Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aisha Preece, Founder and Owner of Out And Beyond, located in London, UK.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I teach stay-at-home parents and tired corporate workers to fulfill their dreams of becoming financially independent and traveling the world with their blog! My students learn how to set up, grow and monetise a blog that becomes a revenue-generating asset they can earn from or sell later, just like real estate. I run a portfolio of 6 monetised blogs, and I teach them real strategies I use on my own blogs every day.

Tell us about yourself

I got really sick of staring out the window of my office, wishing I was somewhere else. :( I didn't want my boss's job, or his boss's job either! I felt unfulfilled and stuck. FREEDOM is a huge core value of mine. Freedom to work WHERE I want, WHEN I want, and with WHO I want-- running a monetised blog gives you this freedom. When I finally achieved that with my blog, I wanted to help others do the same because the online world is abundant and full of opportunities. There is enough for all of us to win together:) I am motivated to work every day because I genuinely enjoy what I do, writing and sharing things I am passionate about and then earning from it .. what's not to like?! I also like helping people grow their blogs because it is interesting and fulfilling to see how a piece of content can be carved into an asset that generates an income; it FEELS WILD O_O

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being able to greatly exceed my corporate bank job salary and spend on my family. I took my sisters to Mexico last year, flew my partner business class to Ireland, and spent on my health ... without compromising my savings and investment goals. I created this business for more freedom to spend time with my loved ones, doing things we enjoy - I honour that value and goal as much as I can.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Feeling isolated and knowing the next RIGHT step. There are SO MANY opportunities and ways to generate revenue in my business, but knowing what to do and when is hard. Running monetised blogs isn't a traditional business model, so there are fewer opportunities to network and connect in person or online.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Failure is a necessary part of success. The quicker you fail and bounce back, the faster you learn. Many people don't start a business because they are scared of failing. Accept that you will fail at some point at something, and that's ok; you will learn what not to do and improve. But if you don't start, you don't fail.
  2. You don't need to do everything at once. Just because your competition is doing everything doesn't mean you need to juggle many different things immediately. Start small and focus. Master one thing, then move on to the next. For example, I started by learning how to get traffic from social media, only then SEO and Google and then Pinterest. When it came to monetisation, I learned ads and affiliates first, then digital products and email marketing later. I tried to learn and implement everything at once, and I got too overwhelmed and nearly gave up. Don't give up!
  3. Consistency triumphs over talent. You could be the most talented person in the world, but if you don't have a good work ethic, you won't get anywhere. The only way to guarantee failure is to give up. Stick at it and take small steps; even if your growth is slow, consistent small actions every day will accumulate into huge success later.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://outandbeyond.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutandBeyondBlog/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aishapreece/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AishaPreece
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aisha-preece-6b480827/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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