Victoria R. Clark, Esq.

So you’ve decided to take the jump and start your own business. You’re not alone. Entrepreneurship is popular. There has been no better time to be a Black Woman Boss than right now.

In the past year, I took this leap. I invested several hours of research, had a business plan, paperwork filed, and was ready to open for business. I promoted and waited, but business didn’t boom as I expected! What do I do? I reached in my bag for my secret weapon… my squad of girlfriends. Here’s why you should too.

Your Squad Will Encourage You

Secret to Success All entrepreneurs experience occasional self-doubt and those nagging questions of “what if I’m not successful?” or “what I am doing wrong?” Your squad will remind you that you’re amazing. Remember, you’ve already done the hardest part by simply getting started. Your support system will provide the encouraging words you need to move forward during the toughest of times. In my lowest moments of the process of launching my business, I knew that I could always rely on my close friends, and even some acquaintances, to let me know that they were proud of me. That support alone has kept me going and tenacious when facing the daily challenges of entrepreneurship

Your Squad Will Send You Referrals

Whether you’re selling a product or offering a service, getting the word out about your business to your target audience is paramount. While you can pay for marketing services, it’s even better to get it for free via word of mouth. Who better to tell the world about your business than your squad? They will spread the word to their networks, simply because they love you and believe in you – no marketing budget required.

Your Squad Has Different Skills

Let’s say that you recently decided to start your own catering business. You’ve always been an amazing chef, and you love serving people. Great! Does that mean you aware best equipped to build a website or manage your finances? Not likely. You started your business because you’re an expert on your product or service. You don’t have to master every single aspect of running your business to be successful. This is where your squad comes in!

I hired one of my oldest friends to be my photographer and another friend to build my website. This freed up my time to focus on my other work. Now, EVERYTHING is top-quality.

Whenever you need feedback, a shoulder to lean on, or to perform some essential part of your business where you lack expertise, don’t just try to get through it yourself! Your squad is there to help you get through…and can take your business further than you’ve ever imagined! They’re literally your business’ secret to success…

Entrepreneurship is trendy right now. You may be feeling the need to “create multiple streams of income” and “become your own boss.” To many, that sounds like a dream come true. Entrepreneurship will show you who you are and challenge you in ways you’ve never imagined. However, many entrepreneurs become frustrated with a lack of quick success, and many customers become frustrated with a lack of quality products or service. The following five tips will help your transition into entrepreneurship, whether part-time or full-time, be as smooth as possible.

Do: Focus on the right product or service

This is particularly important if your business will rely solely on you, at least starting out. To make sure you are providing a quality product or service, you must focus on something for which you possess sufficient talent and that you enjoy. Think about it: if you absolutely love playing the piano, but the extent of your skills is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, then you should not become a piano teacher. Conversely, if you hate playing the piano but are an exceptional player, could you really be an effective teacher? Find something that you can do every day and do well.

Don’t: Reinvent the wheel

Once you figure out your product or service, focus on making sure the core of your business is exceptional. It may be tempting to want to make your business that takes a standard product and shares it in a way that the world has never seen before. Don’t. Yes, there may be twenty other cake designers in town, but you already have one thing that none of the others have–you! You will be different from everyone else. You have your own network. You have your own style. You have your own experiences. Lean on those, and your business will naturally stand out.

Do: Be consistent

Consistency is the key to achieving anything you want in life, including being a successful entrepreneur. If you want to grow, develop business, and make money, it is going to take more than a couple of hours per week in your spare time. You are going to have to commit to making the time to work on your business, and some things may have to take a backseat to your business. A few options for encouraging and tracking consistency are setting a schedule, writing a list of weekly goals, and having some progress benchmarks. Whatever you want to accomplish with your business, you will not get there without consistency.

Don’t: Get discouraged

You spend months doing market research, writing a business plan, developing your product, building a website, and finally launch your business. Then nothing. Or worse, someone buys your cake or hires you to decorate their home and are dissatisfied. You get a bad review. Maybe one of your clients can’t pay you. Maybe you miscalculated your expenses, and can’t pay your expenses for the month. Do not be discouraged! Every business, including yours, is going to face challenges. Instead of looking at challenges as setbacks, focus on how you can use those experiences to create systems to solve problems in the future. What can you learn? How can you move forward? The more challenges you face, the better you will get at bouncing back, and in the end, you’ll be a better entrepreneur because of it.

Do: Rely on your network for support

Your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and social media acquaintances will be essential to the success of your business. From the research stage to selling your product or service, make sure you keep them involved and aware. They will be your first customers. They will provide your first referrals. They will encourage you when you face challenges, and cheer you on when you succeed. Do not passively include your network in your business, be strategic and intentional. Know when and how to reach out to each person. Your parents may not receive information or have the same needs as your coworkers. Throughout your entrepreneurship journey, your network will grow as your business does.

Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is a major commitment. Whatever your product or service, whatever your goals, these five do’s and don’ts will start your business off right.