Starting a Business - Confidence or Ignorance?

When I started my business I didn't realize I was starting a business. I was simply doing what I liked to do - raising money for women candidates and causes - and had nary a thought as to what it might take to actually run a successful business.

In fact, it wasn't until I was three years into it that I internalized that I actually owned a business. And this was only due to my business partner wanting out of the business and being in a situation where I had to decide if I wanted to buy her out and continue or end my stint as an independent political fundraising consultant.

In order for me to determine that I wanted to continue with the business, I had to admit that I actually had a business.

You see, I never considered myself an entrepreneur of any sort. To me, entrepreneurs were people who went to business school, had investors and business plans, and invented things that didn't exist that you just couldn't live without - like cup holders in cars and movie theaters.

I wasn't innovative, financially savvy or had "business smarts" - or at least I didn't think so at the time. Now, here I am, 9 years and change into my business and I finally feel like the entrepreneur I always have been.

When I think back on the past decade, I can't help but ponder how I began my business and how I kept it going day after day. I think about what motivated me both then and now, and how much I have learned over the years; as well as how many mistakes I've made along the way and how much of what I do on a daily basis is going by my gut instincts. I don't know where I got these instincts, but I do think it's a combination of confidence that I'm doing the right thing, mixed with a bit of ignorance about not knowing or maybe not caring about the unknown.

Many woman business owners I speak with have a similar story. They began their businesses by doing what they loved as opposed to following a concrete business plan. And through trial and error, became successful at what they do.

I think that much of running a business is having the confidence to make decisions, the knowledge that you are an expert in your field, the understanding that people are human and make mistakes, the fortitude to continue moving forward, and the acceptance that anything is possible.

A week in the life...

This is just a sampling of what occurred during the course of the past week...

• Had a new client get confirmed
  
• A revised proposal was sent to a potential client that decided what they originally wanted was completely different than what they really need
• Wrote and sent a proposal that I had been putting off
• Had two phone conversations with prospective clients
• Attended a meeting with a client and a potential large donor (walked away with a check!)
• Attended a briefing/fundraising lunch with a client that resulted in a long briefing and no money
• A proposal was rejected (our first response to a RFP as a certified woman-owned business) - this was a big bummer but hopefully we will find out why so we can make our proposals better in the future (it is just as important to understand why you don't get hired as it is to get the job)
• Decided to move forward with the new branding materials my designer created (this was a HUGE decision!)
• Started the process to create an entirely new website to go with above new branding materials
• Downloaded all my contacts from outlook to excel to create various email lists for a future electronic newsletter to go with above new branding materials and website
• Had a staff member order an Adobe product so we could send materials in a pdf vs multiple documents
• Attended a meeting with the department of parks and recreation and a client for an event in the park that has changed course so many times that we no longer doing anything close to what we are contracted to do
• Had a clients' invitation process melt down
• Had a mini-melt down prevention conversation with the staff member dealing with the above invitation process
• Figured out the specific steps involved with working out a challenging database project for a client
• Negotiated a deadline extension on a project with a client
• Had a follow-up conversation with a prospective client (big client) where I had to give them reasons why they can justify spending money on an outside consultant for their project
• Attempted to obtain homeowners insurance for a home I am buying (my first) and supposed to be closing in a week
• Battled with the flu (which I got from a sick colleague)
• Received a solicitation call from MADD (Mother's Against Drunk Driving) at an inopportune time
• Scheduled a breakfast meeting and lunch meeting then immediately had to reschedule them for the following week
• Sent about 400 emails
• Had a 2-hour meeting with a prospective client during which I sucked down about 20 coughdrops to avoid a coughing fit
• Managed to maintain a less than 2000 calorie-a-day diet (yes, I'm trying to lose weight), but it's probably because I was sick all week
• Traveled back from a long-weekend trip to Puerto Rico
  

Things I Forgot or Didn't Deal With

• Didn't have time to send my bookkeeper the end-of-the-month bills due
• Did not meet with staff to discuss a client project as promised
• Didn't have time to order some industry-specific books that I need
• Forgot to follow-up with a client who is sitting on a proposal and has been avoiding my calls for the past month
• Forgot to call a client who needs us to do an event to help her raise money but who never calls me back when I call her (I really need to be calling her every day)

It's Friday night and I'm exhausted...