The Biggest Mistake I’ve Made as an Entrepreneur

When I first started my business, I was making money—lots of it! Orders were pouring in, and I was drowning in work. But here’s where I went wrong:

By the time I finished all the work, the money was gone, and I had no new orders coming in. That’s when panic set in. I’d scramble to generate sales by offering deep discounts and running desperate promotions. Then, the orders would come back, and I’d get busy again. And so, the cycle repeated itself.

This vicious rollercoaster kept me stuck, and it wasn’t until I realized my mistake that I was able to break free.

The biggest mistake I made as an entrepreneur was not making time to market while business was thriving. I took my momentum for granted. Instead of continuously feeding the pipeline, I would get lost in fulfilling orders and neglect the very thing that kept business flowing—marketing.

The cycle looked like this:

1. Market heavily and get clients.

2. Work, work, work, and ignore marketing.

3. Finish the work, realize there are no new clients.

4. Panic and start desperate marketing efforts.

5. Get busy again and repeat the cycle.

This is a common trap for solopreneurs, especially in service-based businesses. If you’ve been stuck in this cycle—or if you’re about to start a business and want to avoid it—let me share some key solutions that helped me break free.

How to Escape the Cycle

1. Charge Enough for Your Services

A healthy profit margin allows you to invest in marketing and hire help. For example, a photographer who charges appropriately can afford to outsource photo editing, freeing up time to focus on growing the business instead of being bogged down with post-production work.

2. Hire and Outsource

You may think you’re saving money by doing everything yourself, but in reality, you’re holding yourself back. While you may start your business wearing all the hats, you must eventually delegate tasks to grow. Every business needs a visionary—someone who isn’t too overwhelmed working in the business to work on the business.

3. Balance Your Time and Always Market

Marketing is not optional. If you don’t have the budget for ads, commit to posting on social media consistently. If you can afford ads but lack time for organic marketing, run ads instead. Either way, marketing must be a non-negotiable part of your routine.

4. Use Both Paid and Organic Marketing

Most businesses should leverage both organic and paid marketing strategies. However, if you’re just starting out and limited in resources, focus on what you can do—even if it’s just one social media post per week. Consistency is better than nothing.

5. Do Something—Anything!

Even the smallest effort in marketing can keep your business moving forward. Don’t wait until you “find the time.” Marketing is what creates time by ensuring a steady stream of income and opportunities.

Again, marketing is not optional. If you want to reclaim your time and have more of it, you must consistently market your business.

If you’re a business owner looking to break free from this cycle, I hope you found these insights helpful. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, I pray you learn from my mistakes and avoid them completely!

But I have something even better for you—a complete online training course where I teach you how to start, market, and scale your business!

In this course, you’ll learn:

• How to set profitable prices

• How to market your business effectively

• How to scale and grow sustainably

Let’s build a business that doesn’t just survive—but thrives! Register today and start your entrepreneurship journey!