3 things I'd do differently if I had to start over in my business...
- Tara Simone
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
With TikTok getting banned (again?!) and watching my old network marketing company crumble—firing thousands of their partners—it got me thinking…
What would I do if I had to start over in business?
After seven years of running my own business, I’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way. And honestly? I wish I could go back and spill all the tea to my younger self—the same advice I now give my small business coaching clients every day.
But since time travel isn’t a thing (yet), I’m sharing it with YOU instead. Because let’s be real, you’ve probably been Googling:
👉 How to start a business in 2025 (the right way)
👉 Why do most small businesses fail
👉 How to make money online without burnout
So if you’re a small business owner, solopreneur, or side hustler-to-be, this blog is for you. Let’s make sure you get your entrepreneurial journey started off right!
Prefer to watch instead of read? This Youtube Video is for you!
The THREE things you need to do to start your business
(& what I wish I did differently):
Find your community BEFORE selling your products
Before we can talk about creating products or selling your services, you gotta figure out who your business serves. Possibly more importantly, the right language, marketing, and stories to connect with them on a persona level.
When I started my first business in network marketing, I needed money FAST and focused all my energy on selling the products. The problem was I was selling it to just a few people on my new Instagram page because I didn't take the time share my story and create a community. This wasted months of my time and probably lost me a lot of connections & potential sales later because all I did was sell instead of share.
If I had to start over today, the first thing I would do is pull out my journal and answer these questions:
What made me want to start this business? What was the ah-ha moment, turning point, catalyst to begin?
Who do I hope to help and how do I plan to help them?
My idea client is a ______________ (busy mom/new biz owner/etc) struggling with _______ (pain point) and desires to ________ (pleasure point) which is why I created _______________ (product/service)
What stories from my personal experiences or professional encounters relate to my business, ideal clients, products, etc. Write down as many as you can think of.
What personal values or beliefs do I want to infuse into my business and marketing?
If you get clear on who you serve, how you serve them, and personal stories that relate to them BEFORE creating or sharing anything about your business, you'll be years ahead majority of business owners! So many people, myself included, start selling an idea without knowing who they are sharing it with and miss out on possible connections & clients. Take the time to find clarity around the community you want to create and work with before moving on to the next step.
Diversify Your Income with Passive Offers!
When I first started out, I just sold one product - a year long digital subscription. Meaning I only got paid once per client per year and had to constantly bring in new customers every month to stay afloat. Yeah, that is stressful af and burnt me out real quick. If I could go back to 21 year old Tara, I would encourage her to create her own digital products so there was another income stream fueling her business!
Now, my business has nine different digital products that create an additional way for money to flow into my business without me constantly having to find new clients or sell my time for money. This the secret to grow a successful business while living a slow life that I wish someone told me about years ago!
But how do you create a digital product that sells on auto-pilot? The first step is setting up a Freebie Funnel to drive traffic, connections, and sales like I teach you to do in this FREE e-book!
Inside this FREE 14 page PDF will you learn...
💚 What your first free gift for your audience should be
💚 The BEST free platforms and apps to use
💚 A sample email sequence to drive sales
💚 My most used tricks and tips to boost downloads
💚 and SO MUCH MORE!
PLUS 75 Freebie ideas for your business whether you are a service provider, product based business, or spiritual entrepreneur!
This guide will help you go from great idea to free gift so you can grow a successful business while living a slow life 🌱
Get legal protection - LLC, separate credit card & bank account, contracts, etc
Do as I say, NOT as a did. The first 3 years of my business I had no legal protection meaning if someone wanted had an issue with my product or services they could sue ME. My personal bank accounts, home, car, everything I owned was vulnerable. The simple solution? Filing for a LLC (limited liability company). It was less than $135 in Vermont and took 15 minutes to do online. So now Magically Tara Simone, LLC is a separate entity than me and my personal assets are protected.
Take it one step further, and make taxes wayyyy easier, by setting up a separate business bank account for all incomes & charges to flow through. Again this takes a few minutes online and can be free depending on the bank you use. Plus credit card points for purchases and getting to pay yourself from another bank account where money is just waiting for you feels sexy af!
Lastly, hire a lawyer for an hour to write up some client contracts, terms & conditions, disclaimers, etc. It is worth the money to have the peace of mind behind every purchase made! Plus if something ever does arise with an angry customer or legal issue, you already have a lawyer you've worked with before who knows your business and can offer advice.
BONUSES tips when starting your business:
Create a mini brand cheat sheet! This helps all your social media content, blogs, emails, etc be cohesive and easily recognizable to your audience. I teach you how in this reel <<<
Buy business cards! You'll feel so official the first time you hand one out and they are a great tool to diversify your marketing. Leave them in coffee shops, on community cork boards, or wherever you see others' cards & flyers. Personally, I used canva to create mine for free and got 100 made for just $20! Worth it!
Start reading/listening to business books! They say you are the sum of the 5 people you hang out with most so pop in some headphones and listen to audio books like "The Ride of a Lifetime" by Disney's CEO Bob Iger, "The Spanx Story" about Sarah Blakey building her empire, or "Double Dip" by Ben & Jerrys. You can find all my favorite reads here!
Offer your product or service for free or discounted in exchange for testimonials! Happy client reviews and social proof goes a long way in marketing yourself and signing your first paying clients. It also gives you a chance to practice and get some experience so you can make tweaks before officially launching.
Set business boundaries and hours! That joke "I quit my 9-5 to work 24/7 as a small business owner" doesn't have to be your reality. Take it from me who hustled for years, it's better to grow slow and steady than quickly burn yourself out and quit! Need help setting boundaries? This blog is for you!
If you could go back to warn your younger self, what would you do differently in your business?!? Share it in the comments below so we can learn from each other's mistakes!
Looking for more support growing your small business while living a slow life? I am the coach for you! Learn more about all the ways we can work together here!
Until the next blog, have a magical one!
magically,
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