how to start a SUCCESSFUL small business🖇️🧸: the ULTIMATE guide for 2024, my stationery shop journey

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start a small online business. The speaker shares personal experiences, from the initial idea to launching an online stationary shop, emphasizing the importance of research, branding, and consistency in social media marketing. They discuss the practical aspects of product creation, pricing, and shipping, while also addressing the psychological barriers to starting a business. The script encourages viewers to set realistic goals, embrace imperfection, and stay motivated for long-term growth.

Takeaways

• 🚀 **Start with Passion**: The speaker emphasizes starting a business based on personal interest and passion, as it was with her online stationary shop.
• 🛠️ **Learn from Experience**: She admits to not having formal business education and instead, learning through her own research and experience.
• 🌱 **Grow Gradually**: The importance of starting small and scaling up is highlighted, such as making products at home before outsourcing.
• 🔎 **Research Thoroughly**: The script stresses the need for extensive research, especially when finding and selecting manufacturers.
• 💼 **Understand Logistics**: The nitty-gritty of business logistics, such as product creation, pricing, and shipping, is crucial to understand.
• 💡 **Identify Your Product**: Knowing what you're selling and how you're making it is the first step in starting a business.
• 🛍️ **Choose the Right Platform**: The speaker recommends using platforms like Squarespace or Shopify over Etsy for more control and branding.
• 📦 **Mind the Packaging**: Packaging is highlighted as an area that can significantly impact customer experience and should reflect the brand.
• 💰 **Pricing Strategy**: Pricing should cover costs of production, labor, and packaging, with room for profit.
• 📈 **Set Realistic Goals**: Setting attainable goals based on what's within your control is advised over focusing on arbitrary numbers.
• 🌐 **Utilize Social Media**: Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube are powerful tools for marketing and building a customer base.
• 🎯 **Consistency is Key**: Consistent posting and brand development on social media are essential for audience growth and recognition.
• 💡 **Digital Products**: Creating digital products can be a low-cost way to start a business, avoiding the need for physical inventory and shipping.
• 📅 **Set a Launch Deadline**: Having a firm launch date prevents perfectionism from delaying the start of the business.
• 🌟 **Stay Motivated**: Maintaining motivation through setting personal goals and envisioning the future of the business is vital for growth.
• 🤝 **Community Support**: Engaging with a community of small business owners can provide support, inspiration, and growth opportunities.

Q & A

What was the initial motivation for starting an online stationary shop?

The initial motivation was the personal interest in arts and crafts, and the realization that creating and selling custom stickers could be a rewarding venture after receiving messages and comments from people interested in buying the designs.

What challenges did the creator face when starting their sticker-making process?

The creator faced challenges such as not having sticker paper and having to use FedEx printing for their designs, as well as figuring out how to cut the printed sheets with a Cricut machine.

How did the creator transition from making stickers as a hobby to considering it as a business?

The transition began when the creator received messages and comments from people interested in buying their stickers, which led them to research and learn from other artists and stationary shop owners who had successfully turned their hobbies into businesses.

What is the significance of the 5W approach in starting a small business according to the script?

The 5W approach (Who, What, When, Where, Why) is significant as it helps in simplifying the process of starting a business by addressing the key aspects such as the product, production process, location of sale, timing of the launch, and the unique selling proposition.

Why is it recommended to start with a minimal product range when beginning a business?

Starting with a minimal product range is recommended to avoid the financial risk and complexity associated with outsourcing and bulk orders, especially when the business is still in its early stages and the market demand is uncertain.

What are some factors to consider when choosing a manufacturer for your products?

Factors to consider include researching the company's values, production ethics, product quality, pricing, and customer reviews. It's also important to get samples from potential manufacturers before making a decision.

Why did the creator choose Squarespace over Etsy for their online storefront?

The creator chose Squarespace because of its user-friendly interface and the desire to have more control over their brand and domain, as opposed to using Etsy, which was perceived to be moving in a direction they did not prefer.

