12 things I’ve learned in 12 months of business

Alli Grant: Ben and I recently celebrated 12 months in business together. Yay us! Aside from rejoicing in the fact that we haven’t killed each other (yet!), there’s so much to be proud of. 

I decided to sit down and reflect on the year that was, and what I have learned after 12 months running a digital marketing and communications agency in my home town with one of my favourite humans (if you tell Ben I said that I’ll deny it).

While this isn’t my first rodeo – I have owned several small businesses in the past – what I have learned is that each venture teaches me something about myself, reminds me of life lessons I’d forgotten, and challenges me in new and unusual ways.   

1. Own your lane

I’ve been doing this communications thing for coming up to … actually … never mind … let’s just say a very long time. And I’m bloody good at it. I also love a strategy and a pitch. Oh yes I do! But when it comes to digital marketing, I can hold my own, but I’m no expert. That’s Ben. He’s the guru. So, in our business, we committed to owning our lane and sticking to it. We can’t be experts in everything, but between us, we’ve pretty much got it all covered.

2. Don't take the "no"personally

As they say, you can’t win them all. It’s easy to take a “no” or even a “no response” from a potential client as a personal attack. It’s not. Sure, it’s disappointing, but there could be a million reasons why you weren’t the right agency for said potential client. So, we make like Taylor and “shake it off”. Next! 

3. Honesty in business is everything

Life happens, and sometimes it gets in the way of meeting deadlines, especially during this era of Covid 19, oh and if you happen to have kids. How do we deal with distractions and delays? We tell the client straight up. Sorry Mrs Client, we’re going to miss that deadline and here’s why. They always respect the honesty, as life happens to them too. Honesty is always the best policy.

4. Celebrate every little victory

Every client win deserves a celebration, no matter how big or small. That celebration might be as small as a high five or a coffee, or as significant as a delicious steak lunch with a few wines (yes, we did that recently!). The important thing is to stop and acknowledge the win. 

5. Learn from the failures

Sometimes we stuff up. Sometimes we rush and produce less than optimal results. Sometimes we just get stuff wrong. Especially as a new business. But we are committed to learning from every failure. To owning the boo-boos and talking them through.

6. Push yourself out of your comfort zone

Maths was my worst subject at school. I hate numbers. I’m a words person, yet in our business, I manage the budget and projections. Why? Dunno. But I do. And I have had to learn to lean into that discomfort and do it anyway. Stepping out of my comfort zone has been really rewarding! 

7. Burn out is real

Burn out is a real threat for small business owners, especially in year one. Ben, I’m looking at you! It’s so important to be aware of how much work and stress we can handle, and to take time out when required. Because, news flash, there isn’t a spare Alli or Ben. I’m not going to lie, this is a tough one to manage. Ben – my hat is tipped to you and how much you do!

8. Failing to plan is planning to fail

The first question we ask potential clients is whether they have a business plan or strategy. Honestly, most don’t. Confession – we were one of those businesses early on, but we fixed that. Over the last year, our strategy has changed several times, and that’s okay, because when you have a plan you can change it. We also drafted a list of “rules of engagement” about the type of work we will and won’t do, learning as we go. And we are all over our budget forecast and capacity. Planning is key! 

9. Surround yourself with experts

From day one, we committed to focusing on what we were good at and outsourcing the rest. As such, the In Cahoots Co team consists of a bookkeeper, accountant, and insurance broker. We also have a team of digital marketing and comms specialists on hand to help us when we need it.  Yes, we are surrounded by specialists, and this enables us to focus on what we do best. 

10. Go with your gut feel

This is a big one in business. No matter how much you need the money, sometimes you have to listen to your gut and say no to a potential client or opportunity. We have learned this the hard way! Subsequently, we committed to creating a list of non-negotiable rules of engagement that we constantly add to. And we sanity check every decision as a team. Yep, team work really does make the dream work. 

11. Reward yourself 

Every Monday, Ben and I have a BAMAS (Ben and Alli Appreciation Society) breakfast, paid for by the business. We also finish up early on the odd Friday to partake in a beverage or two. And we have one heck of a 12-month anniversary celebration planned. Ben will occasionally finish early to hang out with his son, and I pull up stumps every Thursday to take my little princess to cheer training. This financial year, we even plan to treat ourselves to the odd massage. While we don’t have an epic people and culture budget, we appreciate the importance of rewarding ourselves, and making the most of one of the benefits that should come with owning your own business – flexibility for our family. That’s why we are doing this, after all. 

12. Be grateful

The first year is hard. Oh yes it is, but it’s also rewarding. We have so much to be grateful for! We’re grateful for our clients who trust us with their business, our referral partners who believe in us, our super star team members, and our family and friends. 

I’m super grateful for Ben. As much as we drive each other nuts, daily, we make one hell of a team, and I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. Thanks Benny! 

I am so incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past 12 months, and I cannot wait to see what year two will deliver. Spoiler alert – we’ve come bolting out of the gate …