7 Big Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make and How to Avoid Them

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Start an Online Business

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Did you know most entrepreneurs have to start over at least twice before hitting their stride? Crazy, right?

That surprised me because guess what? I started over not once, but twice before finally finding my groove. I chose a business model that led me to burnout and barely any time with my family... twice. My messaging was all over the place, and I had to redo my website three times (ouch!) because I didn't do any market research.

It's not about failing, though. It's about learning the ropes! I learned some invaluable lessons, and I'm here to spill the beans about mistakes entrepreneurs make! Stick around, and I'll show you how to avoid these missteps and enjoy your solopreneur journey.

Mistake #1: Not Choosing a Niche and Narrowing It Down

I knew exactly what I wanted my niche to be. I let fear stop me from sharing it with the world.

I was desperate for my photography business to take off so I could quit my job and spend more time with my first baby girl in 2009. I was so good at capturing the unique and authentic relationships between parents and each of their kids. I was afraid I wouldn’t get enough clients if I specialized in what I was really good at - candid, storytelling family photography.

I knew after only 5 mini-sessions that I made a terrible mistake. My first client just wanted a posed family picture with complex head swaps. My second, third, and fourth clients did too. I wasn’t good at photo manipulation. It took me hours to learn how to do it. I started outsourcing the complex editing, which ate into my profits.

My generic marketing attracted people who didn’t want what I was good at. I didn’t know at the time why I was attracting the wrong customers.

While I made great money and had more clients than I could accept, ultimately, I failed to create a business I loved because I was scared to create a niche for myself.

In my head, my niche sounded like this: I photograph authentic, candid moments between you and your kids in your home or at your favorite outdoor location. I observe the nuances of each relationship in your family over a few hours and capture your family story. Your photos will tell your family story and remind you how you felt about each child at that moment in their life. We’ll create a story wall, so your family can see your love for one another every day.

I could've made a great living, doing what I loved with that niche.

Do you know what my marketing materials, Facebook ads, and website said? “Family photography in the DC area. All digitals provided.”

It should’ve said “Candid, storytelling family photography for moms who want to create a beautiful gallery wall of family memories and traditions.”

It still makes me a little sad to tell that story. If only I’d known then what I know now, I’d probably be a thriving candid, storytelling family photographer.

Lessons learned: Define your niche and focus on a specific audience to create a stronger brand identity and attract the right customers.

Don’t be afraid to narrow your niche. You’ll attract more customers, and the right customers if you’re clear about what you do, who it’s for, and how you’re different.
Trying to serve everyone results in a generic brand message that doesn’t resonate with anyone (“Family photography in the DC area. All digitals provided.”). No one pays attention to generic messaging.
It’s difficult to stand out from your competition if you don’t say how you’re different. There are tons of family photographers in the DC area to choose from. How many of them specialize in candid family photos that tell your family story on your wall? Not many!
By choosing a niche and narrowing it down, you can target a specific audience, tailor your products or services to their needs, and establish yourself as an expert in that field.

**Mistake #2: Not Focusing on Your Ideal Customer**

My day job for 10 years was as a training project manager for a Dept. of Defense (DoD) contractor. In 2008, just after the iPhone was released, I attended a conference where they were talking about designing training that you could access on your phone. At the time, we couldn’t even take phones into the DoD offices. But I knew that our military would benefit from being able to access training and manuals anytime, anywhere. So, I made it my mission to make it happen for them. And I did. I worked with over 20 agencies to figure out how to make mobile learning safe and accessible for our troops. I even held my own conference with hundreds of government attendees. For 7 years I worked with mobile learning experts, dozens of interested agencies interested, and individual soldiers and marines who needed this capability. We made some really cool learning apps. I even won an innovation award for one of them.

Fast forward to 2015. I started my own government contracting training company. The government is a huge organization. So, I was afraid to focus on just that mobile learning community that I knew and loved. And I didn’t niche down to mobile learning. Instead, we did all types of training for several different agencies, none of which I knew very well. Guess what? I stretched my 6-person team too thin, creating every kind of training someone asked for, and I wasn’t able to build the kind of deep relationships I wanted because I was always hopping from one agency to the next looking for business.

When starting out, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement and lose sight of your target audience. But remember, your ideal customer should be the driving force behind everything you do. Take the time to understand their needs, wants, and pain points before you even think about creating products or services. Doing so will save you time and energy in the long run.

Lesson learned: Always keep your ideal customer at the center of your business decisions.

Just because you can work with anyone/everyone, and just because you can do a lot of different things, doesn’t mean you should.

Focus on one ideal customer
Get to know them really well
Take the time to understand their needs, wants, and pain points before you create products or services. Doing so will save you time and energy in the long run.

Mistake #3: Starting with the Fun Stuff

When I started my first two businesses, the very first thing I did was to choose brand colors, get a logo created, and start creating a website that told people everything about me and what I offered.

Guess what? No one cares about me, where I came from, or what I did/do.

They just wanted to know how I can help them solve their problem or achieve their goals. That’s what my website should’ve said.

If you look at my website now, that’s exactly what it does. I still have an ABOUT page, but it’s not as much about me as it is about how I can help my ideal customer.

Lesson learned: Lay a solid foundation for your business before you design a logo or website. It's tempting to jump into the fun parts of starting a business, like designing a logo and building a website. However, this can be a massive waste of time and money if you haven't yet defined your ideal customer. Before you dive into the aesthetics, take a step back and focus on understanding your target market. You'll be better equipped to create a brand that resonates with them and avoids multiple redesigns down the line.

