Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in general services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lucy Wahl, founder of LMW Edits, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help busy professionals and their families create organized spaces they love. My clients are in the thick of it all: accelerating in their careers, starting families, buying homes, caring for aging parents, and serving their communities. I focus on common-sense solutions for these clients and their modern urban lifestyles: dealing with the cramped spaces, slammed schedules, and logistical quagmires that come with city living!
Tell us about yourself
I started my professional organizing business because I realized that an organized home was my personal secret weapon. In graduate school, I knew I wasn't the smartest person in the room, but I could perform at the same level as many of my more capable colleagues. When I got to know people better and learned more about their lives and living spaces, I realized a lack of organization was holding them back. Clutter and disorganization are preventing so many people from reaching their full potential; however, they define it - and I want to help!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is, without a doubt making it through the pandemic. Before COVID, my business was entirely in person in my clients' homes. COVID threw that business model out the window, and I had to get creative, fast. I started doing virtual organizing (which I actually love and which is an entirely different experience and value proposition), exploring digital marketing, and ramping up my social media presence. My business took a big hit, and I'm privileged to be able to survive without its income, but I'm proud that I didn't give up when it would have been so easy to throw in the towel.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, the hardest part of being a business owner is self-motivation. There's no one telling you what to do every day, and it can be easy to just slide into the routine of client appointments and put no effort into the rest of the business. That said, running the business remains really interesting for me, so it's just planning out my time that remains a challenge!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My hands-down #1 tip is: get really friendly with tech tools. They all have a learning curve, but the time invested upfront will save you a ton of time and money as you build your business. Other tips: don't charge too little, or people won't take you seriously, and listen to your clients. They will tell you what they need, whether directly or indirectly.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Being a business owner is not for everyone, and that's ok. It's not the easy way out by any means. Yes, you get to be independent and have an unlimited upside - but you also have no safety net and unlimited downside. So I really recommend that potential entrepreneurs really consider the pros and cons before starting a business!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.lmwedits.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lmwedits
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmwedits/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LMWEdits
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-wahl-5b1477b/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.