Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Business

In no way am I saying that I 100% know what I'm doing, or that I've gone about doing things the right way, taking a straight path. But if you read my last post about diving in and going for what you want, you'll know that I mentioned not knowing what to expect and learning along the way. There are a few things I wish I'd been prepared for in advance.. although I'm not sure if that would have put me off before starting anything? But I guess I've learnt a few massive pointers as I've gone along.

Make sure you've saved enough money to live comfortably for the next six months.. maybe even longer. You've got to work out a personal budget of what you'll need to save extra money for and what expenses you'll need to account for monthly. Always remember to leave a little bit extra for going out and enjoying yourself, and also emergencies.

Don't mix your personal and business expenses. Even though you might be so involved in what you're doing and you don't feel as if it is necessary, TRY to keep them both separate. It'll probably save you a lot of confusion in the long run when you're trying to work out your expenses.

You've got to put in ten times more than what you'll get out of it at the start. This may be for the first year, maybe longer. This includes not only investing your time, but energy, ideas, and most likely even money! (Unless you're starting a business that doesn't require much spending and investment.) It will be so draining and exhausting at first, especially when you feel like you're putting in so much of your time and not seeing any results. But everything takes time, and you've got to build a strong foundation.

Don't listen to all the advice you get. Everyone will want to share their opinions with you and tell you what they think is best. Thing is, all businesses work in different ways, and there is no right or wrong way. Listen to what other people have to say but don't feel as if you have to take any of it. Don't think too much into it as most of the time people will either tell you not to take such a big risk or they will tell you to go for it in kind of a fake way. Follow your heart and trust your instincts, as this is YOUR adventure, no one else's.

Plan. Plan. Plan. You'll of course have a long list of things to accomplish, some which may not seem within your reach. But until you write it all down on paper and have something to compare your successes to, you won't be following a proper plan. Nothing will go to plan. You'll come across new obstacles and face difficult decisions. But unless you've been mentally prepared for it and thought about it beforehand, you'll be completely knocked off your feet.

Don't be overwhelmed by your competitors. There are already SO many people doing what I've set out to achieve. But a little competition is always healthy. Yes you may want to start a beauty blog or a graphic design business. And yes there may be a million other people writing about the same product or using a similar colour palette to yours. But what's different is that you're putting your own spin on things. If you're passionate about something then don't be scared to take that risk and be worried about other people doing it better. Your work and your project will be different because it's YOUR opinions, YOUR designs, YOUR thoughts and YOUR brand! And that's something you can transform into your own, with your unique touch.

I hope this advice has helped, I'd love to know what you guys think. If you're planning to start your own little venture, I'd definitely say the advice above would help, even if it's a few of the most obvious points. Let me know if you want to see any more posts similar to this, and GOOD LUCK! xo

What to do when you don't feel creative..

Do you ever have those days when you wake up and you don't feel inspired at all? I woke up like this today. It's bad enough on a normal day when you have a long lost of things to do, but on a Monday morning, it definitely sucks twice as much.

One of the reasons why I knew I wanted to start up my own label is because I don't like being told what to do. When I'm working for someone else and helping them towards achieving their own goals, it definitely doesn't inspire me. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I don't like helping people that I love, I'll definitely admit that it makes you so much happier when you see others happy. But I just feel like I have my own goals that I want to work towards, and if I don't spend a certain amount of time each day being creative, I'll be in a crappy mood.

So you've got your own creative business and you're having one of those days? Don't panic if you can't get that design right, or you're painting out of the lines, or even worse you've spilt your dirty paint water everywhere or sewn the pattern completely wrong.

TAKE A BREATHER!

Make yourself a coffee or herbal tea (or any drink/snack that you prefer) and take a quick break. You might want to carry on soldiering on in your usual workspace/desk or you may prefer to change the scenery. Depending on what you'll feel like doing, you could maybe go for a stroll in the park which I always find helps the mind and sparks creativity. The amazing thing about working for yourself is that YOU can decide what you want to do and when you want to do it! I'm sure you've got plenty to be getting on with, so here's a list of things that I like to do. They might not all work for you, but I hope they can atleast give you a little bit of inspiration..

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1. Grab a notebook and start making lists of things you need to do, maybe things that you need to prepare for. There's always some sort of list to make and I find that it helps me feel like I'm getting things done and being organised when I'm ticking things off my lists.

2. Reply back to those emails that you've been putting off. Little things like this don't take long to do but they do make you feel productive and a little less stressed. It doesn't seem very professional when you take days to send a reply, and with technology now it's so easy to communicate with clients/suppliers any time of the day.

3. Research! If you're starting a new project or looking for ideas you can get started on creating a moodboard or collecting sources. Pinterest is a great way of doing this, and so so easy! This might lead you to having new ideas and help get that creative spark back sooner than you know it!

4. Read a book. Whether it's one that's related to what you do and educational, or a biography of a person you admire, it will help you feel relaxed and get your thinking cap on. This is something that I do a lot and at times I'll get bored and instantly just decide that I'm in the mood to be creative again.

