3 Things I Learned About Business In 2020

TLDR: Build relationships because they’ll get you referrals, network when you can, and stop making excuses.

2020 has been a crazy year for my business although not necessarily because anything out of the ordinary happened with the business itself.

In reality, it was everything else, including virtual schooling, not being able to concentrate, and my uncanny ability to add more to my plate (literally and figuratively) when I’m already full. The business was actually holding steady growth despite everything going on. So here’s a rundown of what I’ve learned about business in 2020.

The relationships you build when times are good are what get you through.

How did I get clients this year? Referrals, referrals, referrals. Last year I met with a lot of people and this year, the plan was to meet up with a more. Well, that didn’t happen. This year though, I noticed that the people I met and supported last year were sending me connections.

I got more email introductions this year than last and people answering the” How did you hear about me?” box with “Referral”. So how did I meet people last year? Somewhat strategically.

From women’s organizations to local chambers, events where I have my office and even Beauty Boost meetups – I tried to be everywhere I could without leaving the kids home alone too much. I didn’t just go to events, I strutted in as authentically as I could. I gave tips, spoke at events, and sometimes gave free consultations. And it worked! If it weren’t for this, I don’t know if I would have made it through this year, let alone exceed last year’s income.

Community is extremely important when you have a business.

Ok, so I know I just said that attending a lot of events helped me through the year but hear me out on this one.

Not sure if you’re in this type of business, but I used to go to a shit ton of networking events. Actually, no, I lied. I went to a lot of networking events and knew people who went to a shit ton. Being an introvert, I felt drained after each one and longed for being able to not dress up and stay home.

Sometime around mid-shut down, I realized that I missed people. I missed heels and my leopard print jacket. I missed chatting with other grown ups about business and “grown up things” like how to sneak vegetables into your kid’s diet.

Then, I joined a virtual community and it was like the skies had opened up. Not sure if it was partially the tequila I was trying to finish (hey, we were moving to a new place and I didn’t want to carry that around #sacrifice) or the amazing vibe of the group but I felt energized and inspired to tackle everything in business.

The best part of these virtual communities? Focus. They are all likeminded individuals that want to get a specific something out of the 6 months they’re together. There are sessions where you ask for something and people give you their support. If you’re looking for an amazing virtual community, check out Haven Collective.

The difference between the networking events and the community is that it’s focused on one thing – not just meeting a bunch of people during a luncheon. You meet up with the same people and have a topic rather than feeling like you’re on some speed dating show.

You’ll make excuses – whether it’s COVID, kids, or eating too many prunes.

I don’t mean to be cruel with this one. I completely understand that if you have COVID, a family member is sick, your kid is just one of those kids that won’t even let you poo in peace, yeah, shit gets hard – the getting stuff done part, not the poo part (for that, get yourself some prune juice).

But there were times when I know I could have pushed a bit harder ( hey, I like poo jokes).

The times when I just scrolled through Facebook without a goal. Not even caring about what people were posting. Or the time when I decided that making protein balls in the middle of one of my busiest days was a smart thing to do. The times when I could have done some real self-care and checked in with myself or just answered that one damn email I tried to ignore for 2 weeks.

It’s like COVID gave me the best excuse ever. Work out? What, no, COVID’s going around! Answer that email? What, no! It’s 2020. Fuck, I’ve applied, “Well, it’s 2020,” to everything from running late to my OBGYN appointment to burning scrambled eggs.

Realistically, whether COVID had happened or not, I would have found some excuse to avoid doing the things that would grow my business. Call it what you want, self-sabotage, procrastination, being an idiot, same thing. It’s the little things we do that can’t be blamed on a virus, traffic, or who is president.

Unless there really is some underlying issue, we all just get to stop making so many damn excuses for ourselves, because at the end of the day, I was the one shoving chocolate in my face. Not my 2020 calendar.

Overall, 2020 has taught me that I’ve been on the right track.

I managed to create relationships that carried me through the year, joined a community that offered focus and growth, as well as cried and made excuses for myself but was able to get up and keep going – realizing that I have it better than others and get to stop making excuses.