How does the creator approach pricing their products?

The creator approaches pricing by considering the cost of materials, labor, packaging, and any additional costs associated with production. They also look at similar small businesses for a pricing guideline and ensure they include a profit margin.

What role does packaging play in the creator's business, and how do they manage related costs?

Packaging plays a significant role as it enhances the customer experience and reflects the brand's aesthetic. The creator manages costs by being realistic, avoiding over-the-top packaging, and focusing on simple yet well-designed packaging elements.

Why is setting a deadline for the business launch important, and how does it impact the business growth?

Setting a deadline is important to prevent perfectionism from delaying the launch and to ensure that the business starts generating income. It also motivates the creator to work towards a specific goal and learn from the process, which contributes to business growth.

How does the creator suggest using social media for marketing a small business?

The creator suggests using social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube to create a cohesive and consistent brand aesthetic, post frequently, and engage with the audience. They emphasize the importance of storytelling and transparency to build a loyal customer base.

What advice does the creator give for staying motivated and growing a business?

The creator advises setting attainable goals based on what is within one's control, focusing on developing the brand and its aesthetic, and maintaining consistency in posting and product development. They also encourage finding motivation in the big picture and not getting discouraged by initial challenges.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Starting a Small Business: The Journey and Initial Steps

The speaker shares their experience of starting an online stationary shop called On Studio, previously known as Anica Leaf shop. They discuss the initial challenges, including deciding on product pricing, shipping logistics, and the learning curve involved in running a business without formal business education. The speaker emphasizes the importance of starting a business based on personal motivation, budget, and circumstances, and shares their personal journey from making stickers at home to considering manufacturing options. They also touch on the importance of researching and understanding the manufacturing process before scaling up the business.

05:01

🛍️ Scaling Up: Finding Manufacturers and Setting Up an Online Store

The speaker delves into the process of finding and vetting manufacturers, emphasizing the need for research and aligning values and budgets. They discuss their decision to start with homemade products before outsourcing and the importance of trying out samples from different manufacturers. The paragraph also covers the choice of online storefront, with the speaker's preference for Squarespace over Etsy due to concerns about Etsy's direction and the benefits of having a unique brand identity. Financial considerations, such as the costs associated with website plans and the use of a discount code, are also mentioned.

10:04

🏷️ Pricing Strategy and Shipping Logistics

This section focuses on the intricacies of pricing products, taking into account the cost of production, materials, labor, and packaging. The speaker shares a personal approach to pricing that includes a profit margin and suggests looking at similar small businesses for guidance. The paragraph also addresses shipping considerations, such as the decision to use a PO Box for privacy, the transition from buying shipping labels to using a label printer, and the importance of keeping records for tax and financial management purposes.

15:05

📅 Launching the Business and Marketing Strategies

The speaker discusses the importance of setting a launch deadline to avoid getting lost in perfectionism and the value of learning from mistakes. They highlight the significance of identifying the target audience and defining the brand's aesthetic to stand out in the market. Social media marketing, especially on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, is presented as a powerful tool for building an audience and making the first sales. The speaker also encourages supporting other small business owners to foster a sense of community.

20:05

🌟 Growing the Business: Consistency and Goal Setting

The speaker emphasizes the importance of consistency in posting on social media to develop a brand's aesthetic and style. They discuss the power of longer-form content on platforms like YouTube to build a loyal audience and the value of transparency and personality in marketing. Setting achievable goals that are within one's control, such as posting regularly on social media, is highlighted as a strategy for growth. The speaker also shares personal motivational strategies, like envisioning future products and using Pinterest boards to maintain a long-term perspective on business development.

