12 Important Lessons I Learned as a WAHM Entrepreneur

Exactly nine years ago today, I walked out of the Digitel building in Libis for the last time.  I went there to return my service vehicle and take care of my clearance and last pay.  My husband went with me as he was bracing for a meltdown.  He knew how much I loved my career, and he wasn’t sure how I’d handle letting go of it.

On this scorching hot afternoon, while browsing through my Facebook feed, I got alerted that today is my 9th anniversary as a WAHM entrepreneur.  Well, the entrepreneur part came much later.  But today, I’m just amazed that I have forgotten about my WAHM anniversary.  Like I’ve always been a WAHM and there was no beginning, you know?  How time flies when you’re having fun!   And fun is exactly what I’m having!  The corporate life I have loved so much is just but a distant memory.

I have not blogged for weeks, as I have been busy doing the things I love, and enjoying myself immensely in discovering new possibilities, but in honor of my ninth anniversary, I’m going to share what I’ve so far learned in my journey as a WAHM entrepreneur.

Here’s my list, which can also be taken as my advice to those who want to join me in the journey:

1. Take your time.  Have an idea?  Let it sink in.  Sleep on it.  Gauge your happiness level about it.  If you’re not 100% sure that it’s for you, don’t take it.   There will always be another opportunity.
2. Be a people person.  More than the money, it is the relationships that you build that will bring your business the boost it needs to succeed.
3. Work hard, then work smart.  Success takes hard work and commitment.  But you don’t have to do all the work.  Learn the value of delegation.
4. Never worry about competition.  Stop comparing.  Just know who you are, know what you want, know your purpose and do your best to achieve your goals.
5. NEVER compete on price. Know how much your time and effort are worth, and charge accordingly.  Compete on service and quality, not price.
6. Get a mentor.  Listen to people who can show you results, not theories; people who have been successful in doing the advice they’re giving.  While their paths may not be the same as yours, at least you know that they know what they’re talking about.
7. Network. Be the person even your competitors go to for answers and assistance.  My favorite word is collaborate.
8. Commit mistakes.  Don’t be paralyzed with fear.  Note that this is different from taking your time. By committing mistakes I’m saying that even when you are making informed decisions, you can still be wrong about it.  So it’s okay to be wrong.  Just make sure that you learn from that mistake, correct your course, and make adjustments to the earlier decision.
9. Write a plan. And I literally mean write, because that’s what I do.  I know what business I want, who my target customers are, and how I’ll go about my processes. So I write them down, and I tweak as I go.
10. Be money-wise.  Buy what you need, not what you want.   You don’t have to show off your success by having the latest gadgets in the market, or wearing the most expensive watch.  Let your bank balance do the talking.
11. Be with people who are your kind of crazy.  Seriously.  There’s nothing more stressful than working with people who cannot even appreciate your brand of quirkiness.
12. HAVE FUN!  ‘Nuff said.

So there!  These are the things that have worked for me in the last nine years.  Maybe they’ll work for you, too!

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