Accountability thread!

[Youcandothisbusinessthing]

Morning!
I have started a very small ‘business’ but it’s probably more of an expensive hobby atm.
I want to improve it and grow, and am working on my mindset -my confidence and other stuff, is improving, which I’m delighted to say.
Im working entirely alone, which I find challenging, as I need to talk myself into it and keep the courage and momentum, so I thought I’d start an accountability post - inspired by some of the housework etc threads on mumsnet.

Any motivation/keep going tips welcome, and if anyone wishes to join in, feel free. We can motivate each other. I am going to use IWDOTT as a rallying cry for myself - I Will Do One Thing Today.

right!
Today I am going to..create 1 item, and then get my space ordered. ( otherwise I’ll procrastinate with ordering my space and housework etc). It is OK if it’s a bit rough I can sort that later. IWDOTT.

We had quite good sales at the weekend. I posted a tiktok about selling one magnet and got 32k views! Slow burn..

Goodness! I hope you sold 32k magnets!

Sadly no, but our weekend Sales just now were more than the whole of January

Gosh well done!
tik Tok sounds like the way to go
im astonished at the amount of orders I’m getting especially as I’m still being rubbish at social. I’m sure a proper business would laugh, but I’m pleased - just finding time to do them!
I am glad I’ve overcome a lot of mental blocks ( I hope) so need to keep going in January and not lose momentum.

Just popping on to say well done you strong, entrepreneurial women! It’s a lot to balance with everything else, but sounds like your are all making progress. I’m about to hand my notice in, and need to start driving my own engine as a freelance…. So you are inspiring me!

Good luck! What are your plans.

wow, that’s a big decision!
as lionessadmirer says, what are your plans.
exciting!

awww thank you. And sorry I’ve been slow to reply! I told my boss yesterday, and another significant boss person today. so it’s official.

I am feeling a combination of very nervous at giving up what was a very good , stable salary, with very few concrete plans. I have three months notice, in which I can work out more.

The main dilemma is that the things I have passion for- filmmaking, telling women’s stories, writing, and coaching disenfranchised people to help them find better paths…. None of them come with a steady income or a sure return. And I still have a child to support. I’m very tired tonight, but if it’s ok, I will write a bit more in the next few days. Right now, part of me thinks I should be writing a huge spreadsheet full of plans. Part of me feels I should be sitting in a field meditating- just breathing and enjoying being free. It’s been 18 years in the corporate world…. It is massive to have set myself free.

Very very exciting but also scary!

.

Oh well done! I hope it works out for you - feel free to share highs and lows here. Meditating and a spreadsheet both sound useful!
Im discovering that it’s all about mind and have had to work on mine after losing confidence completely after kids, loss of career, illness etc etc. I find meditating and planning both help.
I’m finally posting again after being very nervous, and now I am getting rave reviews on my Etsy shop! I now need to keep the momentum after Xmas, and be less nervous of buying materials.
here goes!
good luck anyone reading this. We can do it. We will!

Well, it’s the last post today so that’s my Etsy shop closed for orders.
It is interesting for me to review what I wrote here, so given I started in May, I’ve not probably earnt that much per hour, but the change is mindset is enormous. I’m so pleased, I am now really keen and excited to get on for next year. It’s no longer overwhelming but a good challenge, although I still have to watch that old inner critic!
hope everyone is doing well, do let me know, if you get chance.magnets are being sold topcat and freelance plans are being made financialcareerstuff Having been in a pretty rubbish state a few years ago, I really hope you get a way to help disenfranchised people. One of my secret dreams is to make it easy for women who can’t work normal hours, for whatever varied reasons. Though I think that’s a way off!
happy Christmas to all.

Me again. I hope anyone who posted is doing well. That topcat you’re not stuck with magnets and financial careerstuff that it’s going well. Updates welcome! Am most intrigued, ok nosy.
Im reading this thread that started in may 😳.
as a sort of review. Pleased to say..
a lot of mental blocks gone! 😀
more confidence in my skills😀
better at planning time 😀

still need to ..
•protect myself from draining time wasters. •It’s ok to say ‘I’m working’ even if it’s not immediately earning me much/anything at all.
•stick to deadlines.
• make it the priority over housework, elderly relatives etc.
it’s already February! I CANNOT be in the same position this may!!!!!!!!

We've had a great start to the year in our high St shop. Sold as much so far as Jan to Mar last year. I have a "9-5" during the week and in the shop at the weekend

Hi everyone,
well, my first target was for our year1 turnover to at least equal my old headline salary.
we made it - JUST! Ok, adding in the bank interest we earned was what got us over the line…
The ultimate goal is to have a close-knit team of 5 having fun in the pursuit of excellence and take home £200k/year.
we’re a long way from £200k/year but we’re having fun in the pursuit of excellence!

