How To... Start Being Your Own Boss. Tips on starting your own business

• Running a business!  It’s not for the faint of heart but you can certainly do it!  I believe that a little confidence and a whole lot of faith can propel  you and anyone into a life of passion.  Doing exactly what you love to do… that is all yours! 
• I run Seattle Bride Hair, which is an onsite Hair and Makeup company .  After doing hair for other successful salons nearly two decades , I decided to do it  for myself.. First venturing out on the weekends going all over Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon.  Now I work FULL time for myself out of my Studio, On site AND run a  successful vacation rental ( Air BnB) which I plan on expanding soon!
• Here are some of my suggestions for opening and running a business.  Im forever tweaking my life , ideas and business plan but with that said..these are the ones that stay first and foremost on my mind…

• “How do you run a marathon?” One step at a time! When you’re first starting out in business it’s sooooo easy to get anxious, thoughts spiraling out of control.  -All the thinking, planning, tasks that need to get done. It can and will be overwhelming…  If you feel like this… you are on the right track!  ( It means you have passion!!) Breath and remember… ONE day at a time!~  ONE step at a time…When I first started Seattle Bride Hair, I did ONE thing every day that I knew would help grow my name. You guys,   I was over the moon when SBH’s facebook page reached 100 likes.  I look back now and shake my head in disbelief on all the miles I’ve passed over the years in running the business.  Some things didn’t work out but I chalk them up to lessons, not mistakes.  ( Don’t beat yourself up.. remember your goal in mind and move on)
• Figure out a daily routine that works for you – An awesome thing about having your own business? No one tells you what to do.  A crappy thing about having your own business? No one tells you what to do….  It is essential to find your groove! Get up at the same time every morning, routinely go about your day in the same manner as if you had a boss… you DO! YOU! The pendulum can swing radically in two different directions without a daily routine. 1. Work , work, work.. forgetting to shower for days, eating only snacks after your stomach reminds you it hasn’t seen food in hours, your family forgets your name. 2. Sleeping in until the sun is high in the sky, you are forever updated to the minute on all social media feeds, every friend and relative seem “too busy” to answer your hourly text threads. Neither of these 2 options are good for business or for your daily life in general!  Find your regime. Remember to set aside “you “time.  Not ALL day ,”you” time but at least an hour or two… My drill is wake at 5 am, drink at least a pot of coffee, shower, eat, go for a walk (mediate or listen to my favorite podcast), go over emails, blogs , contracts, and then on from there… I  then wind my day down exactly the same way every day as well. You’re the boss.. you’re the only one in charge of you’re life!
• Keep Learning! This world is forever evolving and so should you! If you are standing still,  the universe will get bored and simply  go around.  Especially in these time of  social media.  It is so easy to put yourself out there but not knowing  what hashtags, which media sites, and how often, it could be a big time suck.  Learning social media or whatever other people are doing to grow their business (and keeping up on it )can be a full time job.  Keep consistent with continuing education about the business you do .. NO BODY is a know it all!  “If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to keep on learning, no one can stop you.”
• Think   before you hire , VERY hard – When I first started my business I hired a dear dear friend.  I would go as far as to say that she was my “ride or die”.  It was GREAT until it wasn’t. I shake my head every time I think of this person and situation … it saddens me.  It frustrates me because I should have known better… my momma always told me to NEVER mix business with pleasure, it will lead to heartache.  INTERVIEW!  This is YOUR name out there!  Make sure that their style is either a lot like yours or they will represent you well.   
• Find a mentor –  I believe if you aren’t growing you are dying.  We all need to surround ourselves with people that build us up and inspire us!  If you are the smartest person in the room… you are in the wrong room~ .  It’s okay to learn from our mistakes but also to learn from others as well.  A mentor teaches  about growth and also  NOT hitting  it out of the park every day!  Babe Ruth led the American League in strike outs FIVE times, 1,330 in his career!   
• What is the “WHY”-     I know … I know.. we ALL want to make 💰💰!  But even this has a “WHY?”  To build a successful business, one must have passion.  Driven by the WHY will make things so much easier.. otherwise it could be a fast track to BURNOUT!  My “WHY” for doing hair, especially during a wedding is to make people FEEL great.  Not just look.. but FEEL.  I pride myself in communicate and listening, this makes people want to open up and share with me… this in return makes ME feel good! . I remind myself of my “why” daily!
•         Find your support system -    I am very much “ I can do it ALL on my own” person.  But let me tell ya!!  NO ONE can do it all on their own.  And guess what I found out… when you ask for help, whether its emotional, physical or maybe even financial , if you are asking the right people in your life… you will get it! And it feels awesome.  I hate bothering people just as much as the next guy ( maybe even more) but people love to be “bothered”.  They feel honored, helpful, useful and loved.  You can’t go at it all alone… unless you are on the journey of mental collapse .
• Never compare yourself-     Be yourself because everyone else is taken !  To be authentic is truly the BEST way to live your life.  We all have talents that are unique just to us.. Don’t ever hide them or try to imitate another person.  If a company or business seems bigger, better or stronger.. let this be something that motivates you to try YOUR best … you never know what goes on behind someone else door AND the world needs YOU.. not another them..