The Boutique Hub is celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year! Through many ups and downs, we wouldn’t be here today without YOU, our community! To celebrate our 10 year anniversary, we sat down with founder, Ashley Alderson as she shares her top 10 lessons she’s learned throughout 10 years of business. We know you’ll find some helpful takeaways from our big wins as well as the honest mistakes we’ve made along the way!
Let’s get into the top 10 lessons learned throughout 10 years of business from The Boutique Hub and Hubventory’s CEO and founder, Ashley Alderson.
- Retail is a cycle. There will be ups and there will be downs. You can’t expect the entire ride to be a breeze. There is no such thing as a perfect business that doesn’t experience the roller coaster of highs and lows.
- No matter what business you are in, community always wins. Products don’t sell, community does. Remember your why, and cultivate a community off that.
- You are the brand voice, but you’re not the brand alone. Outsource what you can.
- All business is a combination of your right and left brain. It’s the art side of your brain and the science side. In order to succeed, you must utilize both sides.
- What got you here, may not get you there. Just because you’ve done the same strategies since the beginning, doesn’t mean they’ll work forever. Times are constantly evolving, make sure your business is too.
- If you want to be a successful retailer (e-commerce store, brick and mortar, home and gift, children’s apparel, etc.), you have to have awesome wholesale partners. Business relations matter, especially when these relations depend on the product you sell in your store.
- Don’t get caught up in what other people are doing. What works for one retailer might not work for you. That is what makes your business unique.
- Don’t be the bottleneck of your business. Be open to new ideas, new strategies, and let people help. Hire a team with an array of strengths, and let them do what they do best.
- Your family, relationships, and friends have to come first. Figure out how to set a boundary. Work and personal life aren’t always a balance, but place priorities on the things that truly matter in life.
- Invest and diversify your revenue. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. We don’t know what the future holds, which platforms will last, and which ones won’t. Set yourself up for success here by setting up different forms of revenue.
Listen to the full podcast episode here – there are plenty of gold nuggets of info in this one! You don’t want to miss it!
FAVORITE QUOTES FROM ASHLEY ALDERSON
- “It’s ok to be challenged, because when we’re challenged in business, it makes us think outside of the box. … a lot of times we can come up with solutions and outcomes that are so much more creative and so much more successful long term once we lean into them and face the discomfort of having to change.” – Ashley Alderson [9:53]
- “We can become the victim of any situation or we can become the victor of any situation.” – Ashley Alderson [10:42]
- “Sometimes in order to really build community, you can not be fluffy. You can not be bubble gum pink. … Sometimes it’s worth it to alienate the people who are not your customers to build a deeper relationship with those who are your customers.” – Ashley Alderson [12:58]
- “Build the brand, be the face of your brand, but bring in supporting voices in your brand because that is what will make you scaleable long term and allow you to take a break and have a life.” – Ashley Alderson [18:00]
Learn more about the Hub’s 10th anniversary and our journey to getting here in this blog post.
How else can The Boutique Hub help you grow? Get more information on growing your business by joining The Boutique Hub where we have tons of training, information, and most importantly, connection! www.theboutiquehub.com/join
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