Just to make things clear, I hate regrets. Whatever I did throughout building this online business of mine obviously had to be done in order to lead me where I am today. However, I can also clearly see that I grew a lot within these six years of creating, building and maintaining my online business. A few months back I went into a new business venture & it’s been so interesting for me to analyze the ways I do things these days. Therefore, I decided to put this post together who are just starting out and want to make sure you don’t make mistakes along the way.

#1 I would take it seriously from the early beginning

We all know by now that competition online is intense these days. With so many people out there successfully turning their blogs and online presence into thriving brands & businesses, you should make no exception and start a blog only to really take it seriously from the day one.

I feel like I have taken too long to take my own matters seriously back when I’ve started and I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes. You see, back when I’ve started, I didn’t even know it was possible to do this full time, but we’re now in times when making money online is becoming a common practice, so you have more chances than ever to succeed.

Look, if you really want to make this happen, you just have to go for it. Go ahead and put yourself out there, be yourself & keep growing daily. The sky really has no limits when you start an online business, but you should really be ready to hustle!

Read: Why You Should Always Take Your Blog Seriously?

#2 I wouldn’t wait for the right time to monetize

I know, I know, “you shouldn’t start a business for the money”, we’ve heard it said a thousand times already. I agree. Partly.

I don’t think like you would be able to sustain a business that was only started for the sake of making money, however, I don’t think there’s anything wrong in looking for the ways to monetize your online presence straight away.

Back when I’ve started, it wasn’t until the third month when I made first $40. It wasn’t a lot, but it felt like a dream. Look at me know, six years later- doing this full-time these days and successfully paying my bills doing what I love to do most.

Now if I would start all of this once again, I would actually strategize my monetization process from the early days. I’m not saying you will be able to make a full-time income on your first month, but you should take time and include information about your services/products you make as soon as you’re ready to publish your website.

Luckily, starting an online shop is easy these days. Read: How To Start Your Own Online Shop Using WordPress.

#3 I would learn to schedule my time better

I must have a schedule. Otherwise, I go nuts. Naturally, I’m quite disorganized, but I’m working on it one step at a time. For this reason, I always have my notebook with me & list all the tasks I have to complete. I’ve been using Zendesk for a couple of years with my business partner aka my fiance & we now list all of our work together & assign different projects for each other. Checking those ‘ done ‘ marks by the end of the day is a genuinely satisfying feeling! Just give it a go & you’ll know what I mean :)

Why am I even talking about this you might ask? Well, having your workload planned upfront can help you to avoid those crises altogether. I understand that we cannot always stay on top of our game, but planning can really save you during those periods when nothing seems to be going according to your original plan. In case of crisis, you’d feel much more relaxed if you know that all of your work is still on the record. Even if you miss out on a few tasks, you can always reschedule them for the next available day. It’s important to know how much each task will require & how urgent they are. Put your priorities straight & know your schedule.

You’ve noticed how I’ve mentioned only using Zendesk for the last couple of years? Well, that means my workload was a complete mess for the first four years. I’m not proud to admit this & I’m glad it always somehow managed to still complete all my client work and projects, but I feel way more in peace now, when I’ve started to schedule my work and my time properly.

#4 I would start to invest sooner

First months of running an online business weren’t really all rainbows and unicorns. In fact, I haven’t made a single penny for the first few months, thus, once I’ve finally started to make money online, I basically spent it all on new shoes and takeaways.

Of course, I was still a student back then, a bit lost and more interested in having fun than getting serious about my business. That’s easy to understand, huh?

It wasn’t a couple of years of running my online business when I realized how important it is to invest back into it in order to keep growing.

I now invest in social media scheduling tools, online courses and happily pay to keep my websites secure through best web-hosting services. The hard thing to admit is that my blog would have grown a lot quicker if I was serious about it from the early beginning.

#5 I would analyze my audience needs better

I often send out a quick survey to my subscribers & seeing the results really help me put everything into perspective. By exploring the answers received I can actually see what my audience expect from me & the feedback always boost my confidence by quite a bit, haha! However, back when I was only just starting out I actually was trying to guess what people want to know instead of looking at the signs. I didn’t analyze my traffic, I never asked my audience any questions and I know it made my journey way more difficult than it could have been.

#6 I would create a niche straight away

Back when I’ve started my blog, I used to blog about everything. Seriously, from dinner recipes to party outfits- my content was about everything and nothing at the same time. Only when I’ve discovered my passion of helping others and teaching blogging strategies things have changed. You see, if you want to have a successful & profitable business online, you have to make sure your online presence carries a clear message. Look, being a ‘beauty blogger’ is way too broad these days and it will make your journey a lot harder. Think about what beauty products really rock your world, do you love supporting organic beauty brands or perhaps you’re all about luxurious beauty products? Find your niche and stick to it! The more narrow, the better, really!

Read more: How To Find The Right Niche For Your Blog?

#7  I would ask for help

I was a one-player team for way too long. My fiance joined me in my business around three years ago and things have been going better and better since then on. However, having someone to take the workload off my shoulders was a huge task for me. I’m a bit of a control freak, so bringing a business partner challenged me in so many different ways. I still unnecessarily stress anytime we hire someone to do freelance work for us and have to work about my ability to trust others, but I know for sure- having someone else help you in building an online business is a huge, huge game changer.

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Let me know if you’re currently in the process of building an online business. What’s been your biggest challenge so far?