6 things we’ve learned from starting a business

if you've ever considered starting your own business, this is for you. as two girls who have never opened a brick and mortar before, we know how daunting the fear of the unknown can be. deciding to step out of your comfort zone to pursue something you believe in will challenge you in ways you never could imagine, but most importantly, it will show you that you can handle things you never thought you were capable of doing

we aren't claiming to be experts on owning a business, but are here to be a resource for anyone wishing to do the same. with that said, we've compiled the 6 most important things we've learned from starting a business...

partner up:

while this isn't for everyone, it's been our saving grace. having someone to be in the trenches with you, bounce ideas off of, hold you accountable, and celebrate along the way is invaluable. we are so thankful to be riding this wave together. having a partner who truly understands exactly what you're going through and cares as much as you do makes all the difference in the world. however, a lot of thought should go into who this person should be. find someone who not only shares the same vision and passion as you, but also has the same work ethic (or better) and brings *different* skill sets to the table. we always say we are opposites in the best way because of our different strong suits, allowing us to pick up where the other lackslet the 9-5 mentality go:of course when the spa is open we have to be on/available, but it doesn’t stop after closing. having your own business is like having a child, you're constantly thinking of it and worried about it 24/7. as owners, you're held accountable and responsible for everything that goes on so be prepared to accept that responsibly and know it's a full-time job. after all, it's your reputation on the line and what you've worked so hard to build, so protect it at all costsfind your niche:we've always said that we aren't here to appeal to everyone. we know our audience because we are the audience. it's so important to channel your energy on what you believe in and are most passionate about.  if you sell to everyone, you sell to no one. hone in on what you know and do best. you may notice our service menu doesn't include body treatments, maybe one day it will, but that isn't our current area of expertise. we know skin, we know the face, and we know how to preserve youthaccept that you can't do everything:we are the first to admit we don't know it all. having an amazing team and outside counsel has been critical to our company’s success. when it comes to the backend operations of a business, we've always been upfront with this being our weakness. we've learned to partner with people smarter than us in our weakest areas. it's ok to give up control on the things that you're not good at so that you can focus on the things you are good at!be authentic and give value:passion always beats making money. people can smell BS a mile away. your mission has to be real. when times get tough it's your passion that gets you through and keeps you going. we are motivated by our dream and vision of where HOP can go. my fiancé once asked me if i had 100 million dollars and could start a business doing something just because i loved it- what would it be? and with all my heart, this is it. house of preservation is our life and everything we believe intake time to celebrate your successes:this might be our biggest weakness. we rarely take the time to acknowledge our accomplishments and then they just pass us by. this is a sure fire way to feel burnt out. what’s the point of all the hard work if you never get to enjoy it?! before focusing on the next challenge, take time to celebrate the victories along the way (big or small)