, but we are

building up our Facebook community in anticipation for a launch.

Submitted by: any oodles

OutsourceI would outsource more - freeing myself to spend more time growing my business and less time ‘in it’.

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Submitted by: mg

Trust word of mouth recommendationsWhen we started out we didn’t really know any of the local business community and although I’d been reading through

the Flying Solo articles I hadn’t ventured into the forums. Because of that we didn’t really have anyone we could ask for

recommendations for web designers and other suppliers.

While Google was largely kind to us we weren’t so lucky with our website design and seo set-up and we are still

working to fix this. It was a rather costly decision.

If we started out again we’d hold off on the larger purchases for our business until we’d started networking and could

get some more reputable recommendations.

Now that we have a good local network and can get recommendations from the Flying Solo community it has been

much easier for us to find some great small businesses to work with.

Submitted by: troysimp

Avoid analysis paralysisThe biggest lesson I learned is not to fall into the trap of “analysis paralysis”. The worst decision you can make is to

make no decision at all. Decide on a matter one way or the other, but decide *something*. The bigger risk is not

making the wrong decision; it’s doing nothing.

Submitted by: NicoleHerrick

Stick to your knittingHaving a now defunct business under my belt (a retail hub for emerging Australian designers), I now know where I

went wrong. I tried to do too many ideas at once. At first the ideas all seemed to gel really well together and they all

seemed to fit under the one roof. But then as cash became harder to come by, I started adding new ideas to the mix to

try and generate more income to stay afloat. With so many balls being juggled, none of them were being given enough

of my time to flourish.

Looking back, had I just stuck with ONE idea and focused on it, I feel I may have had a better chance at success. My

new business (website design) is very focused and successful. Ahhhh the things we learn along the way hey!

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Submitted by: ShaniW

Save up some capitalI only started trading recently, but I’d definitely have more capital behind me if I were to start again. Bootstrapping has

its advantages but it’s also pretty stressful! Apart from that, nothing much - I’m thoroughly enjoying the ride.

Submitted by: I.T. Guaranteed

The bigger the mistake the bigger the lessonHow appropriate that on this, the 50th anniversary of Dr Who, Flying Solo poses such a question concerning

time travel.

So what would I change? My answer is absolutely nothing. Not a thing. Let me state straight away, I don’t consider

myself to be perfect. Far from it. The premise for this question is really, what mistakes have I made that I wouldn’t

make again.

I have made lots of mistakes, but I would gladly hop skip and jump into the Flying Solo TARDIS and repeat every single

one of those luscious, head banging, mind numbing, blunders all over again in exactly the same way.

Why?

Because each one of those carefully orchestrated plans that didn’t come off according to my dreams turned itself into

pearls of wisdom. Had I not made the mistakes I had, then I wouldn’t have learnt what doesn’t work, because before

one can learn what does work it is necessary to learn opposite.

Some examples.

• PaidAdvertising

I have spent a few thousand on paid advertising. One campaign was so successful (sending out stickers with

“free telephone support” to 30,000 homes) it was lauded at a University marketing lecture. The academic raved

about it enthusiastically. It was successful only in the eyes of the academics. What I learned was, real effort put

into marketing and branding could far outweigh any dollars put into advertising. Hard slogging effort, like writing a

weekly newspaper column for 4 years or doing a regular talkback radio gig.

• Specialising

One can either try to sell to the masses, or specialise by targeting key prospects whom are more likely to listen to

your pitch. I am glad I started by spreading the net widely at first but it took me longer than most to acknowledge

my key strengths were better spent servicing the 20% of customers who contributed to the 80% of my income.

(80/20 rule)

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• Managedservices

When you begin in business that feeling when you get your first few sales is amazing. “I’m actually doing it.” Later

you realise that you actually have to do it again (find a prospect, sell, deliver), and again and again. It is much easier

to keep the clients you have than to keep chasing new ones. In my industry (I.T.) this is now called “Software as a

service” (SaaS). It has huge advantages for the client. Much lower costs that are budget-able from year to year with

everything included – free updates, money back satisfaction guarantee for the duration, no unexpected support

bills, and knowing that the I.T. Company has skin on the table, and thus is not going to disappear after they take

the money, leaving little to no support and a product that only half works. Learning how to package up your

services and sell them as an ongoing service was the lesson that made the difference between sink and swim for

my business.

• Risk

Risk is viewed by many as a bad thing. But just like good and bad cholesterol there is good risk and bad risk. Bad

risk is venturing into unknown territory with loads of cash and no experience or advice from those who have

trodden the path before. Good risk is managed risk. Knowing not just what the returns are but also what the

possible losses could be and being prepared for those eventualities. In business risk is unavoidable. Failing to get

good experienced advice to reduce the risk is another mistake that I won’t be repeating.

• Purchaseorders

If you get a client that says “Yes I will buy that”, even if it’s an order for six months down the track, get a purchase

order ASAP. A lot can happen in that time, as I learnt when a restructure moved my yes man and swapped him to

another department.

