So right now I am in a season of learning. Have’t really made any money having my kids home and all. My business is nearly 100% based on events. No events, no money. No money…Well, with no money it honestly feels like I have no business.
You see I am a boot-strapper. Apparently that means a business is run only on what it has or the owners own personal finances. I started this lil’ shop with $1k or $2k. (I don’t honestly remember…I know I had some money in the bank but I am not sure how much I used to buy my first products.) I don’t like taking loans or credit for my business. I understand that capital is needed for the growth of a business. I get it. It doesn’t mean I want to do it. In fact, I tried it for a while (credit card) and I hated it. Didn’t feel true to how I want my business run. Which means…growth is going to be slow. Long. Hard. And I may not see returns for years. Nearly every penny I make goes right back into the business. I would love to not have that be my reality, but it’s where I’m at. I have not yet created a well oiled machine. I do not have the skills to run a six figure company right now. Which is the ultimate financial goal for my business. So…I keep studying and learning. I am seeking out mentors and people that have what I want and constantly asking questions. In fact, I am sure I annoy them. I don’t care. I have to be stubborn as hell in wanting to make this work.
One of the biggest hurdles I have had to overcome (and still am) is the value I bring to the marketplace. You see, I didn’t realize the difference between me & my shop and the once-in-awhile-garage-salers slangin’ their stuff at flea markets & swap meets. I didn’t realize business was about connecting with people and bringing them value. I simply thought business was about money. And now that I realize business is about people, hearing them, connection and value…Not only do I have to relearn how to run my business. I have to retrain my brain in how I look at my own value. I have learned that if I do not value myself I cannot bring value to the marketplace. No matter how good my products are…If I don’t see the value in what I do, neither will anyone else.
This business has become a mirror. It reflects everything I am and everything I am not. And now it is up to me to do whatever is necessary to build Petra de Luna into the vision I see in my head.
Health & happiness,
Yolanda