7 Important Things We Learned When We Started the Business
In our previous blog, Esther mentioned who we are, where our experience lies in, and why and how Apher was born. In this blog we want to share with you what we have learned on the way and what the key factors are that will lead you to your first customer, then second, then third… and finally to the feeling of pure satisfaction and contentment you were working hard for.
What Esther and I have in common is that we are both risk-seeking. This does not exactly mean that we are looking for risks, but we are not afraid of them. And I strongly believe that after the vision, the next important thing to realize when starting something on your own is to be comfortable with failure and to fail fast. Because every mistake is a chance to improve and learn what doesn’t work.
Therefore, in the midst of the pandemic, Esther and I decided that it is time to merge our talents, passions and skills to create what is now Apher Consulting.
In what follows, you are going to read about the lessons we have learned, and most of them you won’t learn in any school but through experience along the way.
1. DRIVE & DESIRE
I will just add a long-lasting drive & desire. You have to recognize if it is just a current wish or something that has existed in your mind for months or even years and hasn’t faded away. If it is the latter, then you already have one foot in the door. Also, when there is desire, you are not obsessed with earning money; you don’t work for money but to change lives, to achieve results, and to make clients happy and content – and then money starts to work for you.
2. PERSISTENCE
You have a vision and you’re not afraid of failure, but that won’t lead you to your first customer; persistence will. People who are persistent are more likely to succeed. Every business has struggles, and so do we. Ranging from some technical issues, or making the right project proposal (you only have one chance to impress), to time management (creating content for social media, writing blogs, doing projects, focusing on our business development, and achieving goals). All these can be overwhelming, but persistence and the right planning makes it all easy to solve.
3. BEING CONFIDENT IN YOUR SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
Why is that important? Because you are selling yourself and your vision. I remember the first day when Esther and I talked about starting the business together and how she was confident in the vision and skills we have. Her pitch didn’t make me think twice; I was already envisioning our success. And I can proudly say that from the very beginning we got clients and different projects. How? We are not afraid to show what we know, because we strongly believe in it. Secondly, we are showing what we know on a continuous basis, which is the next lesson. But before I continue, I just want to point out that belief is not enough; you actually have to know the drill.
4. DIGITAL PRESENCE
Especially since the pandemic has started, we are spending most of our time and money on online channels. And having your business on social media, having your own well-designed website is your chance to show the audience who you are, to attract customers, to engage the target market and build your brand awareness. The secret to a successful digital presence is to create a coherent strategy and consistent theme across all channels, and to present and market yourself on a continuous basis. You need to be seen and heard. Check out our social media accounts (IG, FB, and Twitter) and website and you will see that our theme, colors, personality, and the messages we convey is consistent throughout all channels.
5. RIGHT POSITIONING
This is an important part of a brand’s strategy. Determining your positioning – a ‘sweet spot’ your brand takes – will define the direction your business will go. The positioning you choose will define your messaging, differentiating factors, and carefully considered value proposition. Effective brand positioning is when your brand is perceived as valuable and unique in the minds of consumers. And that is what we are striving to be: unique & valuable.
6. SETTING SHORT-TERM & LONG-TERM GOALS
When we first started working on our business strategy, we spent a considerable amount of time on determining our goals – monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Setting goals is very important for how you will prioritize your day and what you will focus on. Long-term goals will help you plan in advance and be ready when the opportunity you were waiting for comes. It is also important to revisit the goals list every once in a while to see where you are standing, how you are progressing, and to know which steps to take next.
7. HAVING THE RIGHT TEAM
Being on the same wavelength with your partner and team is crucial for success. I have known Esther for two years, and during our MBA, we got to know each other while working on many different projects together. This made clear how each of us works and what kind of working style each of us has. I see and know how we complement and supplement each other. The same principles apply when expanding the team. It is important that we all share the same values and goals, besides the skills a potential new team member has.
There are certainly more lessons we have learned and experienced, but we wanted to sum up the ones we thought should be considered from the very beginning when starting out on your own. Start with the drive and don’t immediately look for financial freedom if you want to start your own business; rather, look at how you could provide high quality services for your customers, and the money will follow.
Azra