• RentedOffice

This was a doozey of an idea that took hold after I had been operating a mobile computer repair & training

business for 2 years. The theory was, instead of me running all over town teaching clients on their own computers

(something that was listed as a need on my business plan), they could come to my hired professional office, or

pay a premium for the home service. Needless to say that year I just worked for my landlord and the power &

phone companies (as in I managed to pay my bills and that’s about all). When the lease ended, I was very happy to

be back as a mobile service with an edge over my bricks & mortar competitors once again.

The bigger the mistake the bigger the lesson. But each one has made me and my business stronger, and more

resilient. Skipping those mistakes would be like getting a taxi to the top of Mt Everest, shoving a flag in and then back

to the nearest café for a latte. You would miss the journey, the challenge, the effort, and never get to rejoice in the

accomplishments.

I could rattle on but the keys on this old laptop are about to cave in. So thanks for the offer of a trip in the TARDIS to

change things, but I will skip this one out.

Hang on maybe there is one thing I would do different … Why… subscribe to Flying Solo about ten years ago of course!

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Submitted by: Calcul8or

Do it sooner!After giving this a lot of thought, the one thing I would definitely do if I had my time again, would be to do it sooner!

Submitted by: Wild Ethereal

Procrastination is my biggest enemyI would put my head down and bum up to produce as much art as possible instead of wasting time looking at what

everyone else is doing. I would also set up a weekly goal sheet to help keep my focus and enable me to prioritise my time

more effectively. Procrastination is my biggest enemy.

Submitted by: Gizmo

The keyword there is STARTThere is so much valuable stuff here. What would I do differently is easy to say but I think very hard to do. If I could start

again what would I do?

I think the keyword there is START.

There are many things I would do differently. But I think the most important things are done before a business even starts. I

think the most important lessons for me to learn are from mistakes made before the start.

Looking back now several decisions at the start were too much tied to emotion and drive. I think this was because of the

connection I formed with the new business, my baby.

So next time I do this I’ll be sure to take a step back and try and be “Vulcan” i.e. look at it logically and leave the emotion out

of the decision making process.

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Submitted by: word and web by george

4 tips to start-up success1) Find a mentor

2) Create a business plan to be revisited every six months

3) Skill up in adapting to change

4) Focus on goals and plans - not just on income

Submitted by: Debs

Take more risksI would take more risk and engage the help of professionals who have the marketing and other business skills that

I don’t.

I started my business from scratch after a career change. I had done well in my previous career and was afraid of

risking any of it and losing the lot. I couldn’t bear the thought of starting all over again.

I learnt the hard way when it came to advertising my business. I invested thousands of dollars in the wrong place. I tried

to do everything in the business myself and this wasn’t productive or effective.

This time I would get the help of experts to work with me to make sure I didn’t make those costly mistakes. The advice

of a mentor would also have been very valuable.

I’d network more. I was worried about competition, but really, networking with your peers is more valuable than

you realise.

26

Submitted by: ScarlettR

Don’t be afraid to ask for helpAs a soloist I’m incredibly independent and isolated. Even today I find myself lacking a real community of people that

I’m constantly in touch with - and Flying Solo has helped so much with that.

But as someone who has come from a very difficult, dark place it is to not be afraid to ask for help. Without our

network of people we crumble- emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually... Asking for help:

• Givesmeasenseofbeingconnected

• MakesmerealiseI’mnotaloneinmyjoys,mystruggles,andmygoals

• Letsfriendshipsblossomandgrow

• Encouragesmetochallengemyself

• Makesfailureeasier

• Bringsjoyintomylife

• Makesmefacemyfearsandstepoutofmycomfortzone

• Releasesthepressurevalveofexpectationandguilt,believingthatIdon’tdoenough

• It’smorethanjusttryingtosolveanimmediateproblem;it’sunderstandingthatwhenyoufallback,thereare

people there to help catch you.

Asking for help, for me, has only really come into play this past 6 months (out of maybe... 6 years?). Each time I have

opened myself up enough to ask for help, the growth of myself and my business multiply.

Submitted by: jewelsee

Let myself make more mistakesFor me, if I were to go and start over, I would let myself make more mistakes - and not beat myself up over them.

I would experiment more and not feel that I must have it all figured out before I move in new directions.

I have learnt more from some of my mistakes (or things that didn’t go to plan) than I possibly could have learnt from

someone giving me a “how to” lesson in advance.

That’s not to say that I won’t be actively seeking out help and taking note of the advice of the experts and others who

have gone ahead (or walk alongside) - it is foolishness to blindly flail about when someone can set you on the right

path. But I need to find my path and it may not be the road most travelled.

Submitted by: MattDell

Don’t repeat mistakesWhilst this is an interesting question, the problem we all have is that we don’t have the wisdom of hindsight now.

Knowing what I know now I would change lots of things, but knowing what I knew 13.5 years ago…

I did the best I could.

Thinking on it I find that really there is no point in beating myself up for mistakes of the past, the life lesson is don’t

repeat them!

Here’s to learning from others and working smarter in your business.

Love your work!

The t eam a t F ly i ng So l o

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