Episode 7: Biggest Mistakes That I Made in My First Year of Business

Businesses all have their ups and downs. Some mistakes are bigger than others, but we can also rise above them. After thinking about my various hits and misses, I decided to take some time to list my four biggest mistakes, and some achievements, during my first year of business.

 

Let’s begin with what I did wrong during that first year:

 

1. I had zero brand identity.

When I first started my brand, I designed a logo with word art and a free image of a rosemary sprig from Canva. Seriously! I didn’t have any money to design a logo or build a professional website, so I did it all on my own.

This led to confusion for my potential clients, as they didn’t know who I was or what I was selling. Enter my wonderful graphic designer: Sophie. She reached out to me after about a year, and we worked together to design a logo and website to match the beauty of my photos.

I can honestly say that hiring a graphic designer (you can also use platforms like Fiverr) was one of the best things I did for my brand.

 

2. My only marketing platform was social media.

Am I the only one who used Instagram exclusively for marketing when I first started? There is no shame in that, but I realized I was missing a much larger potential client pool by ignoring platforms like Google or my email list.

I didn’t even create an email list until year three, and I didn’t have a process or plan for social media in my first year, either. I would randomly post with no calls to action included. This did not help my business grow . . .

And that leads me to number 3!

 

3. I didn’t use any systems!

From Quickbooks to Honeybook to Asana, I didn’t use any systems in my first year of business. While I was still very small and may not have needed to use all the systems and software I do now, I could have started using some (like Quickbooks!) from the beginning. It would have saved me time, money and pain later on when I eventually did implement them!

 

4. I did not create a business budget.

There was no set budget or process for managing the money at Between The Pine. Similar to mistake # three, I didn’t really need to use a budget during the first 1-2 months I ran my business.

As time went on, though, I quickly formed habits that were not good for my business finances. I wish that I had started earlier with implementing a business budget. It would have saved me a ton of time and heartache later on!

 

Now, on to the good stuff! Here is what I did right during my first year in business.

1. I was firm on my pricing.

Early on, I analyzed the competition to see where I could place myself in the market. This was extremely helpful in setting a price that I could stick to.

For some reason, potential clients think the pricing is negotiable in photography . . . I saw this a lot in my first year of business. A few times I did come down in price to meet my financial goals (i.e., it may have been my only lead that entire month), but I stopped doing this very quickly. 

I started standing firm and got the RIGHT clients. I think that’s important to note. You can spin your wheels if you constantly give discounts to the folks you don’t want to work with anyway.

 

2. I leveraged free education.

I worked hard to learn everything I could about small businesses for free. I studied podcasts, read blogs, and took free courses.

I worked hard to keep the business out of debt and ensure I could grow without too much overhead. And it worked!!!

I took my business to the next level strictly by using free education. Now, I will say that once I started purchasing courses and content, I was able to grow even larger and more quickly. But, during that first year, using free education was a game changer!

 

3. I focused on client experience.

From the beginning, client experience was a huge focal point for me because I knew this could set me apart from others. My couple would get their favorite snacks at every session with me. I set a standard quick turnaround time for preview images. I even sent out questionnaires to truly get to know my couples so that it didn’t feel awkward or weird when I met them in person.

This was so important. I was able to quickly set myself apart and get rave reviews just by treating my clients with a thoughtful experience.

 

4. I created goals!

This is my favorite thing to do! I am the type of person that has daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and 5-year goals at all times.

At the very beginning of my business, I set goals that, believe it or not, have come to fruition over five years later! I’m so thankful that I set intentions to guide my business to where it is today.

In the end, my four biggest mistakes were put into balance by four things I did right. And I’ve learned from it all.

 

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