What Would You Tell Your Younger Business Self?
At our September New Melle Chamber of Commerce members meeting, we started the morning with a simple question:
“What advice would you give your younger business self?”
It turns out, that question isn’t so simple.
Around the room were business owners, professionals, community leaders, and people at different stages of their careers. Everyone had learned something along the way, and when we put those lessons together, they painted a pretty great picture of what it takes to build not only a successful business, but a reputation and career you can be proud of.
Protect Your Reputation
One of the strongest themes of the morning was integrity.
As one member put it:
“You can’t buy back a good reputation. Work with integrity.”
Another offered equally timeless advice:
“Always be honest and never burn a bridge.”
Business changes. Customers change. Employees come and go. Technology changes. But your reputation follows you.
Especially in a close-knit community, how you treat people matters. Be compassionate. Be aware of what others may be going through. Know the people you work with. Do your best.
Those things may sound simple, but experience teaches us that they can become some of the most valuable assets a business owner has.
Never Stop Learning
Another message came through loud and clear: keep learning.
Our members said:
“Educate. Get educated. Always.”
“Continue your education, things always change.”
“Always ask questions. Things always change.”
And perhaps one of the most important:
“Never be afraid to ask questions and say, ‘I don’t know.’”
There is a lot of pressure in business to have the answer. Experience often teaches us the opposite: successful people aren't necessarily the ones who know everything. They're the ones willing to keep learning.
If you love something, teach yourself. Find someone who can teach you. Ask questions. Stay curious.
Love What You Do, But Start Simple
Passion came up too.
“Be passionate about what you do. Love what you do.”
But passion doesn't mean you need to do everything at once.
Another member's advice was just two words:
“Start simple.”
That's a lesson many business owners probably wish they had learned sooner.
Build the foundation. Learn the business. Reinvest when you can. Prepare for difficult times. Then expand thoughtfully.
As one member reminded us:
“Try to prepare for the worst, reinvest, expand, you never truly have extra money.”
Running a business requires enthusiasm, but it also requires discipline.
And yes, sometimes it requires a little bit of:
“Fake it till you make it.”
Not because you should pretend to know something you don't, but because sometimes confidence comes after you take the leap.
Find Good People
Business can feel lonely when you're trying to do everything yourself.
Our members emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with people who encourage you, challenge you, teach you, and help you succeed.
“Don't be afraid to do lots of things. Be around encouraging people.”
“Find a support business where others can work hard for you. Work smarter, not harder.”
And don't underestimate one of the simplest skills in business:
Be a good listener.
Listen to your customers. Listen to your employees. Listen to other business owners. Listen to the people who have already made the mistakes you're trying to avoid.
Sometimes the best business advice isn't found in a book or seminar. It's sitting across the table from you over breakfast.
Take Care of the Not-So-Exciting Stuff
Not every lesson was philosophical.
One member gave advice every business owner should probably tape somewhere near their desk:
“Keep up on taxes and have a good accountant.”
Enough said.
Running a business isn't only about the exciting parts. It's also bookkeeping, taxes, planning, paperwork, deadlines, budgeting, and making sure today's decisions don't create tomorrow's problems.
Taking care of the fundamentals gives you more freedom to focus on the work you actually love.
Get Up and Try Again
Perhaps the advice that ties everything together was this:
“Don't let anyone tell you you can't. Get up and try again.”
Every experienced business owner has a collection of things that didn't go according to plan.
Ideas fail. Markets change. Expenses appear. Customers surprise you. Plans that looked perfect on paper sometimes don't survive contact with reality.
You adjust.
You learn.
You ask questions.
You surround yourself with good people.
And you try again.
Wisdom Around the Table
That's one of the things we value about gathering each month as the New Melle Chamber of Commerce.
Yes, we talk about Chamber business, upcoming events, community updates, and what's happening with our local businesses. Our monthly meetings are intended to provide opportunities to discuss community updates and business developments as part of the Chamber's broader purpose of advancing the prosperity of the New Melle area.
But there's another benefit that's harder to put on an agenda:
Experience is sitting all around the room.
Someone has faced the problem you're facing.
Someone has made the mistake you're worried about making.
Someone knows a person you should meet.
Someone has learned a lesson that could save you years of figuring it out yourself.
That's what makes getting involved in a local Chamber valuable. It's not simply belonging to an organization. It's building relationships with people who are building businesses, serving customers, supporting organizations, creating jobs, and investing in the same community.
So we'll leave you with the same question we asked our members:
What advice would you give your younger business self?
Whatever your answer is, there's probably someone just starting out who needs to hear it.
Come join us at an upcoming New Melle Chamber of Commerce meeting. Pull up a chair, meet your neighbors, and bring a little wisdom of your own.