💪 Overcoming Challenges and Encouragement for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

In the final paragraph, the speaker provides encouragement and reassurance to those considering starting a business. They acknowledge the fear and challenges involved but stress the importance of taking the first step and not getting bogged down by details. The speaker suggests starting with low-cost options like digital products and emphasizes the potential for growth and learning. They conclude by expressing excitement for the future of their own business, On Studio, and inviting viewers to share their small business social links in the comments for networking opportunities.

Keywords

💡Small Business

A small business refers to an independently owned and operated business organization that is smaller in size and has fewer employees than a large business. In the video's context, the speaker discusses starting her own small business, an online stationary shop, and shares her journey and advice for others looking to do the same.

💡Online Shop

An online shop is a digital platform that allows consumers to browse and purchase goods or services over the internet. The video script mentions the speaker's experience in launching her own online shop and the various considerations, such as branding and logistics, that come with it.

💡Branding

Branding is the process of creating a unique name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product or service from others. The speaker emphasizes the importance of branding in establishing a unique identity for her online stationary shop and mentions the evolution of her brand from its initial stages.

💡Manufacturing

Manufacturing involves the industrial production of goods in large quantities. In the script, the speaker talks about the transition from making products at home to outsourcing production to manufacturers, which is a critical step in scaling her small business.

💡Logistics

Logistics refers to the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation or the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption. The video discusses the logistical challenges of running a small business, including product creation, pricing, and shipping.

💡Pricing Strategy

A pricing strategy is the method or approach a business uses to determine the price at which to sell its products or services. The speaker explains her approach to pricing, taking into account the cost of production, labor, and packaging, and how she ensures profitability while remaining competitive.

💡Packaging

Packaging is the process of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. The video script highlights the importance of packaging in creating a memorable customer experience and how the speaker's approach to packaging has evolved with her business.

💡Shipping

Shipping refers to the process of transporting goods from one place to another, typically over long distances. The speaker discusses the practical aspects of shipping, such as using a PO Box for privacy and the decision to invest in a label printer for efficiency.

💡Digital Products

Digital products are intangible goods that are distributed and sold online. The video mentions digital products as an alternative for those looking to start a business without the overhead costs associated with physical inventory, such as the speaker's experience with creating and selling a digital calendar.

💡Marketing

Marketing is the process of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service. The speaker talks about the power of social media marketing in building an audience and making initial sales, emphasizing the importance of consistency and building a community.

💡Social Media

Social media are websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video script discusses the use of social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube for marketing and building a brand presence, as well as connecting with other small business owners.

💡Content Creation

Content creation refers to the process of developing and producing various forms of content, such as videos, blogs, or social media posts. The speaker shares her experience with content creation, particularly on YouTube, as a means of building a loyal audience and establishing a personal connection with customers.

💡Goal Setting

Goal setting is the process of identifying something that one wishes to achieve. The video emphasizes the importance of setting attainable and measurable goals that are within one's control, such as posting consistently on social media, to drive business growth and maintain motivation.

💡Consistency

Consistency in this context refers to the regular and persistent effort in performing tasks or activities, such as posting on social media or creating new products. The speaker stresses the importance of consistency in building a brand and growing a business, as it helps in developing a recognizable style and audience engagement.

Highlights

Starting a business is about timing, motivation, budget, and personal circumstances rather than a perfect moment.

The speaker's journey began with an online stationary shop, highlighting the importance of personal interest and experience.

Learning about business through experience and research is emphasized, not just formal education.

The initial challenge of creating and selling homemade stickers, demonstrating the difficulty of starting a business from scratch.

The importance of minimal product offerings when starting out to avoid overwhelming initial investments.

Researching and understanding manufacturers is crucial for quality and ethical alignment with your brand.

Choosing an online storefront platform like Squarespace over Etsy for more control and uniqueness.

The significance of pricing strategy that includes production costs, labor, and packaging.

Packaging as a differentiating factor that adds value to the customer experience.

The benefits of starting with digital products to reduce initial costs and complexities.

Setting a firm launch date to overcome perfectionism and start the business.

