In October 2012 I decided to take the plunge and start my own Services Marketing company. This was a big leap for someone like me that had always played it safe, done what was preditable and expected. I compiled a high-level business plan, got a referral from one of my first clients and managed to land my first large contract.

I resigned from my corporate job as a National Marketing Manager for a company in the automtive sector and took the plunge into entrepreneurship. Within a little more than a week I had gone from a ten year Marketing career to being completely self reliant. 

I remember that first week - waking up at four in the morning in a cold sweat worrying about whether I did the right thing by leaving this predicatble, corporate job behind me. But then I started realising the upside of this rather difficult position - I had gone from an obsesive compulsive marketer to a Working Mom. 

My newfound freedom allowed me for the first time to drop my son off at school in the morning and collect him in the afternoon without the stricken panic about whether my boss would be upset about me leaving early (or rather on time). I discovered in this time that my son tought me more about business than most of the management books - here are some of my highlights:

Keep it Simple

Whether you are starting a business or taking on a new role or project - keep it simple. We tend to overcomplicate the most simple tasks and think that our clients, suppliers or prospects will notice. Most of them don't. Figure out which activities create the most impact or exposure and make sure you do those well. Don't worry too much about the rest.

Pick the Playground

Decide early on whether the expensive, fancy offices are really necesarry. Most cities now offer virtual offices or business lounges offering you administrative support and secretarial services (or call answering services) - these help you save on overheads if you are delivering a service or consulting at a client.

Get cool toys

I invested in some great cloud-based software to help me automate my business, invested in a GREAT crm solution and got myself a good design PC. Yes it was a splurge but the tools ensure that I am more productive and do not have to struggle with a slow, outdated computer that hangs when I need to work on a new website or proposal. My iPad now contains a version of all my required applications meaning I can quickly draw customer reports, update a status on a project or keep track of new customer requests.

My favourite lesson from my son however is to always keep on learning and to always ask questions - this ensures that you and your business never stagnates and that you always keep it simple!