8 core moments in my 8 years of business
This month I’m celebrating my 8th business birthday! I can't believe it is been 8 years but it has been an incredible journey and I have learned so much along the way.
Last year I decided to share some lessons I've learned during the seven years of doing business but this year I wanted to switch it up a little bit and talk about 8 things that have happened during my business journey that feel really significant to the success of my business.
After taking some time to reflect on the past 8 years, there have been some core moments that have really shifted my business, my mindset and my life and one thing that I think is really important in business is to be able to identify core moments and look back at the progress you have made to see how far you've come.
So let's get into it!
1- Changing offices
When I started this business 8 years ago I was working out of my old bedroom in my parent's house. Since then I have brought my own home with my husband and I now have an office in my house.
This feels like such a full-circle moment and is a real representation of the growth that my business has been through over the past 8 years!
2- Setting boundaries
A really significant milestone for me that significantly impacted the way that I did business was learning how to set boundaries. Because this is definitely something you have to learn!
When I first started my business my boundaries were basically non-existent and having to learn how to set boundaries as to how I work and what I will accept and not accept from my clients and myself has been a difficult journey.
However, I can now proudly say that I have very clear boundaries for myself for my clients and for the way I like to do business. This has made running my business and serving my clients so much more effective and easy.
So if you're just starting out and are trying to identify your boundaries, my biggest piece of advice to you is to really think about how you want your dream life to look and create boundaries that reflect that and protect your space and energy.
My other biggest tip is not to be afraid of implementing boundaries. Everyone has them and once you set them and clearly communicate them people will respect them. I promise setting boundaries isn't as scary as it feels!
3- Refining my services
My business has changed a lot since I first started it 8 years ago at my parent's house and one of the biggest shifts is that I switched from working with brick-and-mortar businesses to transitioning to a predominantly online business during the pandemic. With this change, as well as a few other realisations along the way, my service suite has completely evolved over the years.
I've also learned how to price my services properly because when I started I was severely undercharging and challenging people to £200 a month for full bespoke social media services (which I can't believe I did!).
But over the last 8 years, I've built my confidence, my skills and my client base and have now found my stride when it comes to creating services that truly help businesses and pricing them according to the impact create for people.
Which is something I'm really proud of!
4- Growing my team
One thing that's happened over the past couple of years is that I've been able to expand my business by growing my team. I'm really proud to say that I'm now supported by a team of experts from copywriters to virtual assistants and OBMs.
They have not only helped me develop and expand my own business but they also helped with my client deliverables and have enabled me to expand my services to offer some really exciting things (if you want to find out more about these new exciting services click here).
5- Developing my website
For many years I’ve had a website for Sophie Angell Marketing but it was one I had created myself.
I remember when I first created it, it felt like a very significant step for my business. It made everything feel more official!
However, recently my website has had a revamp and I was able to hire a designer to do it for me. This feels like an equally significant moment in my business journey as it really represents the growth my business has been through especially in the last year. If you want to have a look at my shiny new website just click here!
6- Becoming VAT registered
One of my biggest achievements in my business so far is that this year I became VAT registered!
Considering I started this business with nothing except for a very very small savings pot from my first job, I feel so proud to have reached this business Milestone.
It's been a real journey to get to this point but I'm so proud of myself for overcoming all of the obstacles and continuing to work on myself and my business for the last 8 years.
7- Developing systems
Another amazing thing that's happened during my 8 years of business which has really helped me find the freedom I was after when I first started, was implementing systems.
This might sound simple but implementing the right systems and cultivating the right team around me has given me the life that I dreamed of.
I'm able to travel and have the freedom to work from anywhere I want because of the processes and systems that I have in place.
It doesn't matter whether I'm in my home in Wales or sunbathing on a beach in Greece! I'm able to provide a quality service for my clients and keep my business running.
That's all because of the systems I took the time to implement in my business.
8- Overcoming challenges
One of the most significant things that has happened to me in the past 8 years, that I truly believe has been a key factor in determining the success and growth of my business, is having the determination to overcome challenges that are thrown my way.
As a business owner, there will be challenges thrown your way left, right and center.
No matter what stage of business you are at there will be good days and bad days but it's about having a strong mindset and the determination to keep going and overcome whatever comes your way.
In doing this, I have found a confidence in myself that I never had before. I know I am able to push myself and overcome whatever I need to do to succeed.
I want to end this blog by just saying thank you to everyone who has supported me in the last 8 years. From my friends and family who are given me so much support to all of my amazing clients who have trusted me to help them elevate their marketing and their businesses, and to my team who have supported me no end.
You are all amazing and I wouldn't be here without you.
If you want to keep up to date to see what I do in the next 8 years of my business, make sure you're following me on my Instagram and sign up to my email list for more behind-the-scenes content and exclusive marketing tips.