Identifying the 'why' of your business to differentiate it in the market.

The power of social media marketing and building a brand aesthetic through consistency.

Developing a loyal audience through storytelling and transparency on platforms like YouTube.

The importance of setting measurable goals based on capabilities rather than arbitrary numbers.

Staying motivated by focusing on long-term dreams and the big picture, not just immediate results.

The encouragement to start a business with low-cost methods like digital designs, emphasizing the potential for growth.

The final advice to give the business a chance with a set timeline and consistent effort to evaluate its feasibility.

Transcripts

how do I start a successful small

business I am opening my very own online

shop in a few days we be ready to launch

thank you so so much on the success of

the shop update sold out on the first

day this has to be my most frequently

Asked question ever on my channel in my

Instagram DMS questions ranging anywhere

from the very general vague how do I

start where do I begin all the way to

the nitty-gritty how do I decide what

the price should be for each item how do

I ship things out I will hopefully cover

everything in this video so you are able

to get started building your small

business for the new year or anytime you

may come across this video there is

never just one time that's perfect for

starting a business it all comes down to

circumstances your own motivation your

own budget lifestyle Etc I only started

my small business about 2 years ago I

did not study business finance marketing

anything related in school everything I

have learned has been through my own

experience my own research so I just

want to put that out there as a

disclaimer to take everything you hear

in this video with a grain of salt

because everyone's Journeys are

different enough Preamble I'm going to

get started with the very beginning of

my own

Journey i r an online stationary shop

called On Studio initially it was just

called Anica Leaf shop I only officially

branded and launched it at the beginning

of 2022 and that was the time that I

really started getting serious about it

I've always had a personal interest in

arts crafts my very first videos on this

channel were journaling videos they were

bullet Journal setup videos showing my

monthly themes using stickers pens Washi

tapes then back around the summer of

2021 I got a cricket which is a sticker

maker at the time I followed artists

online who built their own sticker shops

made their own stationer by using a

Cricut or a silhouette to cut their own

sticker sheets at home so I already had

some familiarity with that process but

girl let me tell you actually making

those things in the first place was so

hard for me I didn't have sticker paper

I actually used FedEx printing and sent

them PDF of my sticker sheet design had

them printed there brought it back home

and tried to cut it with the Cricut

messing around see what I can make for

myself and I was definitely not thinking

about selling it I had this YouTube

channel and I was making Vlogs about my

whole sticker making process just

because that's what I was up to at that

time and I received some messages and

comments asking if I plan to sell them

we're saying that they would be

interested in buying my designs that's

when I started thinking I had followed

artists and stationary accounts on

Instagram and YouTube who ran their own

shops from home made a living doing that

sort of stuff and I just saw that as

something I would never think about

doing like those first sticker sheets I

made through FedEx and everything were

so rough but the more I thought about it

the more I was like you know why not

give it a try it was so rewarding to

create my own stickers and I was just so

excited that I was able to put my own

artwork in the journal and the fact that

people are expressing interest in it

already I was like what what's stopping

me I already have this Cricut let's

let's see if I can do anything with this

so I started studying the journeys that

these artists and stationary shops would

take scroll to the very first picture in

their feed get their very first YouTube

Vlogs figure out how they got their

start and made it into something more

now you can see that whole journey on my

YouTube you've decided you want to start

a small business now you've got to

figure out how to get it going and I

assume that's why you're brought to this

video I've watched so many YouTube

videos how to start a small stationary

shop how to start a sticker business how

to unjam a cricket I've already been

over the technicalities of my printer

the sticker paper I started with all

that in a previous video so I will link

that in the description but here's just

an

overview I feel like a lot of us have

the creative idea in our mind but the

part that starts tripping people up and

prevents us for making any progress

towards that big picture is the

logistics of it all so I'm going to go

through the nitty gritty and I'm going

to try simplifying that as much as

possible for you we're going to do it

the 5w approach as unintimidating as

possible one what are you selling what's

your product for me I was starting with

stickers scrunchies and beaded Rings

this is where I start because this is

what I knew how to make not only do you

need to know what it is you're selling

but how you're making it how are you

getting it I didn't start Outsourcing

things until several months into my

business I was printing and cutting the

sticker sheets at home I was sewing the

scrp by hand because that's something

that I learned how to make when I was

much younger actually in high school and

that was something fun then one of my

big Co Hobbies was I taught myself how

to make these little beaded rings so

those were my starring products I think

you should keep it minimal when you're

first starting out maybe don't start

reaching out to manufacturers yet while

you're just getting your feet wet cuz

when you reach out to manufacturers you

do usually have to pay a minimal order

quantity and you have to buy things in

bulk that was really scary at the

beginning because I had no idea how this

would turn out I had no idea if enough

people would buy my things that would

warrant ordering hundreds upon hundreds

of items so I stuck with the things that

I knew I can make at home when it did

come time to scale things and find

manufacturers I have so many questions

about how to find a manufacturer how to

make sure you can trust those

manufacturers the bottom line is

research I really can't give you any

shortcuts for doing that cuz you should

be researching the companies that are

going to be making your products you

should know their values how they make

things if that ethic Al aligns with your

values if those prices align with your

[Music]

