Lessons Learned From 10 Years of Running My Small Business

I hit a rather major milestone recently: my marketing company celebrated its 10th birthday. Never could I have imagined in 2006 that I would still be doing this, nor that I would be doing it so well!

I've beat the odds: statistics show that 96 percent of small businesses fail within 10 years. Here's how I've kept my sanity and managed to stay the course all this time.

Lesson 1: You Need Help to Survive and Thrive

Despite the fact that I write about being a micropreneur, the truth is, I couldn't run my business without a few key people. For me, I have a handful of freelance writers and a freelance editor. Having done everything myself years ago—from designing my own logo (big mistake) to taking on all the work—I can tell you that this DIY strategy is not effective as your business grows. In fact, I would put money on the fact that most of those 96% of businesses that fail probably try to do everything on their own.

You're smart; you know that. But no one can do it all, at least not successfully. Even if your budget is tight, I encourage you to find just one person who can make your life easier. Maybe it's an intern you can hire to make sense of your social media. Or a part-time assistant to keep you organized. As you relieve your own workload, you'll make more time to bring on more business, and then you can afford more help.

Lesson 2: Small Business Goals Are Always Shifting

I've always been big on making resolutions in January and business goals in general. The interesting thing is how much my goals shift after 12 months. One year I was gung ho about public speaking, but by the end of the year, that desire had petered out.

I've learned to let it go. Goals should change if you're going to compete in an ever-evolving business environment. The best you can do is continually review your goals and tweak them as you chase a moving target.

Lesson 3: Do a Good Job and They'll Come Back for More

Forget all the advice you've read about how to attract customers and keep them. The simplest formula for success is "do a good job." Deliver a superior product. Offer amazing customer service.  People like being loyal to a brand (it's easier than finding a new one), so unless you give them reason to go elsewhere, they'll stick to you like glue.

How do you know if you're doing a good job? Get customer feedback. You can send a survey out via email after your product arrives or you can pay attention to your Yelp reviews. The key is to really listen to what people are saying about your brand and products and make adjustments if there are less-than-stellar reviews.

Lesson 4: Market, Market, Market

I run a marketing company, so of course I'd give this advice, right? To be honest, in the past, I've been a bit like that proverbial cobbler who doesn't have shoes for his own children. I sometimes haven't done the best job of focusing on my own marketing and, believe me, back in 2009 during the recession I suffered as a result.

It doesn't matter whether you have a big budget or small, whether you're tech savvy or don't even know what Twitter is—you must market your business. If you don't know what to do, find someone who can help you. Teach yourself. This isn't an option. You don't want to become one of that 96 percent, do you?

Lesson 5: Processes Rock

Rather than run your business willy-nilly, I suggest establishing processes to make your life easier. Everything from my to-do list (neatly put into Google Calendar so I'm reminded when it's time to switch gears) to my instructions for my editor are carefully documented. I find that this eliminates the potential for misunderstanding, especially with other people. No one is a mind-reader, so how can you expect them to know what you want unless you explicitly tell them?

Creating processes means anyone can take on a particular task if you've documented exactly how to do it. Save that brain power for other more important activities.

There are dozens more lessons I've learned over the past 10 years of running my business. I'll continue to learn more, and so will you. The beauty comes when you actually get the lesson and can apply it to further your own success.