Startup Confession and 5 Tips to Develop Your Business

I have a confession . . . I started a business and most of the time I have no idea what I am doing. 

Let me clarify, when I have a project I feel extremely confident about what I deliver, but as far as building my personal business, I get lost easy.

My company is called Elisha Consulting, named after my son, and I help businesses become more successful by creating measurable strategies including business development, technology integration, and marketing. Helping organizations follow through with their goals is something I am passionate about. Running my business as far as knowing LLC tax codes, accounting, and how to balance work with my family are foreign skills for me.

However, I can’t complain as I already have three amazing clients and my business is only five weeks old. I am not sure how it is all happening but Elisha Consulting keeps growing on an hourly basis. If you are thinking of starting a company, here are five tips I have learned in five short weeks.

1: Follow your core values! For me nothing comes above my faith which plays into my business. Setting an example is one of my core values which mirrors my faith: I do not over bill anyone, I do not round up hours, I do not tell a client I am capable of doing something when I really am not, and I will not provide recommendations that go against my core values.  Without core values a company falls quickly.

2: Grow every day! I make sure to network with 3-5 people a week, most of the time it is asking advice from seasoned men and women who have created successful companies. It is always a shock at the amount of life-changing advice I receive from someone who is much busier than I over a cup of coffee. Send emails, call people, network, read blogs, do whatever it takes to grow yourself and your business.

3: Workout! For over five years I was a personal trainer/fitness instructor and loved working out.  Now that I am growing a business I force myself to work out at least five days a week which allows me to clear my head and become re-energized for the rest of my day. Investing in your soul (tip 1) and mind (tip 2) is vital, but so is your body!

4: Mentor others! I have only been doing this for five weeks and had three meetings in the past few days where I helped people become better at their business. I appreciate all of the mentors who meet with me over coffee and feel it is just as important to give time to others. It is vital to help others, even if it means losing out on a couple billable hours.

5: Take risks! Write blogs with cliché titles, implement the latest technology, become presidents of organizations when you don’t have time, say yes to challenging projects, and do things that scare you to the point of not being able to sleep. Starting a business is not easy and it takes risks.  Embrace the risks and enjoy the crazy adventure of startups.