What I Thought I Knew and Why
When I reflect on why we started Sound Accounts, I remember my first business and my lack of knowledge. I knew everything I needed to run my business, or so I believed. Bank accounts were set up and had obtained the business license. I was set.
What I didn’t have was a partner. I didn’t have someone looking out for my interests or the experience I thought I did to be successful. I didn’t have Sound Accounts.
Making Dreams Into Reality
Sounds Accounts has been a dream of ours for over 10 years. We constantly talk about what skills do we need. What is our mission. Who are our customers. The one thing that is always central, is people like us. Individuals who have a vision for a business. Those who have a drive to make their corner of the world a little better. Business owners who do their one thing well. People who don’t know what they don’t know.
Starting a business is hard work. It requires determination and a lot of sacrifice. It also requires some one who can help you navigate what is unknown.
What You Don’t Know
When you start your business, you know two types of things; what you know and what you don’t know. You know what your business is and what good or service you are trying to sell. Maybe you don’t know the ins and outs of business banking or how to do your taxes. But there is another category; what you don’t know you don’t know.
A good example of that is city and/or county business licensing. You may know that you need a state license. Do you know if you need a license for operating in your city or county? Are you required to have more than one? Where to even begin to searching for the answers?
What I’ve Learned
I have leaned that having a partner to help you navigate the unknown is not a sign of weakness. It is, however, a sign that you don’t know everything. As much as I wanted to admit that I knew everything about my first business, I had to accept that I didn’t. If I had partnered with a business, like Sound Accounts, I would have been much more successful.
As we approach the holiday season, I hope that you take some time with your family and friends. I hope that you are successful in 2019 and beyond. I hope that you will see the strength in partnering with others who have been there and have the skills to help you be successful in the areas that you aren’t even aware that exist.
Happy Holidays