Shauna built a career for herself as a lawyer but soon became disillusioned in her profession. It wasn’t until her friend asked her to do some writing for her business that she realised that she could start up her own small business and manage her career doing something she enjoyed and could do on her own terms.
Shauna is glad she had the opportunity to reevaluate her life and that she had the bravery to take the risk and start her business. “Without that opportunity, I may never have considered taking this road at all! Cheers to serendipity! I’m finally in charge of me and that’s something I don’t think I could ever give up.” Despite the stress of being the boss now, Shauna loves the new found freedom that running your own business allows. She can now run her company how she wants to. “It’s stressful being responsible for everything and there are no sick days, but I can work when and where I want. I can travel and not worry about losing clients. I can change my location and stir my creative juices.” Three things Shauna wishes she had been told before she started in business:
- Develop a business plan! That includes detailed financial plans and projections.
- Running your own business is hard work. “Not everyone’s always doing as well as they appear to be. Comparison is the enemy.”
- There is so much information out there to help you. From blogs to webinars, there is so much useful information to help small businesses. Knowing where to find them might have helped me plan better.
Shauna’s main piece of advice is to plan. Without a detailed plan you have no way of preparing for the future. When you make a plan for the future, anticipating growth periods as well. “Get your other financial ducks in a row – invoicing, book keeping, accounting etc). Marketing (resources and methods). Get good website design and copywriting. (You might not have a lot of cash or expertise, but a little knowledge goes a long way!) Starting up your own business is unpredictable at best “so grab onto the things you can control and lay the most structurally sound foundation possible.” Shauna found that mentoring helped her face her business challenges.
“Mentoring sessions have given me focus and direction – something I was seriously lacking and was hindering my success. I’m not there yet but feel like I’m laying solid groundwork for the future.”
Shauna Maguire’s advice for starting a business:
- Plan, plan, plan!
- Plan for growth periods as well as unexpected downturns.
- Control what you can control and lay the most structurally sound foundation possible
Learn more about Shauna Maguire, This post was co-authored by Ella McDougall, an intern with HerBusiness. Ella is studying Journalism at the University of Technology, Sydney.
