Advice on Starting your own business

I've been wanting to do this post for awhile and after watching the creator of spanx on Anderson cooper yesterday i decided to finally write this post. Fist off let me just say these are my own opinions and have worked for me also I'm not rich by my business by any means but i love what I do and i get by.

My first piece of advice is be committed , if you really wanna do this make sure you are committed to it because its going to have alot of ups and downs .

Don't quit your day job right away , I know its tempting to just quit but It might take awhile for your business to get on its feet and its always nice to have a back up .

Take the time while your still working your regular job to produce and work on your product and products till you feel you are proud to present it to the public this will help alot.

Something I heard the creator of spanx say was she didn't tell anyone for a year what she was doing which I wish i had done lol. When i quit my regular job not one single person i knew supported my decision they ,thought i was crazy. I'm not saying these because the people you care about are mean or anything like that but more that people will be worried about you its a big step and their worries might hold you back . Now i have support from the people I love but it took awhile before they understood what i was doing so be careful.

Something thats also important especially if you are inventing something and even if your not don't share your secrets or to many tips. There are alot of people who have asked me for advice and most of the time I don't mind sharing some but you don't want to give to many of your tips and secrets away . Its something that could hurt you down the line prepare to learn the word NO. This will be very important for customers and friends . I am a very generous person but it comes a time when you have to charge your friends not every time but you can't giveaway your products for free people then begin to expect it all the time and you will lose money. For customers when you set a price try and stick to it , there are many times where i have had people try and haggle me down or say well i saw it cheaper somewhere else . Don't give in don't lose money trying to gain customers and please everyone it will only hurt you , I know this from experience. Every now and then when i have some free time and someone comes to me with a request for a deal I will take it just because I love to work lol but be sure to tell them It's a one time thing or they will always expect that which I have encountered before as well.

This may sound harsh but people will give you alot of sob stories especially when your working on etsy where your customers can contact you directly .

Surround yourself with positive and supportive people ,if you have alot of negative people trying to bring you down this will not be good when your having one of those days you just wanna give up. Be proud of what you do and make sure you love what you do this will help those long days with no sleep alot easier.

My last word of advice is that being your own boss is not always as fun as it may sound. People seem to think i can just take days off when I want and have a jolly good time lol . Its not like that I probably put more hours in then most of my friends that work in an office. I also can't pick and choose when Its going to be a busy month or a slow one . Customer service is key and you can't just take a day off and not get something out in time . Make a plan before you venture off and stick to it . Good luck to anyone who is reading this and I hope it helps . If you have any questions leave them in the comments with your email address and I'll get back to you .