5. If you write a blog about your work or what you do, this might be a good time to plan a new post or type up one that you've been planning but putting off. It'll make you feel like you're reaching out to your readers and customers and you'll also be doing something productive at the same time.

6. Listen to inspiring music. Words help me be creative. Song lyrics inspire me. The type of music I listen to always depends on my mood, and this varies a lot. It might not help everyone but I do think this can spark your creative thoughts and lead to new ideas.

7. Put together colour palettes. For me, colour is so effective as I still associate certain things like shapes, numbers and days of the week with their very own colour. Colour helps me with my thinking and coming up with new designs.

8. Get other things done such as cooking/cleaning etc. Yes this will not help you get your actual work done, but if you're really not in the mood then why push yourself so much? If you get other things ticked off your list then you'll feel less stressed, and you'll have more time later on to get back to being creative when you're in the mood.

9. Try a new technique. So you paint and sell your artwork on canvases? Why not paint on fabric and make a bag out of it? Or you make clothes but you've been thinking about finding a pair of embellished shoes that will go with your plain velvet skirt? Get creative and do some customising. It will get you thinking and give you new ideas. And you'll definitely learn something new!

10. Social Media. Why not spend some time refining your Facebook page or your Twitter profile? Connect with your customers on Instagram or Etsy and let them know about what you've been up to. Don't underestimate genuine conversation with people who are fans of your designs. People definitely like to know the person they are buying products from, as there is a reason they are buying handmade, unique products rather than something from the high street.

So that's my list of ideas which I hope will help you when you're not feeling very creative. Keep busy and you'll get that spark back in no time. Let me know if you guys have any other things that you like to do as I'd love to know whether other people do the same or if there's anything new that I've never tried. I hope you enjoyed this post. xo

The Anti Bucket List

So with it being the last day of 2015 I thought I'd look back and remember the highlights of my year. I'm not a strong believer of New Year's resolutions as I feel that you should be bettering yourself and improving every day of your life, not just once a year. I guess it's also because a lot of the time people tend not to stick to them for very long.

But I've seen a lot of people doing the 'Anti Bucket List' where they've listed all the good things they've done and the fun memories they have. I first read it on What Olivia Did and thought it was a great way to make yourself feel good about your achievements. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others, thinking about what we haven't managed to do and what is still left to do, that we kind of take our focus away from all the things we have achieved.

So I decided to write my own Anti Bucket List on here. I've learnt so much this year, whether it was related to my work/designing or not. I do believe that creativity isn't just your work, but how you live your lifestyle. Everything that you do certainly has some creative thoughts within the process, whether it's what you decide to have for dinner, which route you decide to take on a drive, or how you interpret a song. So as a creative soul who decided to swap a 9-5 job for a more creatively and mentally challenging project, I feel that every little step during the day affects the way you work and how inspired you feel. I've listed some of my best highlights of the year. Here goes..

-I went on my first ever trip to Dublin with a bunch of lovely girls, saw some beautiful sights and experienced things like traditional Irish food and Irish dancing. Although it was a short trip, it was eye opening and taught me a handful about the culture.

-I saw SClub7 in concert! Seeing as this had been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old it's definitely made it to the top of the list! The best part of the night was meeting them all after the show and getting a few pictures with some of them!

-An amazing trip to Barcelona that was full of inspiration, energy, and excitement. Although I've visited a few times now, it's one place I can never get bored of. Every time I go I manage to discover something new and fall in love all over again.

-Spending a weekend away in Belfast for a beautiful wedding in a breathtaking countryside resort. I got to see some of the most wonderful greenery and buildings that looked like they'd been taken out of a fairytale.

-I got to spend the August Bank Holiday with some of my favourite people ever, for the first time EVER! Considering that up until this year I'd been working every single Bank Hol at the end of summer, it definitely felt good to actually enjoy it with people I love. We explored the streets of Brighton, experienced a seagull coming straight at us and stealing an ice cream, and spent time in London just sightseeing and having a chilled weekend. Read Prim's post here.

-During an evening out I bumped into Claudio Ranieri. If you're not into football then you probably won't know who he is or what he's achieved during his career. But this being a dream of mine since I was in school, I was thrilled to have actually met him and taken a cheeky selfie!

-I finally went to Budapest and it is seriously one of the hidden gems in Europe. There's so much to see and learn and it is all filled with unique experiences and culture.

-I got to spend heaps of time with family and loved ones, creating so many new memories together. Whether it being at home or taking trips up north to a small town in Scotland, I'd definitely consider this a luxury.

-I managed to do a lot of DIY (all by myself) fixing book shelves for all those pages of inspiration I've collected, and building up my own workspace.

-I learnt to cook some great healthy meals, being creative with the flavouring and changing up the ingredients to suit my taste, obvs!

-I actually met the greatest football manager of ALL time. A man I've admired for a long time, for his strong work ethic, his unique techniques and the way he expresses his individuality without being scared of what anyone else may think. He's truly the Special One.

-Best one of them all; I started selling my own designs! I'm hoping to move forward with this and I have lots of new ideas for the coming year. Hoping for the best, xo