budget in the beginning I simply typed

in washi tape manufacturers sticker

sheet manufacturers sticker sheet

manufacturers in the US literally just

type that into Google you can find

reviews you can find other artists blog

post you should get samples from each of

the manufacturers before you decide on

which one you want to go with it's a

little like dating you know you got to

shop around a bit before you res settle

on the one once you have your products

where where are you going to sell it

this most likely is an online storefront

I started on Squarespace and that is

what I have used my entire time I chose

it because it was very user friendly and

I didn't want to use Etsy because I had

heard a lot of complaints people who had

used Etsy and were not liking the

direction it was moving the argument

could have been made that it would be

easier to Market yourself through Etsy

because you have related shops and

everything and the hard work of signning

up storefront is already done for you

personally I would recommend signing up

your own site whether that be through

Squarespace or through Shopify because

eventually you probably would want to

move off Etsy right have your own domain

establish your own brand not only does

it look more professional it makes your

brand more unique its own entity and

you're probably already putting in a lot

of time and effort into your own social

media marketing even now from my

consumer experience it seems like Etsy

is kind of being taken over by larger

Brands anyway so I would recommend

setting up your own storefront when I

set up my Squarespace I went with the

smallest plan possible the cheapest

monthly plan and then you can always

scale up from there I do know that

looking at this plan $23 a month seems

quite expensive especially if you're

just starting your business I actually

have a 10% off code onica leaf that you

can use that checkout this is not a

sponsored video but I partnered with

them before and I think this code is

still

valid you have your products you have

your site now you're putting your

products on the site how are you going

to price things and once an order is

placed how are you going to share it the

way I price my items I break it down to

the price it costs to make it if I'm

getting it manufactured how much does it

cost per unit to make or back when I was

making everything at home all the

materials that go into making it also

the cost of Labor how much time are you

putting into each of these products and

then the packaging how much does all the

packaging up of these products cost I

find a lot of small businesses

especially stationary ones like mine we

put a lot of time and effort and thought

behind the packaging we want it to be

cute we want it to have our brand we

want to make it a whole fun experience

for the customer and I think that's

something that customers really do value

whenever I order something and it's

packaged all cely like this and you can

see the time and effort it makes me so

excited to buy and order another thing

from them something like packaging can

kind of add up here is where you need to

be realistic with yourself and make sure

you're not going overboard which I

personally have definitely done you want

your packaging to be something that is

you know nice to look at but also you

don't have to include 10 million

freebies you don't have to get all

custom designs these are things you can

focus on when you are scaling up your

business we're just getting started a

simple really well-designed business

card can go so far or even if you want

to use just color tissue paper I use

pink color tissue paper but it doesn't

have my Brand's logos or anything on it

in the beginning when I was printing my

stickers I was even printing my own

design seal stickers so that was still

something that I was making at home at

the time until I came to a point where I

was able to to Outsource that and I look

at the time it takes to package the

product because now that I do have an

assistant I'm also paining her to help

me package all these orders but even if

you don't have an assistant you want to

be paying yourself fairly for that I'm

just going to provide a very quick

sample and these are fictional numbers

these are not the exact numbers that I

use for my products say you're making a

keychain and it costs $3 package that

keychain you use tissue paper a seal

sticker a mailer all that comes out to

around 170 then the cost of Labor say

you're paying yourself $18 an hour to

pack orders and it takes on average 3

minutes for you to package a keychain

add that all up and you have 560 that is

what do you need to price it if you only

want to break even which I assume you

don't so you want to multiply it by a

