Five Big Mistakes Beginner Entrepreneurs Make

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Over the last few years, I’ve had the pleasure to work with a lot of people – mostly women and queer folks – who see what I do, the business I run and the life I’ve created for myself, and feel inspired to chase their own dreams.
 
I absolutely LOVE this – and I want to inspire as many humans to be true to themselves and live their passion as I possibly can.
 
But what I’ve seen over the years is a lot of these dreamers lose steam. They try, and they crash and burn. Or, they never properly start – and leave their wishes on the back burner for literal years. These folks are all smart, driven, passionate, wonderful people who do so many things right. The world is a better place with them in it. But. They make big mistakes when they try to do their own thang out in the world.
 
And you know what I’ve noticed? These lovely folks are all making the same mistakes that are jeopardizing their success with their new passion-led, heart-led businesses.
 
So today, I want to discuss five of the most common mistakes among newbie entrepreneurs, in the hopes that discussing them will help you recognize these behaviors in your own life! And I’ll offer some alternatives that just might feel a whole lot better… and more effective. :)
 
 

Mistake #1: Expecting overnight success.

 
I hate to break it to you, but most ‘overnight successes’ are built over the course of a decade of hard work.
 
Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely does sometimes happen, but it’s often short lived, or a flash in the pan kind of success.
 
I see a lot of folks get discouraged when things don’t happen immediately, when the product isn’t instantly flying off the shelves, or when they believe drama from haters and naysayers about how if they haven’t made it yet, they’ll never ever make it. Being good at something does take time, tenacity, perseverance, and skill.
 
So, instead of being disappointed that you haven’t gone from 0-100 just yet, I’d recommend that you enjoy whatever stage of the journey you’re on. Appreciate each and every single client, be thankful for every single person who reads your book, love every single dollar that slides into your bank account, whether it’s $5 or $5000.
 
Don’t give into feeling discouraged. Be grateful for everyone whose life you’ve touched positively with your work, have the long game and bigger picture in mind, and keep working.
 
 

Mistake #2: Not doing the boring, annoying stuff.

 
At the beginning of my solopreneur journey, I definitely fucked this one up – and, when I finally hired an accountant and bookkeeper after avoiding it for my whole entire life… we ended up having to go over thousands of documents, making order out of chaos, and we filed ten years of taxes at once. Yeah, I know; she’s a saint to tolerate me, LOL.
 
All because I was afraid of receipts, afraid of the government, afraid of bookkeeping, afraid of all of it. I just put my head in the sand and focused on making money, making art, doing business, providing services.
 
I didn’t particularly like or enjoy bookkeeping – I didn’t really know what it was or how to start. I didn’t know how to figure out profits and losses, expenses, any of it.
 
I thought I could just avoid it forever and I’d never have to deal with it. Well, that was wrong, obviously, and though it was wildly stressful I’m so glad I finally faced it. It felt like a big weight off my shoulders. And while I’m still late on organizing my expenses sometimes (cough often haha) it ultimately does get done, and I actually save receipts.
 
That year I also decided to incorporate my business, and hired a lawyer to do all that jazz, rather than keeping myself as a sole proprietor by default. I also have a business bank account now, and a business credit card, and a business PO box! I’d recommend setting all this stuff up now, the sooner the better. You may think it’s too early, but it isn’t; it’s never too early. I never had any of that stuff before, and it ended up being a mistake in hindsight.
 
Don’t make the same mistake I did, and get all that boring stuff sorted out – incorporation, business banking; and hire a bookkeeper and/or accountant. Save your receipts and actively think about expenses. It’s better to get organized sooner rather than later – take it from me!
 

 
Mistake #3: Keeping themselves out of their business.

 
This one is a killer.
 
I see so many people fuck this one up, especially in the spiritual industry – especially tarot readers. “I’m an intuitive reader,” says the bio of literally every wannabe professional tarot reader ever. You’re intuitive? Ok, so what? Do you want a cookie or something? Isn’t being intuitive kinda, like, the baseline bare minimum of being a tarot reader? What else is unique and interesting about you?
 
What I’m trying to say is, a lot of people are afraid to be who they are in business. They’re generic and try to avoid offending people, by using generic, boring, snoozeville words and phrases to describe who they are and what they do. As a result, these folks often get no clients. Why? Because it’s like watching paint dry. It’s incredibly unclear who these folks are or why anyone should care or be interested.
 
