12 Lessons Learned in 12 Years in Business
After 12 years of owning our small business, Choco le`a, I was recently asked to do some self-reflection which got me thinking about 12 lessons I learned in the past 12 years. Though there were many, many, more, here’s a quick summary of 12 that came to mind first!
Control
God is in control and sometimes no matter how hard you try, you cannot control how things go, or the timing, or other people, and need to learn to let go.
Patience
Good things take time to build. Refining recipes and products takes time. Building a cohesive team takes time. Seeing a profit can take time so be patient and don’t give up.
Personal Growth
If you don’t have a plan to grow personally, then you probably won’t and neither will those around you. Make a plan to always keep on getting better and take action, continuously working on that plan.
Flexibility
Be flexible to changes. Things will change, people change, the economy changes, situations change. You need to learn to go with the flow.
Humility
You can’t do this alone and in fact, many other people can do a lot of things better than you can. Don’t be afraid to admit when you are wrong, ask for help when needed, and remain humble.
Team
Teamwork does make the dreamwork! It is a blessing to have a team and a big responsibility as well. Collaborate, communicate, and take care of your team.
Vision
Find your place in the business, what your strengths are, and where you can contribute the most and take the lead. For me, I found that I am the visionary. I love to envision a future there can’t. I love to work ahead on developing the business, coming up with ideas, connecting, and seeing possibilities for collaborations.
Seasons
Seasons change and the one we may be in may be short or long, but it will be different at some point. Make the most of the season you find yourself in.
Time
Time is the great equalizer and we can’t ask for more and don’t know how much more of it we’ve got…so make the most of it.
Boundaries
Learning to create and hold boundaries helps to stay focused on what or who matters most. Remember saying yes to one thing always means saying no to something else.
Faith
Owning and running a business requires a lot of faith. Don’t lose faith and learn to move forward in faith.
Gratitude
Be grateful for where you are, what you have, and the people around you….always!
To be continued….there’s still so much more to learn!
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” -Proverbs 1:5