There is no doubt that business can be exceptionally hard work.

It has many ups and downs and it needs you as the individual to have bucket loads of resilience!

I started The Healthy Mummy business in October 2010 and literally had no idea about running a business. No idea of the financial risks, financial loss, stress, personal sacrifice, hard work, determination and grit needed for it to succeed.

I feel like I have been on a 8 year climbing Mount Everest mission for the past 8 years and each year brings me to a new summit!

I have learnt so much. And each year makes me stronger as a business woman and I hope makes me better at what I do.

Here are my top ten business tips for success

Work hard
This is something that you may think goes without saying but a really strong work ethic is essential for success. Consistent hard work will get you to a lot of places. I have met many many people who want success but who are not prepared to put in the effort. They love the idea of success but they aren’t prepared to work the long hours and do this day in day out.
Be consistent
Success comes with consistency. You cannot be successful if you are only performing 50% of the month. You must stay focused and consistent 24/7. This means not being distracted by the many of life’s distractions – good and bad. If you are trying to grow your business and build your brand you must execute your plan consistently – not just when you feel good – and even if you feel bad or things are going wrong in aspects of your life you must consistently work at building building building.
Be prepared to make sacrifices.
I have never met anyone who has been successful that has not made sacrifices.
To be really successful, there will need to be sacrifices – it could be short term financial sacrifice, it could be sleep, it could be your own personal time, it could be holidays – whatever it is you need to decide if it is worth it and if it is what you really want long term.
Treat the customer as a Goddess/God
I believe this is crucial for any business. It is the cornerstone for success. If you do not worship your customer then you won’t have customers. Listen to them, respond to them and invest in them
Never give up
It is really important to have a never give up attitude and leave no stone unturned. If you hit a road block, know that there is always another way – you just need to find it. People all too often give up as hard work is off putting – but if you want it badly enough, you will find a way
Be a sales person
In business, sales is everything. But not a car boot sales person. Instead sell and create what your customer needs. Sales should not be a dirty word – sales should be letting your customer know what awesome products and services you offer – without sales, they don’t know – so embrace sales and start selling
Be passionate
If you are not running a business you love and are passionate about then don’t do it. I believe you will only give 110% to something if you are passionate about it. I am so passionate about The Healthy Mummy. I believe in what we do as a business so much. I want to shout it from the roof tops. I want to empower mums to live a healthier life and this drives me to work the hardest I can. I am deeply passionate about my brand and my business and I hope this shows. Be passionate about your brand and it will show too.
Be genuine
More than ever consumers want to engage and connect with genuine brands and business’. We increasingly live in a ‘fake’ world where we question whether what we see is real or not. So be real, be genuine and have a real story. Sure – you are a business and you need to make a profit but show the consumer what your story is. Show that you are genuine and are not a manufactured business.
Learn from mistakes.
Mistakes are part of business. I have made so many. But I learn from them. I never blame others for mistakes. I use them as a learning and they provide an opportunity to improve and to understand how we can do things better.
Be innovative and different
Try new things all the time and don’t be scared of them not working. Some of them won’t work and will spectacularly flop, but some will soar so high that you will be so glad you did it.