Our turnover last year included money paid to other lawyers - about 1/6th of our income. So the minimum target would be for income net of that to equal my old salary. I’d like to sort out the new goals…

Hello! I am so happy to have found a thread that can let me pretend I'm not just wasting time on Mumsnet! 😆

Our targets are more modest. Year 1 (completely empty shop with a camping table and art on the wall) £1000 per month. (2024)
Year 2 we were looking for VAT inclusive turnover of £15k - and actually did £19k. (2025)
Year 3 (2026) we are looking for VAT inclusive turnover of £24k.

Yes, they are not big numbers - and profits won't compare to working the same hours doing office cleaning etc - but sometimes you just want to be in control of something.

Sales for the YTD are in proportion so far which is great

Those are good top cat.
are there ways to reduce costs/increase profits? I’m about to see if we can switch banks to Mettle, for instance.

We are using free software rather than office for example. These regular subscriptions add up

Oooh which one?
we use FreeAgent - love it.

Welcome youandmedays of course you are no longer wasting time on mumsnet this is a Aserious thread for serious people!
and they are - so nice to see you swapping helpful hints.
Im learning to do the creative, then take my creative head off and see it as a retail opportunity. It’s very very easy for the nasty voices to scupper me otherwise!

Me again. Just posting this so when I read it back, I’ll remind myself of how far I’ve come. It doesn’t seem much, but to me it’s huge. I’m now managing to do my art, and then somehow separate myself from it and think of it as a product.
I’ve also finally got out of the procrastination and fear of failing and now somehow I’ve become excited to just suck it and see.
I really hope to maintain this mindset and even though time is tight, I’m hoping I can now move forward. A big round of applause for me, because I’ve been stuck for years thinking I’m rubbish and a big round of applause to everybody else because I’m sure you will have your own mindset issues!

Well done OP- mindset is a big part of the battle for sure! Well done also those with actual turnover and projections- impressive!

so I am now two weeks from the end of my notice period, when I am officially free and without salary and all the benefits. Aarch!

I have been working hard through the notice period for my employment but also trying to set my business up properly. I have an excel spreadsheet of to-dos for my husband and I (we are creating a joint venture). And we are working through them. Also working out how to be a team effectively. I am finding two key challenges so far, one practical and one emotional:

1. Practical: how much to ‘invest’ so you are set up the right way from the start…. Feels there are endless things you could spend on. (Training, accounting systems, all sorts) which sound like a good idea, but also reduce how long your ravings will last until you need income
2. emotional: I’m trying to adapt to the stress of being freelance. I am very used to high pressure multitasking at work, but being employed gives a certain frame and clarity around how much you need to achieve by when, with the security of a salary underneath. I now have this HUGE to do list, and basically the more I do faster. The better. And I feel I’m on a constant stop clock. So I’m finding it very hard to take time off and pace myself. This is partly a time thing and partly a space thing. Since o no at of my work is on the laptop at home. i have realised I don’t have physical spaces that are work free…. So I’m trying to protect myself from a sense of work being ever present, unending, and unremittingly urgent.

don’t know if anyone has any advice or a has struggled with the same?

Checking in. There are now three of us! Our former colleague unexpectedly became available so we brought her in.

a year ago I was just starting to figure out book-keeping. Now I need to understand the numbers much better.

on top of that I’m finally accepting that I can’t work silly hours because I’m not 25 any more…..

it’s good - it’s also A Lot. There’s a danger of being what my colleague’s dad calls ‘a busy fool”. On the other side, there is a vocational aspect to our work: it’s inherently worthwhile.

how is everyone else?

Hello, I was just wondering how everyone else is too!
well done financial Career stuff. I don’t have any advice, I’m afraid. I hope things have calmed down a bit now and you’re more in the swing of it.
And well done lioness admirer there’s definitely a strong chance of being a busy fool. I think half the challenge is working out what is actually essential and what can be skipped over.
I’m glad it’s going so well for everyone. I’ve been a slow burn. ButI’m finally about to start my third collection of items. Everything gets a good response, which is wonderful and now I need to really get the social media going.
we can do this!
Well, I know you all can, I’m hoping I can too!

I think there is always a danger when getting going to concentrate on doing the rules based busy work admin stuff, and feel that because you have been 'busy' you have therefore been productive.

I'm guilty of this because I'm an accountant. (We run a shop)

DW is better at concentrating on the "magic" stuff that actually brings money in

I identify with that top cat….

bookkeeping is my guilty pleasure.