Richer Solutions celebrated five years in business at the start of this month. For so many of us, setting up our own business was the dream. The opportunity to be our own boss, set the rules and be Employee of the Month – every month.

For me what’s interesting is that one of my biggest realisations is that you have to actually learn to enjoy it. Setting up on your own is an unpredictable experience where your expectations are chucked around and the meaning of success changes.

From when I started out, I think I’ve experienced a 100% evolution. Let’s pause for a moment to recall my first very corporate looking website and how I had to let go of the internal expectations that caused me to create that.

Running a business – particularly when you are the face of that business is growing up in public. It’s like doing a bit of building work in your front garden; everyone passing by (particularly if you have a vague acquaintance) will comment and offer advice they consider helpful (your mileage on this will vary considerably).

One of the weird things about building in public is that no one really cares but it feels like they are intently focused on what you are doing. We’re all using the internet and social media as a way to network and grow but it can feel like you are screaming into the void while you wonder where all the cool kids are actually hanging out.

You’re also going to be building your skills in developing your offer to customers as you go along. That means that you (and everyone else) will have every opportunity to go back and look at how bad your early videos were.

But if I take anything from this it’s that you don’t have to wait until you’re perfect to begin. It’s like anything you do in life, you get better at it as you go along. The curious thing though, is that your first post on social media likely had the same intention as our last one (pick me to help you!). The last session you did with a client, or product you shipped, wanted to do the same thing. Solve a problem. Make things better (however you might define that) for someone. What’s certainly changed for me is how I present it.

• The sinking feeling that a website with some blurb about you is not enough.
• Realising that I’d been making myself the hero of the story when the hero is definitely my client.
• Spending way too long overthinking what should go on an About page.
• Creating what I thought was the perfect offer and then watching it go nowhere.
• Discovered that the most random things can create connections – looking at you, Pinpoint.
• Understanding why you need to block out prep time in your calendar.
• Dropping the ball on marketing when I’ve been busy.

Turning five isn’t the end of the journey. It’s simply a milestone. One where I am pleased to admire my latest pair of pink trainers and also look with satisfaction at my 5 star reviews on Google. My business isn’t all grown up yet, but it’s certainly tying its own laces.