profit margin and that becomes your cost

of the product what's really helpful for

me is I look at other small businesses

that are selling similar products and I

use that as a guideline for how I price

my products once you made that sale how

are you shipping it out if you are able

to invest I would highly recommend gain

your your own label printer at home I

use the Rollo thermal printer roll Rollo

thermal printer and I started by using

shipo to buy the shipping labels once I

started getting way more orders I made

the transition to ship station something

you may want to keep in mind when doing

shipping you may want a PO Box because

I'm on the internet I obviously don't

want to use my home address when I was

shipping from my home so I had a PO box

set up but again that's also another

cost so I got a lot of questions about

the taxes and the financial and legal

side I'm not going to go really into

that because that's stuff that I'm not

well versed in myself it's kind of scary

for me still like I don't want the IRS

to come for

me so I'm not going to be giving that

type of advice but there are definitely

resources out there for you to look into

but for you when you're gting started

make sure you're keeping a log of all of

your expenses all of your monthly

subscriptions like for the website for

the PO Box how much each material cost

all of this stuff make sure you're

keeping records of it managing ing your

money from the start and budgeting plays

a huge part because of course it does

cost money to start a business that's

why I did want to highlight creating

digital products so you don't have to

worry about things like shipping and

even just handling physical inventory

that's something that I want to do more

coming up in the new year at the

beginning of the year I made a calendar

which was a digital printout because I

didn't have to factor in the cost of

shipping and actually making it it was

like a onetime make product I was able

to price it a lot lower and I found that

it had so many sales because it was also

easily accessible for customers they

didn't have to pay the shipping fees

they were able to print it at home it

was kind of a win-win for everyone I

have a digital Planner on my site as

well but that's very outdated so I do

want to make a new updated version of

that soon the digital products are

definitely something you may want to

look into if you're trying not to spend

a ton of money especially in the start

of it all when are you going to launch

your business once you do a lot of

research and you start making your

products you need to set a deadline for

your launch if if you're anything like

me you're going to get caught up in all

the little details you're going to be a

perfectionist wanting everything to run

smoothly your best work right at launch

it's not realistic you're going to learn

things along the way that you can only

learn from making the mistake cuz when

you make them you're going to realize oh

there's a better way to do this I think

that's one of the biggest things holding

people back they want everything to be

perfect and that's just not going to

happen you have to set that deadline for

yourself to make sure that you actually

start it I think it's easy to get

discouraged before you even begin but

you have to realize that at your very

start that's not your Peak you're

nowhere near the biggest potential it

can be you're most likely not going to

have thousands upon thousands of

customers right at your launch it is

okay to make mistakes the beginning but

you need to start and having a hard

deadline will motivate you to work

towards that time and the last part the

why why should people buy your products

why should people follow your brand what

sets you apart from everyone else this

is where I'm going to get into the whole

marketing of it you need to identify

your target audience who who are you

selling these products to do you have a

specific aesthetic that your products

fall into or is it a certain category of

stationary types like do you want to

make journaling specific stationary do

you want to make personalized cards type

of stationary identifying and defining

your brand is so important for growth I

think I've always had a pretty specific

aesthetic I like pink I like cozy things

I like warm tones so that is what my

brand started focusing on by having this

aesthetic people should be able to

recognize your products without even

knowing that they're yours and sometimes

it takes time to find and develop your

Brand's aesthetic this is where posting

on social media comes into play I get so

many questions on how I made those first

sales as I went over at the beginning I

started with the YouTube channel people

saw the very start of my stickers so I

