I have done a lot of reflecting lately; trying to pick up lessons from past experiences.
At certain points,I found myself shying away from some really bad mistakes, I did not want to believe i actually made those errors, I mean, com’on they seem so obviously wrong !!! Then again i look back and force myself to take a much closer look at why i just did not make those right decisions.
My mistakes and failures are battle scars and badges of honor to say i came,saw and continue to conquer. However, i also know its much cheaper to learn from the mistakes of others so here i will be sharing things i did right and those i should not have done when i first started out as an entrepreneur. I hope it helps someone…

photo credit : www.sccountryclub.com.br

Things i did right
– I sought out knowledge on the products and services i offered, i did alot of research .
– I put out my products and services to places where i felt they will be needed, i was always on the rod marketing.
– I pitched my business idea to family and friends at any opportunity i got.
– I put in a lot of hard work and passion into the business.

Things i should not have done
– Developing the business more than myself ; developing yourself and the business are 2 different things. I should have spent more time on self development than i did .
– Being unaccountable; i did not feel i owed anyone (including myself) any account of what i was doing; this kind of behavior hampers growth.
– Creating time for only business and not other things , i spent too much time on the business without finding time for the people or things i loved. I missed out on great moments and experiences.
– Not keeping a close eye on cash flow, so i was unable to determine when i spent more than i earned,that way when the business was going to crash i could not catch the signs,it just crumbled under my watch .
– Over expanding ,it is good to grow but when you don’t have sufficient resources to cushion the growth,the business will crumble,its like biting more than you can chew. It is good to plan business expansion and prepare for it.
– Hiring more staff than i needed,this did not allow me take in the business and understand the different aspects.
– Rented an office space too early, the money paid as rent could have been used as working capital, i ran a business that could have operated from home till it got big enough to acquire and sustain an office space.

I will like to save other lessons for later posts but i hope you find these useful….

Yours truly,
F.O (The Entrepreneur)