TEE #021 Eight Painful Lessons I Learnt Running Online Businesses

Read time: 3 minutes

I've had TONS of failed side hustles, business ideas that flopped, and expensive courses that yielded nothing.

I remember spending HOURS creating recipe books, a sales page, email sequence and only sold 1. I broke down and cried, feeling like I wasn't made for this business owner thing.... Ready to give up.

These days (3 years later) my business makes money and exceeds my goals. And no, it's NOT because my audience is bigger.

It's because of these lessons I've learned, applied, and am happy to share with you for free:

😭 8 PAINFUL LESSONS I LEARNED 😭

1. I expected quick and instant results. Building a business takes time, especially around kids and a full time job. Stop giving yourself a hard time for not being an overnight millionaire.

2. Selling something that you want to sell won't make you money. Research what people want and create it. Most important - enjoy the process, if it hits off you might be making/creating your products for hours on end.

3. Don't put a ton of cash you don't have into ads on whichever platform you are using. I did this and racked up a huge ad bill which did not lead into the sales I expected to cover it. Grow as organically and naturally as possible.

4. Don't spend all your time and energy on your business to eventually burn out. Balance is key, getting outside, going for a walk and switching off can really help your brain process ideas and figure things out. Remember to have a life too.

5. Don't expect everyone to see your social media and understand what you are doing. The algo is very selective and will show only a handful of your stuff. Be ready to repeat yourself over and over again. Which leads me onto my next lesson....

6. Keep things simple. An over complicated business is hard to explain to people how you can help them and what is in it for them. Create a simple answer like "I can help you make money on Etsy" or "I create personalised labels for home organisation". It is easy to understand and easy for people to remember.

7. Buying expensive courses doesn't make you money. Buying all the courses possible doesn't make you money. Investing your time and energy into learning what you don't know AND implementing that knowledge will make you money.

8. Silence isn't a bad thing. When you create something and no one comments or buys something. It doesn't mean you have failed. People like to watch from afar until they are ready to buy from you. That is ok. Keep on plugging away each day and you will reach a tipping point that will yield the money and reward you were looking for. That one more listing, or one more email or one more social media post might just be that tipping point.

If you're still looking for traction in your Etsy business, I'd recommend starting with one of the following:

1. → My Free Etsy Workshop: Perfect for you if you are just starting out on Etsy. Learn how you can turn your creative passions into cash to earn your first £1000 on Etsy.

2. → Join my Free Community: Successful Etsy Entrepreneurs is a Facebook community filled with creative people just like yourself all looking to grow their inline businesses.

3. → Join my VIP Members: Successful Ecommerce Entrepreneurs for only £27 a month.  With my expert guidance and actionable strategies in my private membership, you'll gain the skills and knowledge you need to build a profitable and sustainable online business.