was in a bit of a unique situation where

I already had an audience and people who

wanted to buy these products before its

launch I think that goes to show the

power that social media marketing has

and why you really need to tap into that

I know Instagram and Tik Tok a lot of

businesses use these for marketing

personally I'm not too into the Tik Tok

sphere but I do focus on creating a very

cohesive Instagram feed for my shop all

the same filters I take the same warm

sunlight grainy photos and I keep

consistent with that and that word

consistency is the key even if you don't

have a specific aesthetic in the

beginning as long as you keep posting

and sometimes forcing yourself to post

frequently enough you'll start to find

your own Rhythm and develop your style

you also see what works best with an

audience and by using hashtags trying

out different types of reals on

Instagram or audios you'll slowly start

to build an audience over time but you

do have to be consistent with it if that

means posting multiple times a week then

you really got to stick to it like

there's no way around it that's how the

algorithms work what you can do is you

can create a bunch of photos at once

like usually I'll do photo shoot days

where I'm taking product photos for an

entire afternoon and then I'm saving

them editing them and scheduling them to

post on Instagram I've heard from a lot

of other creators too that YouTube is

what really develops the most loyal

audience because you're gting longer

form content than say Instagram or Tik

Tok people get really invested in the

people behind the businesses and they

want to see the stories they want to see

where you came from how you do it the

behind the scenes that a lot of big

Brands don't show it makes you

personable and relatable and the

audience feels connected to more than

just a brand entity at the end of the

day you know human connect to humans and

not to be biased but I also like

consuming content on YouTube the most it

may take more time than posting on

Instagram a few times a week this is how

I developed a loyal customer base I can

make a whole different video on how to

start becoming a content creator on here

I think people want to see transparency

and personality they want to get to know

who you are and who your brand is I get

excited for shop launches of people who

I followed on YouTube or Instagram for

such a long time because I want to see

that person's success it's not just

about the products I mean of course I

like the products that I'm buying but I

also want to support who these people

are and their whole journey supporting

people who are also doing the same thing

as you who may be an inspiration who you

look up to there's like a real sense of

community there like on Instagram or

something you can make friends with

other people who are starting up their

small businesses in fact if you've

reached this part in the video like girl

I've been rambling for I don't even know

how long but drop your small business

social link in the comments reply to

some people maybe you can connect with

other aspiring small business owners and

help each other grow if you're worried

about consistency in terms of having

enough things to post about say like all

you've been doing is designing or

packaging things you can make content

out of that you can make a time lapse of

you just sitting at your desk designing

and slap a trending audio on that or you

can film yourself unboxing a new product

if you're working up to a shop update

you can tease all the new products you

got coming up build that interest get

people excited for the launch so so now

you've launched your business you have a

brand aesthetic in the works you're

developing it you're starting to make

your first sales whether that be funnel

through Instagram or YouTube or maybe

it's your other small business friends

supporting one another how do we switch

mindsets from starting to growing and

how do we stay motivated set goals I

love setting goals I love having a

vision of what I want for the future

whether or not that is necessarily

attainable is not a factor I think about

you know shoot for the stars and if you

miss you drag your feet in the tips of

the trees whatever that saying is I've

heard so many times when it comes to

saying goals set something that is

trackable like a number not something

arbitrary like be successful you need

specific and measurable goals but with

that I would not set goals that revolve

around numbers like followers sales or

income necessarily if I fixate on a

number like that that is not within my

own control and power it is not good for

my mentality instead I set goals BAS B

on what is within my capabilities for

example with the consistency set a goal

like I will post three times on

