Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey content creation but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michelle Haslam, Tiktok-preneur, based in Verwood, Dorset, UK.

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

I help small business owners get started, grow, and monetize their businesses on TikTok. I also show them how to create a successful community on Facebook so that they can nurture their following and make consistent sales without having to worry about where their next customer is coming from.

Tell us about yourself

I started my online business in May 2021, around 9–5, while looking after my three-year-old. I failed for six months (I was £4k in debt) before finally working out what worked and being able to quit my 9-to-5 and pay off that debt just a year after starting. I’ve since gone on to pivot, which I work with (went from B2C to B2B), and have been battling loads of imposter syndrome and money worries.

I've recently turned a corner and am now not worried about the money (or even imposter syndrome), thoroughly enjoying my work, and building my business. I do this because I want to prove that middle-aged women, with the juggles their lives hold, can still be successful.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Growing my own business to the point, I could leave my 9-5 has been an absolute revelation. But the biggest accomplishment is when the people I teach have success. That's the best feeling in the world!

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

Lying awake at night, worrying about where the next customer is coming from and whether you can afford to pay yourself this month and/or cover your expenses.

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

  1. Get a mentor. Do your research and try to find someone who can genuinely help you on a one-on-one basis through those first few months.
  2. Keep learning. You cannot serve others unless your own development takes priority. I'm talking business books, courses, and personal development. Go all in on yourself. Your business and customers are worth it!
  3. It doesn't happen overnight. And you will want to give up at times. What is the difference between the 1% and the majority of the others? They failed over and over, got back up, learned from it, and went on to the next thing.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.tiktokelevator.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.haslam4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.haslam.official/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_MichelleHaslam
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellehaslam/

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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