Create your niche and narrow it down by getting specific
Get to know your ideal customer by doing market research
Create a Business Blueprint to follow, so you can stick to your niche and focus on what your ideal customer needs and wants as it relates to your niche

Mistake #4: Failing to "Work On" Your Business

My first two businesses were service-based businesses. I was too overwhelmed by daily tasks and client work to focus on business growth. My first few clients and projects came easily. But I quickly realized that if I didn’t turn my attention to business growth, my business wouldn’t survive.

I had to learn to better plan the time I spent working with clients (working “in” my business) and the time I spent planning, building relationships, and growing an audience (working “on” my business). With a service-based business and nothing else to sell, this is difficult. You only make money when you’re working with clients. That’s exactly why I now focus on building a digital product first, then adding services to supplement that income stream. It creates a much better balance for both my business and my life.

Lesson learned: Make time to work on your business, not just in it, to ensure long-term success. Many solopreneurs get trapped in the mindset of "working in" their business instead of "working on" it. This means they focus too much on the day-to-day tasks and client work, leaving little room for growth. By creating a digital product and automating its delivery, you can free up time to strategize, develop marketing materials, and expand your audience. The key here is to find a balance between providing exceptional service and nurturing the growth of your business.

Mistake #5: Getting Stuck in Research or Trial and Error Mode

If I am honest about the number of hours I spent researching and trying different tactics, it would be discouraging to us both. So, let’s just say… it’s hard when you feel like you need to know everything before you do anything.

I finally realized I was stuck in research and trial and error mode when I looked at my strategy and plan and realized that I hadn’t accomplished much. I was looking for a secret to success. I wanted complete clarity that if I “do this” then “that” will be my result.

Unfortunately, there’s no secret and clarity doesn’t come until you take action. Doing the work, instead of reading about it, makes things click.

Lesson learned: Don't let analysis paralysis hold you back – take action and learn as you go. While it's important to educate yourself and experiment, spending too much time in this phase can paralyze your progress.

Set a deadline for your research and trial period
Make a decision and a plan
Take action and implement that plan

Mistake #6: Creating Content without a Strategy

Almost every one of my clients has had the same problem. They run out of things to share quickly and just share whatever comes to mind.

But, the problem isn’t that they’re running out of ideas, it’s that they lack a content strategy and a plan. Strategies are created by making informed choices based on the information you have. When creating a strategy, start with the problem you’re trying to solve. You need to understand what your ideal customer needs and wants, create a brand message explaining how you do what they’re looking for, and then design a customer journey that takes them through the process of solving their problem or achieving their goal. Your content is the bridge that takes them from where they are to where they want to be.

Content creation is crucial for building an audience and showcasing your expertise. However, spending countless hours crafting content without a clear strategy is a recipe for burnout and frustration. Before you start churning out blog posts, videos, or podcasts, create a content plan aligned with your business goals and your ideal customer's needs. Then your content will have a purpose and effectively drive results for your business.

Lesson learned: Develop a content strategy that serves your business goals and caters to your ideal customer's needs. How?

Define your goals. Do you want to build brand awareness? Become a thought leader? Get more customers? Improve SEO?
Understand your target audience, so you can create content they'll love.
If you already have content, take a look at it to see what's working and what's not.
Decide what content format you’d like to focus on: blog posts, videos, or podcasts.
Plan out your content. You can make a list or use a calendar to stay organized.
Promote your content using email, social media, and ads, and always keep an eye on.
Analyze your results to see what's working well and do more of that.

Mistake #7: Letting Fear, Limiting Beliefs, and Self-doubt Hold You Back

I’m an open book when it comes to sharing my struggles, mistakes, and setbacks. But this one is hard. Fear, limiting beliefs, and self-doubt have held me back more than lack of time or anything else. It wasn’t until I got the courage to talk about it that it started to get better. But, to be honest, it’s still something I work through often.

Lesson learned: Don't let fear or limiting beliefs stand in your way – face them head-on and cultivate a mindset that fosters growth and confidence. The fear of failure, fear of success (that’s a thing… and it’s powerful), limiting beliefs, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome are all common issues that can prevent you from taking the necessary risks and making bold moves in your business.

It's essential to recognize these fears and limiting beliefs
Confront them by naming the behavior that comes as a result: procrastination, perfectionism, etc.
Develop strategies to overcome them: seek mentorship or coaching, join a supportive community, or invest in personal development resources.

Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey can be both exciting and challenging. But by keeping these seven essential lessons in mind, you're setting yourself up for success. Remember to:

Define your niche and target a specific audience.
Keep your ideal customer at the heart of your decisions.
Lay a solid foundation before diving into the fun stuff.
Work on your business, not just in it, for long-term growth.
Break free from analysis paralysis and take action.
Craft content with a clear strategy and purpose.
Conquer your fears and limiting beliefs to unleash your potential.

By applying these insights about mistakes entrepreneurs make, you'll be well on your way to building a thriving solopreneur business that you can be proud of. Keep this post handy for those moments when you need a little guidance or a confidence boost. You've got this – now go out there and make your mark on the world!

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Erin Gibbens

Online Business & Marketing Strategist

I was an overworked, busy mom 🤹‍♀️ who wanted more time with my kids when they were little. It took years of trial and error to find the right business model for the flexibility I wanted, but I didn't give up. If you want to start an online business and prioritize your life much faster, you're in the right place. I'll show you exactly how to do it without all the trial and error. NO HUSTLE needed.

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