Starting a business is no easy feat. It’s a world of constant knowledge-gathering, trial and error, perfectionism, burnout, collaborations and connections. All sorts of celebrations and challenges come up when you least expect them, but it can be one of the most fulfilling adventures you ever go on.

As I’ve been reflecting on my own journey as a business owner the past few weeks, I thought I’d share 5 things that I wish I knew from the beginning that they DEFINITELY don’t teach you in design school (and really should!)

1. Inner work makes the business work.⁠

Getting your mindset in check isn’t just some woo-woo BS. It’s an integral part of being a business owner.

There are SO many internal and external barriers, limiting beliefs and stories that can hold us back from all the things we wish to do, have and be. Questioning where those beliefs came from and flipping the script so those beliefs aren’t your norm is imperative if you want to make your business work. It’s not easy work, but it is essential.⁠

2. Ask for support and outsource.⁠

You *really* don’t need to do everything little thing on your own to run a successful business.

It’s not shameful or wrong to focus on your zone of genius and ask for support on the things you know you’re not the best at or don’t enjoy doing.⁠ All of that inner talk is usually just our egos trying to get the better of us, and in most cases will at some point lead to overwhelm and burnout as we’re not built to juggle everything all the time.

Even just the smallest amount of help can make the biggest of differences, so don’t be afraid to ask for it if you need it.

3. Boundaries aren’t bad.

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know I’m big on boundaries. However, when I first started my business, this was NOT the case 🥴.

I quickly realised that not letting people take the piss was vital if I wanted to protect my energy, and people-pleasing constantly is not the way forward. I often had to remind myself that boundaries aren’t bad; they are there to support both you and your clients, so everyone knows the expectations.

And if someone consistently crosses those boundaries, let them go. They’re not worth your time or energy. ✌🏽⁠

4. Launch it ugly!

Perfectionism is doing nothing but holding you back.

Tweaking colours, fonts and layouts all the damn time isn’t going to grow your business. Connecting with your community and sharing your knowledge will do so much more for you than being stuck in an “I need to make this perfect!” bubble. Nothing is ever static and you can always tweak and change things later on.

Imperfection for the win!⁠

5. Protect your business from the start.⁠

Don’t work without a contract! There’s a wide variety of places where you can buy a decent contract template, so don’t feel like you need to write one from scratch. Never start a project without one - they make sure everyone is on the same page and keeps your business protected.⁠ I personally use templates from The Contract Shop*, and they were honestly one of my best investments.

There are obviously a lot more lessons that I could mention, but I’d love to know - what’s something YOU wish you knew when starting your business? Come and share your experiences with me over on Instagram @dmarzdesigns.