Besides becoming a mother, starting a business is one of the most challenging - and at the same time most rewarding - things I have ever done.
Because it takes up so much of my daily life, I thought sharing some insights might be helpful. There may be mums and women among you who are thinking of launching their own small business but simply don't know where or how to start.
Here are the steps and advice I would love to share.
1. Find Your Product or Service
The first step of your small business journey is finding the product or service you want to offer. You might be inspired by similar products, another business or even a single person.
Coming up with an idea that has real market potential is probably one of the hardest parts. Take time to think it through and brainstorm the possible upsides and downsides. Ask friends and family for advice - they may spot strengths or weaknesses you have overlooked.
Be open to criticism and try to think outside the box. It may sound like a cliché, but it couldn't be more true. Put yourself in your customer's shoes: what would they expect from you? What would make them satisfied - or, better still, amazed and excited?
2. Research Your Market and Competitors
Once you have settled on your idea, start researching online. Is someone already running a similar business? How big is the potential market? How are your products different - or even unique?
Research carefully and plan around your idea. You don't need a college degree, but you do need to understand the risks of running a business. (I share more about this in how I deal with competition.)
3. Make a Simple Financial Plan
Once you know what you want to sell and who your target customers are, create a financial plan: How much will you charge? How much will it cost to run the business? How profitable can you be?
To be honest, I didn't have a clear idea of these figures at the beginning. My journey started as a fun project, sewing simple dresses for my little girl. When I received more and more requests from friends and the German community in Dubai, I began to see it as a real business.
At some point, I created a simple Excel file to track my sales, costs and profit. Most importantly, I wanted to know my break-even point once I started taking it more seriously and buying fabrics and sewing supplies.
4. Get Licensed and Choose a Legal Structure
Before going deeper into operations, I got an official licence to be legally on the safe side. Decide on the right legal structure for your business by weighing up the advantages and disadvantages, and think carefully about what works best for your concept.
5. Secure Your Starting Capital
I started my business with a simple sewing machine and some fabric. If your project needs a bigger investment, consider using your savings, borrowing from family or friends, or taking out a loan.
6. Find the Right Sales Channels
Once your products are ready, find the right place to sell them. I started with customers in my own little community and later moved to Instagram and my own website.
Other great online channels for small businesses - especially for handmade items - include Etsy, Pinterest and Facebook. If you want to sell offline too, look for small shops that might stock your products for a commission.
7. Build Your Brand
With your first sales, you naturally start building your brand. To make it unique, define your brand mission and the values you want to share with your customers. Your vision and mission describe the purpose of your business - find out what makes you unique and build your brand around it.
My journey began with colourful cotton kids' dirndls - traditional German dresses. Later, after many customers asked for plainer, simpler fabrics, I changed my focus and specialised in kids' clothes and accessories made from high-quality imported muslin. Read more about why handmade matters to me.
My advice: go out and sell the heck out of your products!
8. Network and Look After Your Customers
Network as much as you can - with customers, bloggers, other small businesses and anyone who inspires you or helps your idea grow.
Take good care of your loyal customers and spoil them with special offers. Run marketing campaigns by email, social media or even WhatsApp. Online marketing is easy to set up and very effective for promotions and new product launches.
9. Just Start - and Keep Learning
In a nutshell: start somewhere - but just start. Find something you're passionate about and turn it into something others need and want too.
Passion and dedication give you the energy to go the extra mile every day, because as a small business owner you do everything yourself, from A to Z - often 24/7, at least at the beginning.
I am still learning every day by talking to peers, customers and suppliers. It keeps me humble but motivated to work even harder. Delighting my customers and receiving their positive feedback is what keeps my engine running.
10. Reflect on Your Journey
Evaluate yourself, your progress and your milestones. Compare where you are with where you thought you would be, and adjust your direction for where you want to go next.
Every journey is unique - mine was, and yours will be too. Starting a business from scratch is exciting and rewarding, but also challenging. There will be moments of frustration and moments of satisfaction.
For me, it's important to pause once in a while and ask: Is this still the direction I want to go? Do I still see myself and my vision in this project? Does it make me happy?
My final piece of advice: build a reputation for trustworthiness, be authentic, and stay true to yourself and your values.