Instagram that is something that is

attainable that you can achieve you

cannot directly control how many people

are shopping from your store stuff like

that fluctuates all the time and it's

easy to get discouraged when there are

dips or slow periods I choose to focus

on things that excite me like I want to

make 10 new products by the end of the

month goals like that that are still

measurable that you can track but are

all completely within your own control

instead of focusing on the number side

of it focus on developing the brand

itself cuz there's always more work you

can do in terms of upgrading your

business and developing its style it's

aesthetic and by improving upon those

things your business will grow for you

it will just become a more cohesive

higher quality brand and people are

going to want to buy from it and it gets

easier it really does the beginning is

so hard and daunting figuring everything

out it seems like there are a million in

one things you need to keep track of to

learn about to research it is hard and

it's going to be timec consuming like

I'm not going to sugar coat it that's

what weeds out a lot of people in the

beginning and sets other people apart

because they actually stick with it you

need to find that motivation within

yourself to keep going even when you're

breaking down crying about things like

casses I stay motivated with big picture

ideas my dreams of the future it sounds

a little like naive maybe I don't care I

literally have a Pinterest board I have

a private Pinterest board of like all

the types of products and packaging that

I One Day wish to make and sometimes

I'll just look at that at night and I'll

be like that sounds so far away I could

never imagine actually making those

products but then if I look back to

myself 2 years ago I would never even

imagine being here today and having a

business if I never started it so though

things may seem like a distant dream I

showed consistency and now I'm seeing

the effects of all that effort overall

the biggest mistake you can make in

starting a business is not

starting

getting bogged down and all these

details that you may be trying to

perfect this is only holding you back

it's okay to make those mistakes at the

beginning I swear the world is not going

to end I promise you yes it's scary but

I am cheering for you I know you can do

it I was so scared and nervous to do it

myself and seeing how I've grown and how

I've learned from it I know I know you

can do it too don't worry about what

other people are going to think when

you're first starting out like yeah it

might not be great I look back at my old

designs my first designs and I'm like

girl I can't believe people bought those

from you they would just be nice and

also you can be realistic with yourself

you don't need to invest a whole bunch

of time and money into starting a

business if that's not within your means

as I said you can try something digital

I always go back to the fact that I

started drawing designs for my business

on my phone I used a little pen stylist

I got like a pack of 20 pen stylist on

Amazon and I used pocket procreate I'm

sure it's like $4 in the App Store you

can start by making digital designs on

your phone selling those on a site like

Squarespace or something you don't have

to worry about shipping you don't have

to worry about packaging that is a very

lowcost way to get started the

possibilities are endless and I believe

in you you really can do it 2024 it's

going to be your year you're going to

start this business and you're going to

stick with it at least give yourself a

few months you know like a timeline and

you'll just try it consistently for that

period of time and you'll see if you

make any growth you'll see what you need

to adjust if this is something that you

can stick with in your current lifestyle

but you need to give it a chance before

you can do anything about it oh my

goodness the Sun is setting it is 4:07

p.m.

what I hope this answered most of your

questions about starting a business in

2024 or whenever you may be watching

this if you have any more things that I

did not touch on or I didn't go over

please leave a comment below and I will

try to reply to it thank you so so much

for watching and thank you as always for

supporting On Studio my business

business I'm so excited to share with

you the next chapter of it and all the

products I have coming before the end of

the year I'm so excited they're almost

here like I swear I check the shipping

updates every day praying for them to

get to me faster so I can list them on

my site but you know those are the

things I can't control so I will listen

to my own advice and focus on what I can

control take care

[Music]

friend

what