My First 12 Months In Business

I have learned more about business from people’s entrepreneurial stories than any book or course I have ever taken. An honest conversation where you ask, “How did you build your business?” will unlock strategies and tips. 

My first business photo shoot. I never had another one. LOL!

But it also helps you to adjust your expectations. Especially when you talk to someone who really wants you to know the truth. 

Over the years, I have been committed to telling you the truth about how I created and grew my business. 

We look at virtual entrepreneurs who tout their numbers. They talk about their $100,000 months. They make it sound so easy and like it has always been the case. But that is not true. 

Business happens over time with…

• One client

• One skill

• One experience

• One success

• And one failure

…building on the next. 

They all come together to create a robust and financially successful business. 

99% of the time, businesses are not an overnight success. The image of the overnight entrepreneur is basically a myth. 

That is why I want to share with you a timeline of the first 12 months of my business. That way you can have a realistic picture of how businesses grow within the first year. 

January 2018- I had known for a long time that I didn’t want to work for someone. I was skiing on vacation when I started to wonder how I could work part-time and make the same money I was making in my full-time job. I realized how peaceful I was when I traveled and wanted more freedom to travel without asking permission or checking in on my office.  

February 2018- I felt like it was time to start a business, but I was too overwhelmed. I had a very demanding job and was planning our wedding. I spent the next few months identifying a need to fill in my community so that I could hit the ground running after we got married. 

July 2018- Months prior, I figured out what my business was going to offer. I wasn’t going to complicate it. I was going to help people with two problems I had solved in my life: personal finance and weight loss.  

August 2018- I got my business license, my first client, and business bank account within a few weeks of each other. My first client was in personal finance. 

September 2018 - I started getting clients for both personal finance and weight loss. 

October 2018- I officially broke $1,000 a month in my business. It never went below that in my first year of business, I don’t think. I would have to analyze my old financial reports. 

November 2018- I committed to having clients every single month. I hit my goal and started to become very busy in my business. I knew that I had something that people wanted and valued. 

December 2018- I had four clients. This became the minimum amount of clients going forward. I was learning how to market better in my business. 

January 2019- My client base was growing. I was learning how to balance my 9-to-5, marketing, and increased client load. It was a lot, but I knew that I was building my business to leave my job, so it felt manageable and worth it. 

April 2019- Over the past few months, I was trying new marketing strategies, including social media. I had read books and taken courses, but they were not reaping me the results. Every day I not only worked with my clients, but I was also committed to learning how to grow my business. From January to March, I had my core set of clients, but in May I brought on a new client. I am still offering both personal finance and weight loss coaching. 

May 2019- From inception, I have had clients come and go. Some have stayed for months as they hit their goals. Some stayed for a month or two, but everyone has been happy with my services. 

June and July 2019- I am starting to notice the number of clients I have has dropped, but my revenue is the same. 

August 2019- I am starting to see clients come back from before. They were so happy with their results, they wanted to take it to another level in fitness and money. 

I ended my first 12 months in business with confidence that I can make this work. It was clear because of my... 

• Commitment

• Work ethic

• Ability to acquire clients

• And my clients' happiness with my services.

From a financial standpoint, I knew my business was going to work because it only took me a couple of months to break the $1,000 monthly ceiling. 

I tell my Business Group all the time, all the information you need to grow your business is in the numbers. Data is your friend. It became evident from that data that I could create a proven growth strategy.

Now, of course, hindsight is 20/20. 

If I had known what I know now, I would have been able to double or even triple this number in the first year. But I didn’t have a business mentor with the experience I needed to help me learn quickly and handle the entrepreneurial journey. 

I was on this ride alone. Though I had friends and family cheering me on, they couldn’t give me any guidance.

If you don't have the business guidance you want, continue to follow my site. But business grows from actions and experimentation. Don't be afraid to try. Don't be afraid to go after your first client or customer. You got this!