…before starting my own business (in no particular order)
1. Discipline & structure are vital
2. As are marketing skills – and accepting that you must become a good marketer
3. How to write compelling copy
4. The importance of learning from those who’ve done it before
5. It’s not all about me, but my customers/clients
6. Steady, regular cashflow is king
7. It takes time to build up a decent client base
8.It’s crucial to have a longer term plan & exit strategy
9. How important technology can be to your business (internet, websites, blogs)
10. Don’t waste time networking with the wrong groups of people
11. Identifying your niche is one of the most important things you can do
12. You must set up processes & systems (I knew how important this was from my management consulting days – but somehow managed to forget it still applies to small businesses)
13. Being honest in business is the best & only approach (and this includes not ‘pretending’ to be a bigger company than you really are)
14. People buy what they want, not what they need
15. If people don’t buy, it’s rarely because of cost
16. Word of mouth is NOT enough to have as your only marketing strategy
17. The learning never stops!!!