Mistakes are inevitable. Just learn the lesson and move on.
'We live and we learn' is our mantra here. What's vital is not being drawn into making the same mistake twice. Even if there are promises of change and lessons learnt. Don't do it to yourself.
Show your workings.
Humans are curious creatures and many, us included, love nothing more than a nose behind the scenes. There's magic in the mundane so don't hesitate to show your processes, routines and ways of working. The things you take for granted are often the things people find most interesting.
Pay for the music licence.
It feels like an unnecessary expense when you're starting out, but awkward silence can change the entire feel of a shop.
There are plenty of costs in business that customers will never notice. This isn't one of them.
Stay fluid.
We've never had a business plan. That's not a point of pride, more a reflection of our surprise at how things developed. Looking back, we were probably quite fortunate not to have one during COVID, as it would have gone completely off course anyway.
Instead, we've been led by our customers, their interests and the opportunities that have appeared along the way. Some of our best decisions have come from paying attention rather than planning ahead.
Small businesses have a wonderful ability to adapt quickly. If something's working, lean into it. If a new opportunity presents itself, don't be afraid to explore it. You don't always need a five-year plan to know when something feels right.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is stay open-minded, keep listening and be willing to change direction when the situation calls for it.
Trust is great. Safety nets are imperative.
We're entirely un-cynical people but take it from us, you still need checks and balances. Trust people, but make sure there are systems in place to protect everyone involved.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Accept Amex. Allow a customer to return an item even if they've lost the receipt. Replace something that malfunctioned.
Customers remember when you made things easy and they really remember when you made things difficult. For the sake of a few pounds, you can win a customer for life and maintain goodwill. Crucial for your overall happiness and theirs.
Get the help.
If there's something keeping you up at night then get help with it. Accounting, HR, compliance and logistics are all crucial to the health and resilience of a business.
Getting help may cost you, but the peace of mind and free time it creates means you can push forward with the bits you're best at.
Invest in the things you're proud to show the world.
It can feel nerve-wracking putting your business out there. We found that investing in a few professional elements helped us feel confident enough to start spreading the word.
It could be as simple as some branded packaging, or buying a second-hand camera and learning to take better images for your website and social media posts.
Show up.
Open when you say you're going to open. Reply to that email. Honour your word.
Nothing loses an audience faster than being flaky. Things will always crop up, but communicating clearly and having a backup plan are crucial.
Remember that people see you through the lens of a business.
Whether it's dealing with a delicate HR topic, a customer who's unhappy or a supplier who's let you down, there are the things you're saying and doing, the things they're saying and doing, and then there's the wildcard element: the perception of your business.
People often behave according to how they see the business, how far they think they can push it and what they feel it can handle.
You can only control your bit.
Many people have been worn down by capitalism to believe that businesses are inherently bad. Greedy, selfish and ruthless. If you know you're not those things, you're halfway to realising that you cannot control their view of business, even your lovely one.
Feedback is a gift.
Especially when it stings.
Wince. Go red-faced. Have a little grumble if you need to. Then move forward and find the lesson in that feedback.
Progress, improvement and evolution are constant when growing a business, so don't get too hung up on not having everything perfect. Customers' opinions, ideas and experiences are where the magic happens. Listen closely to it at every possible opportunity.
After more than a decade in business, we're still learning. We suspect we always will be.
Some lessons have been expensive, some have been uncomfortable and some have arrived exactly when we needed them. Most of what we've learnt has come from paying attention: to our customers, our team, our suppliers and our gut instincts.
If there's a common thread running through all of it, it's that perfection isn't the goal. Showing up, staying curious, being kind, adapting when you need to and learning as you go has served us far better than any grand masterplan ever could.
We live and we learn.