Instead, don’t half ass your business. Put your full ass in.
 
By that, I mean – show your full self, warts and all. Made a mistake? Admit it. Been where your clients are now? Share that. Kinda quirky and like telling jokes? Tell some, put it in your marketing. Love mellow vibes and cats? Cool.
 
Weave all of that, all of who you are, into your storytelling about who you are and what you bring into the world. Bring all of that into how you talk about your business and the services and products you offer.
 
Yes, you’ll alienate some people by being you – but who cares?
 
This always happens in life anyway.
 
By being uniquely, distinctly you, the people who are one hundred million percent right for you will find you so much faster – and be happy to work with you.
 
 

Mistake #4: Not investing in themselves.

 
It’s a weird thing – often times, folks who want others to invest in them, seem allergic to investing in themselves. If we want others to honour us with their investment, whether it be time or money, guess what – we have to invest in ourselves first. It makes absolutely no sense to be mad, annoyed, frustrated, whatever, at someone else for not believing in us or investing us, when… we don’t believe in or invest in ourselves as people.
 
Don’t avoid therapy. Yah, I know – it costs money. Go.
 
Don’t avoid yoga, an occasional massage, or leaving your house to go on a walk and move your body now and then. Do the things.
 
Don’t avoid what you love – food, friends, personal development.
 
Wherever you go, there you are.
 
This is why investing in ourselves is so, so important. No matter what you experience in life, love, and business… at the end of the day, it’s still YOU who’s there, experiencing it. Don’t you want to be the best version of yourself possible? You know, so you have the physical willingness to weather the storm, but also the mindset to be unswayed by bullshit, and a belief in yourself and your abilities that is unwavering?
 
Business is challenging. I know, life is challenging, but when we go into business for ourselves, where our brand is us, where the whole thing is based on our face, our passion, and our skills… it’s something else entirely.
 
To be ready to weather that journey, you can’t avoid investing time, love, money, and energy into your best and forever asset: you.
 
 

Mistake #5: Not investing in their business.

 
This is my personal favourite, and biggest pet peeve.
 
And I see it all the time: people wanting others to give them money, to invest in their business… when they won’t put any of their own money on the line.
 
These people clutch their pearls when I suggest they spend more than five dollars on a book cover, logo, or website design. Yeah, I know, my educational background is in design, so this one makes me particularly salty, but good design – among many other things – is important.
 
Getting good photos, a nice logo, a slick website, pretty product packaging, and an inviting website or book cover… yeah, that stuff costs. But if you don’t invest in your business – yes, with your own hard earned money – you’ll be stuck in amateur hour forever.
 
If you undervalue and don’t respect the professional expertise of others, get ready to have others undervalue you and what you bring to the table.
 
Why would anyone invest in your business – and pay for your services – when you clearly aren’t giving yourself and your business what you deserve by putting your money where your mouth is?
 
I’ll give you an example. Last year, I did a long photoshoot with a photographer – we shot maybe 8 sets, and I got probably around 100 photos, at this point I can’t remember. I’ll be able to use those photos to promote my brand, my business, and my courses for the next year or two, and likely at least a little past then, though I’ll likely continue to hire photographers and update my brand photos over time.
 
How much did that shoot and allll those photos cost? Around $5k.
 
Is that a big chunk of money? Yeah, absolutely – but I believe in myself, I believe in my abilities and what I have to offer others in my own business, so having images that present my power and potency to the world, photos that accurately show who I am to my potential clients… that’s important.
 
Does your first brand photoshoot have to be $5k? No – it’s ok to start small. And maybe you prioritize website design or a logo instead of photos.
 
But for the love of all that is holy… invest in your business. Take the leap, take the risk, and believe in yourself enough to put your money where your mouth is. Trust other professionals to help you elevate yourself and your brand. I’ve never, ever regret any money I’ve put into building my business, whether it’s been on photos, websites, book printing, or any of it.
 
Believe in yourself, take the leap, and do it with your whole ass – and your whole checkbook.


I hope this was helpful my friends!
 
Keep an eye on your inbox because tomorrow, I’m announcing a new program that’s launching, and I have a feeling that, if you found this in any way useful or interesting… you’d be just perfect!
 
Talk soon!

xoxo

Sabrina