![\"External](\"http:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Vintique-Upholstery-Workshop-External-Sharon-O-Connor-1.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAlthough social media wasn\u2019t such a big thing when I was starting out, I still looked around at established upholsterers and thought, \u201cI don\u2019t know how to get where they are. I don\u2019t think I ever will.\u201d Of course, now when I think about it, I\u2019m glad I\u2019m not where \u2018they\u2019 are. I\u2019m happy being me and where I am. Even though someone is in the same business, there\u2019s no reason why our own goals, structures and creative aspirations would be identical. It\u2019s worth remembering we\u2019re all on our journey, so why try to follow someone else\u2019s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Right now, having dipped my toe into some new challenges and steered parts of my business on a slightly different path, I\u2019m reminding myself of this again. If you ask me, it\u2019s never too late to try something new. And forget what anyone else is doing, life is not a competition. Be brave enough to try something new, it\u2019s never too late.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2) Done is better than perfect<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While I never settle for anything less than perfect when it comes to upholstery, business, I believe, is different. Analysis paralysis can be the biggest thief of success and sometimes you have to let something fly rather than sit on it for months and months procrastinating. Yes, an idea may not be refined, finessed and immaculate but even if you don\u2019t get a specific detail right, it\u2019s more important that you finished a task.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Upholsterer's](\"http:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Upholsterer-Workshop-Antique-Sewing-Machine-Fabric-Samples-1.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nPerfectionism can limit your good ideas, while \u2018done\u2019 gets results. The majority of people won\u2019t spot the errors that you may be agonising over and I honestly believe that to be dynamic you have to be prepared to make mistakes. Remember, you can always fix things later. My advice is: Produce the product, launch the website, try out the new system\u2026 Being willing to go for it is actually a bold show of confidence, even if it\u2019s a work in progress.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3) Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This is so true in upholstery and in business. It\u2019s probably the biggest challenges that have taught me the most. Recovering from tricky challenges and keeping going when you feel like giving up is super important. Equally, sharing your slip-ups and being generous in admitting that things do go wrong, shows that you\u2019re human. Failures will happen. That\u2019s life and it\u2019s certainly upholstery, that much I know!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I\u2019m not just talking about beginner\u2019s mistakes either. I would say I\u2019m still a wok in progress and every day I\u2019m tweaking, adapting and evolving. I learnt just as much about upholstery when the training stopped and I had to work through problems and find my own fixes. It\u2019s the same with running a business. New challenges will come along and bite you every day. And things move on, the world changes. Just when you feel settled a curveball comes along. From the tiny slips to the massive mess-ups though, every single one has made my business stronger in the long run.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4) The things that excite you are not random, they are connected to your purpose – follow them<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I\u2019ve had this quote hanging in a frame in my house for quite a while and it\u2019s something I believe 100 per cent. Change and new opportunity can be daunting, but if something excites you and scares you in equal measure then that is truly a good sign.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Sharon](\"http:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sharon-O-Connor-Reupholstered-Chair-1.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhen I started to train in upholstery there was the constant, scary voice in my head saying, \u201cwill this work, can you make any money?\u201d and all kinds of other unhelpful things alongside. But the prospect of doing something I loved and making it my CAREER was exciting enough to override those nagging doubts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You have to have a certain amount of fear to do things. To coin another great quote, is now the time to feel the fear and do it anyway? Is fear what\u2019s stopping you from following your dreams today. I\u2019ve learnt to be scared and say \u2018go for it\u2019 regardless.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
5) Being self-employed isn\u2019t a career choice, it\u2019s a lifestyle choice<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Anyone who tells you that running your own business is the easy path is lying. Yes, you\u2019re your own boss, master of your own time and in control of key decisions. But the fact is that you will work harder for yourSELF than you will for anyone else. When you set up shop, it will never just be a \u2018job\u2019, it has to become part of your life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Upholstery](\"http:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sharon-O-Connor-Mentor-Upholstery-Business-1.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTo put things another way, a small business owner or entrepreneur is someone who risks their own money and time for freedom, rather than exchanging their freedom and time for money. You may \u2018get\u2019 to take a holiday whenever you choose, but you rarely will. You may \u2018get\u2019 to clock off at 3pm, but you rarely will. And the list goes on. Late nights, lost sleep and working your socks off all come as part and parcel of being your own boss. Is it tough? Yes. But would I change it? Absolutely no way. I love the life I have created!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u201cA small business owner or entrepreneur is someone who risks their own money and time for freedom, rather than exchanging their freedom and time for money.\u201d<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
My best tip for getting around the immense burden on your time is to outsource the aspects of the business you\u2019re least good at or most burdened by. Hate figures? Hire someone to keep your books. Find social and digital a stress? Get a marketing expert to manage this side of things. Drowning in admin? You need a cracking VA. For me outsourcing has been the only way to keep some kind of work\/life balance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Are you a small business owner who needs a sounding board? Ideal for anyone starting out or just feeling a bit stuck in their upholstery business, I can give you the support you\u2019re looking for with my Vintique Upholstery POWER HOUR<\/a>. Find out more by downloading our PDF, you\u2019ll then be able to access a discovery form, which will tell me where you are with your business and what your main business struggles are that I can help with. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to get in touch today.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u00a3125 per hour. Sessions take place virtually over FaceTime or Zoom.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n