Today marks our 7th anniversary! I can remember the day we launched so vividly. It’s funny how time can feel so short and yet so long all at the same time. Over the past seven years, I’ve learned a lot. In 2015, I wrote about 10 things I’ve learned from running my small my business. All of those things still apply. Although, the way I run the business has changed quite a bit in the past two years. This year, I feel like I have the healthiest relationship with my business than ever before.
How is it that I’ve finally developed a healthy relationship with my business? Here are some key takeaways:
Hire A Business Manager
This was huge for me. Up until two years ago, I was drowning in tasks. I was dealing with a lot of the creative and editorial for Glitter Guide, but then I was also doing all of the behind-the-scenes business work, and I didn’t really know what I was doing. I felt lost as to how to stay on top of emails, Quickbooks, taxes, systems for tracking everyone’s work, etc. Every day, I succumbed to the feeling that I would never be able to get everything done. It sucked. Then I hired our business manager, Sam! She took over bookkeeping, taxes, HR, contracts and so much more. Having her take that off my plate was a huge relief. Then she also worked with me to create systems for our team. Before we were all drowning in emails, calls and text messages, and we were often confused as to who was doing what and when! Having her create systems for us to keep us organized has seriously saved me!
Create Systems & Accountability
So what are these systems? There are two big ones. First is Asana. This is what keeps the whole team on task. Since we’re remote, it’s very challenging to keep up with everyone’s schedules. We don’t all work the same hours or in the same time zones. Sam created different categories like: editorial, graphics, social media, etc. Then each of us has a task that we’re in charge of under these categories for certain things. We all have deadlines, too. If someone misses a deadline, we can see who is throwing things off and we can follow up with them. Having Asana makes things way more streamlined. It’s also great for prioritizing your most important tasks of the day.
Next is Slack. Remember the old AOL Instant Messenger? This is sort of like that, but way more advanced. It’s a place for our team to connect and quickly chat with each other about all different areas of the business. Instead of emailing and waiting, you can Slack someone so much faster. It also isn’t clogging our inboxes. It’s really where the team “hangs out” all day.
I mentioned QuickBooks. That is something that was never super clean and organized until Sam took it over. I had to admit that I was never going to be someone who stayed on top of the books. It’s not my strong suit. Having her handle it freed me up to focus on what I’m good at. It’s also made taxes so much easier!
We use Toggl to keep track of people who work hourly. Before, I had to just trust that people were putting time in. It’s not that I don’t trust them now, but it wasn’t a smart system for us before. We need to make sure people aren’t spending too much time on things that aren’t crucial. Having them make time sheets allows me see a bigger picture of what people are working on and how long it takes them. By being aware, we all can work toward being more efficient.
These are the biggest tools that have really increased our flow and made us all a lot more organized.
Set Boundaries
When you first start your own business, it’s pretty difficult to set boundaries between your work and your personal life. You’re working around the clock to get it off the ground. Plus, you’re excited and you love what you do! That was me for sure. However, a few years ago, I was feeling the effects of burnout badly. My family often complained I wasn’t present. I was stressed and I was feeling unhappy with my work. I knew I needed a change or I was going to crash and the business would follow along with me. After hiring a business manger and creating systems, I felt more freedom to set boundaries. I knew what was going on, who was in charge of what and what my most important tasks were each day. That allowed me to create hours for myself. I typically work 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Monday through Thursday with a bit here and there outside of that, but not much. After I drop the kids off in the morning, I typically allow myself 45 minutes to clean up around the house and listen to a podcast. I can’t tell you how therapeutic this is. I probably should work out during that time (still working on where to fit that in). It’s a hectic morning getting the family out of the house before 8 a.m. So the house is often messy. Putting things in order before settling down to work really helps me calm down. I need a clean space to feel motivated. My team knows my hours and I don’t typically get questions until I am logged in.
I don’t work Fridays; it’s my day with the kids. We need a day that we can run around and take appointments, do errands and see friends. Weekends can get too crazy. I know this will change as my kids get older, but for now, I’m cherishing the extra time with them.
I encourage my team to have personal lives. I don’t want workaholics. Of course, I want a motivated team, but it’s more important to me that they feel happy. I want them to take time off, shut off at 5 p.m. and not work on the weekends.
Cleaning my inbox was big for setting boundaries. I used to have this crazy overflowing inbox. I thought I would never get a hold of it. Yet somehow, once I cleaned it out and created files and systems, it’s much easier for me to actually check it less while still staying on top of things. I try to only check it once in the morning after I finish my Asana tasks. Then once more an hour before it’s time to shut down. I also added work hours to my signature so people know I am not checking emails after 5 p.m.
I don’t have alerts on my phone. This is huge. No emails, no Instagram, no work apps. Nothing. If I want to see what’s going on, I have to log into that app. This allows me to not get sucked into things when I need to focus. I can’t tell you how much this has helped me to unplug and stress less.
Put On Blinders
Every business owner is going to get caught up looking around at their peers and competitors. It’s natural and to some extent really good for your business. Although, keeping it healthy is so important. I find if I am getting too caught up in vanity numbers, traffic, looking at who and what other people are talking about on there sites, etc, I get really bummed out. I have had times where I just want to throw in the towel. What keeps me going is a strong belief in myself (and my team). No matter what, if you work on a strong self-confidence, you will not only believe in your work more, but your team will, too. It’s OK to have low moments. It’s just that you can’t allow those low moments to bring you down. When I’m feeling that way, I put my blinders on. I stop looking at other sites and other social media accounts and solely focus on myself. I really believe success isn’t as much about what someone accomplishes but more about how they keep persevering.
Keep It Fresh
I often get asked how I stay inspired. Luckily, I really love my job and it’s easy for me to stay motivated. Sure, after seven years there are things I wish we could do differently. I want to try new things and feel new, new, new. I think I sometimes have too many ideas. One thing is we have weekly meetings where we brainstorm and talk about fresh ideas. We’re always thinking about how we can improve and grow. If there are avenues I want to explore outside of Glitter Guide, I do that, too. It keeps me happy and inspired. If you’re feeling bored with your creative work, it can mean you just need to step away from it for a while. Sometimes just taking a walk with my dog can be enough of a break to inspire me to get back into the grind.
That’s the bulk of it. I know this may not be as helpful for people who are still running a solo business, but all the apps can be applied to you. I would definitely use Asana to keep just myself organized. Slack can be a great tool even if it’s just you and an intern. So, I hope this was helpful! Thanks for following me along on my journey! Here’s to another seven years!
Celebrate 7 years of Glitter Guide with us + some of our fav brands!
To kick off our birthday celebration, we’re giving away two gift boxes curated with some of our teams’ favorite things! Included in each box will be:
- 1 pair of Charles & Colvard Forever One 1.o0 CTW Round Near-Colorless Moissanite Solitaire Stud Earrings in White Gold.
- 1 ban.do 13-month planner + ultimate planner pack
- 1 Richer Poorer Women’s Tee Dress + Boxy Crop Tee (colors + sizes to be chosen by winner)
- Kristen Ess Hair Product Set including shampoo, conditioner, working serum, and more!
- 1 Pair of We Dream in Colour Constellation Earrings
- 1 Greetabl gift code to send the perfect gift
To enter to win, click here! Giveaway ends on Friday, June 15th at 5pm PST. Winners will be contacted via email to claim their prize.
