Lessons From My First Business

In 2014, fresh out of the Army and full of energy, I started my first business.

NoahGuy Curb Appeal, a landscaping and lawn care service.

I started with a red Toro lawn mower, weed eater, electric blower and a 1996 GMC Sierra to haul it all.

Through networking, I was able to grow to 10 customers. 2 of them commercial.

While I was good at landscaping, it was not my niche.

After 5 months, I shut down the business to go to school full time to us my GI Bill.

It was at San Jacinto Community college that I found my niche of digital creation(content creation and software development).

Looking back, I came back with valuable lessons, that are the foundation for my future endeavors.

1. Niche
2. You can either be mediocre at many things or excellent at a few. You must find your niche. Find a skill, industry or area of expertise that you can master. Find your niche and strive to be the best.
3. Be a learner
4. Being an entrepreneur takes more than knowing how to make money. It takes an incredible thirst for knowledge. if you are not willing to learn on the go and on a consistent basis, you will fail. Not only must you learn, it also helps to enjoy what you are learning about. Thats where finding a niche comes in hand.
5. Agile
6. A lot of people in the corporate world have grand business ideas, but fear won’t let them take action. You must take a risk in business. On the other end, if you realize that what you have started isn’t right for you, jump off to the next thing. Keep trying until you find your niche. Fail quick and do not beat yourself up for mistakes or failures.
7. Diligence
8. Starting a business by yourself means you are workhorse. If you are not willing to put in the work, no one else will. That means getting up early and going to bed late. It means getting rid of the TV or playstation to make more time for your dreams. Time is precious. Diligence is making the most of that time.
9. Excellence
10. Excellence means to be diligent AND do things in the most efficient and crisp way possible. Excellence is adjusting to change and striving for continuous improvement. Excellence is taking time to make preparations for success. Excellence is dong things the right way.

My first business is a story of searching for my niche.

Do not be afraid to start new ideas or failure. Keeping trying.

Originally published at www.noahguyblog.com.