This year marks 10 years since I started Aster HR.
When I look back, it’s not just the milestones or the growth I think about — it’s the lessons. The things I’ve learned through experience, through challenges, and through working alongside so many small business owners over the years.
Running a business isn’t something you can fully prepare for. You learn as you go.
These are the 10 things that have stayed with me, maybe they will help you…
1. You can’t create a job for yourself and call it a business
Most people start a business because they have a skill, or they can see a better way of doing something.
In the early days, that’s exactly what drives it — especially when you’re doing everything yourself. But, if the business only works because you’re doing everything, all the time, it’s not really a business — it’s a role you’ve created for yourself.
There’s an important shift that needs to happen. For a business to grow, it needs to be able to operate without you.
That doesn’t mean stepping away completely. But it does mean building:
So the business isn’t dependent on you for every decision and every task.
Because at some point, if you want flexibility, growth, or even the option to step back — the business needs to operate and even grow without you.
2. Get the right support around you
It might start with just you. But as you step further into running a business, you’ll need the right professionals around you, like:
It’s important to choose the right one who you can work well with, will give you what support you are after and understands your business and your vision. Be picky.
The right support can make things feel easier. The wrong support can make everything feel harder.
But it’s not just about professional support.
Entrepreneurship can be lonely.
Leadership can be lonely.
That’s why it’s so important to have a network of people around you who understand what you’re navigating — often because they on the same journey you are. Choose people who lift you up, challenge you, support you and you enjoy being around. You deserve that support.
Often, those spaces don’t just give you support — they lead to opportunities, connections, and even new business.
3. Trust yourself — no one is going to hand you confidence
There’s no moment in business where someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “You’re ready now.” (I wish there was!)
Most of the time, you’re figuring it out as you go.
One of my favourite sayings that stuck with me is
Confidence is a by-product of repetition.
Think about that with let’s say the example of public speaking. Most of us don’t feel confident doing it first time, maybe not even the second time…but you will find the more you repeat the action of public speaking, the more confident you become. It is the same of business.
And that can feel uncomfortable — especially in the early stages, or when you’re stepping into something new.
That’s why confidence doesn’t come first.
It comes from backing yourself, making decisions, and learning along the way – even when it feels uncomfortable.
Because it will feel uncomfortable at times, especially in the early stages or when you’re stepping into something new.
But the truth is:
The sooner you start trusting your judgement, the easier decision-making becomes.
4. Know your “why” — it will carry you through the hard days
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I am a big fan of Simon Sinek and his work on Leadership and Start with Why.
You can call it “why” or “purpose” or “strategy” or “driving force”…but whatever you call it, it shapes more of your business than you might realise.
From informing your vision and goals, to your target market, content and even how you design and describe your services.
And as your business grows and you employ staff, it becomes the reason people choose to join your team.
And one of the most important roles your “why” plays is during the harder seasons.
When things feel uncertain or heavy, your “why” is what keeps you grounded. It gives you something to come back to when decisions feel difficult or the path forward isn’t clear.
For me, our “why” at Aster HR is that we believe you get the best from your people when you give them the best of you. That’s why we exist – to support leaders feel confident in how they lead their people, and build workplaces where people genuinely want to be.
5. Don’t fall for bright, shiny solutions
In business, you’ll be exposed to a lot of advice.
Sometimes you’ll even go looking for it. I know I have.
Over the years, I’ve joined my share of programs and listened to people promising faster growth, guaranteed sales or a shortcut to success.
You’ll know the kind of messaging I mean:
“Just follow these 3 steps…” or
“This is the exact formula you’ve been missing”
And when you’re running a business on your own, or feeling the pressure to grow, of course you start looking for something that will make it easier.
But the reality I’ve learned is — there is no shortcuts to success.
There are no guarantees in business.
If it were that simple, everyone would do it.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn from others — there is real value in that.
But it does mean filtering what you hear through your own business, your values, and your goals.
What works for one business doesn’t always work for another.
And what looks simple on the surface often has a lot more behind it.
Because real growth isn’t built overnight. It’s built consistently, over time.
