HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
We are so inspired by the beautiful community of women in this world. We come with a billion different thoughts, aspirations, tastes and passions; we’re so different but fundamentally connected. That’s pretty special we reckon. We really believe that strong women lift each other up, so today we wanted to share a few tips on starting your own business (as a woman, but they’re largely applicable to the fellas out there too!). Here’s a few.
1. Pick a business idea you are passionate about We spend A LOT of time at work. That is time away from friends and family. This is made a whole lot easier when we are working with a product we genuinely love (often the test of whether we trial a new product is if we want to buy it ourselves!).
2. Get great business partners For us, three is the magic number. It makes decision making very quick and easy (two votes for the win!). But more importantly, we were friends before and we are friends now ~ a sister hood even. And that is so important because there are times when you’re feeling flat and need to lean on each other, or you want to take a little time out, or someone else needs to bring the creative mojo, or you’ve just popped out a baby and want to spend some time in that special bubble. So having business partners who bring a complementary skill set, but also have your back, is essential.
3. Start small…but dream big We launched on the smell of an oily rag. A tiny amount of product, a neat little website, and a beautiful photo shoot. They were our three big spends. Because we didn’t take out a second mortgage, it meant the business could grow organically, without the pressure to make some big return straight away. That bit can take a while. While we never had a formal business plan when we started, as the years have ticked by, we have started to plan at least 2 - 3 years out. And the dreams are BIG, people. And sometimes scary! But why not, right?
4. Listen to others We’ve had a bunch of informal but very wonderful mentors over the last six years. Some have approached us, some have been suggested, and some we have shamelessly stalked. All of them have worked! Everyone has something valuable to contribute. There are also a heap of great formal courses for small businesses and podcasts. A tiny should out to two which Alex and Kate are big fans of are The Mentor with Mark Bouris and How I Built This with Guy Raz. There really is something to learn everywhere you look and listen.
5. Here’s an original one…get on social media! Can’t overstate how big a channel this is for us to communicate and listen (and it's a two way street!). Just give it a go, it doesn't have to be perfect from the get go - your will find your voice as you go.
6. Finding time The human connections are, for us, the most important. So friends and family will always come first. We fit work around that, rather than the other way around. Sometimes that does mean working at weird hours, and often on WhatsApp. The trick here is figuring out your priorities (and they might change month to month, year to year) and making sure you’re allocating your time and energy accordingly. And on that note, we are signing off for the weekend. Give your girlfriends a hug today, and happy IWD!