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6. Relationships grow your business more than marketing ever will
Marketing has its place. But in my experience, it’s relationships that truly sustain a business.
These are the things that create long-term, consistent growth.
Because people don’t just choose a service — they choose who to work with. Who they trust (I’ve always felt priveldged our clients trust us to support them through some of the most critical and sensitive moments in their business).
When I look back, much of our work — and certainly our repeat work — has come through relationships.
It creates a ripple effect.
One relationship leads to another.
One conversation opening the door to the next.
That’s why investing in relationships matters.
Because when you build genuine relationships, the business often follows.
And in the long run, that kind of growth is far more sustainable than anything you can create through marketing alone.
7. Progress over perfection (every time)
If you wait until everything feels perfect, you’ll never start.
“I just need to finish this document and then I’ll launch.”
“I just want a few more positive reviews to be sure I’ve got it right.”
“I want to try something new, I just need to…”
It’s easy to wait until everything feels ready. Until it’s clear. Until it’s “right”.
Especially when you care about doing things well.
But if you wait for perfect, you’ll often find yourself stuck — overthinking, second-guessing, or delaying something that could already be in motion.
Because in business, waiting for perfection costs you time and opportunity.
Clarity doesn’t come before action.
It comes from starting, testing, and refining along the way.
A simple example of this in my own business is our procedures. When I first started on my own, they weren’t polished or formal – they were just dot points on a page — a way for me to capture how I was doing something so I could repeat it consistently. Over time, those notes evolved into structured procedures anyone in the team can follow. But I didn’t wait until they were perfect to start. I started simple — using them, refining them, and improving them as the business grew.
Because progress creates momentum.
And momentum gives you the clarity you were waiting for.
Perfection, on the other hand, usually just slows you down.
8. Take time to work on the business, not just in it
There is so much to business that keeps you busy.
But the real progress in a business doesn’t happen in the busyness.
It happens when you step back and take the time to review and analyse:
These are the moments where better decisions are made.
The ones that shape how your business grows, how sustainable it is, and how it supports you in the long term.
A simple what to do this is ask yourself these 3 questions
It’s often the work that gets pushed aside because it’s not urgent, but it’s important work.
When you make time for it — consistently — it changes how your business feels and functions.
Future you will thank you for it.
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9. You’ll have seasons in business – some full, some quiet
In business, not every season looks the same.
There will be times when things feel busy, energised, and full of momentum. Work is flowing, opportunities are coming in, and everything feels like it’s moving forward.
And then there will be quieter seasons. Times where things slow down, where enquiries dip, where you find yourself questioning what’s next.
Both are normal.
Over time, I’ve learned not to panic in the quieter moments — and not to take the busy ones for granted.
Instead, I’ve learned to pay attention.
To notice what the market is telling me. To look at patterns and trends. And to use those quieter periods more intentionally — refining my approach, building momentum, and planning ahead.
It’s also helped me structure my energy better — knowing when to lean in, and when to step back.
Because business isn’t a straight line.
It moves in seasons. And learning to work with those seasons, rather than against them, makes the journey a lot more sustainable.
10. Celebrate the small wins
It’s easy to move from one goal straight to the next without stopping.
There’s always something else to do. Another target to reach. Another problem to solve.
But in doing that, it’s easy to overlook the moments that actually matter.
The “small wins” — a positive client outcome, a kind message, a referral, a moment where something just works — these are the things that build your business over time.
They’re not small at all. They’re what build a sustainable, long-term business.
They are worth celebrating.
And when you take the time to acknowledge them, it shifts how the journey feels.
Because building a business isn’t just about the big milestones.
It’s built in those smaller moments — consistently, over time.
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And here I am doing just that with you now – celebrating our 10 year anniversary!
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A final reflection
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past 10 years, it’s this:
How you build your business matters just as much as what you build.
If you’re a small business owner navigating your own journey, I hope something in this has resonated with you.
Because while every business is different, many of the challenges — and the lessons — are shared.
And you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
And if at any point you feel like you’d benefit from having someone alongside you — to sense-check decisions, talk things through, or support you with your people — that’s exactly what we do at Aster HR.
