Often, the newly self-employed believe they're not making progress fast enough, and either seek shortcuts, which rarely work in the long term, or become disheartened and discouraged leading to fatigue and failure.

Shortcuts often ignore critical foundational steps and can cause huge issues when you least expect them. For the longevity of your business, there's no substitute for the hard graft and long hours needed to achieve stable, recurring income.

Let's break it down a little and show you that improvements, no matter how small, can have a huge impact over a year. If you make a one per cent improvement in your business daily, in one year that's around a 3,678 per cent total improvement.

Having a “progress, not perfection” mindset reminds us that growth happens step by step, not in one flawless leap. Breakthroughs often come when least expected, and quite often when out of the office.

Focus on small wins; these compound over time into massive changes. Perfection can prevent progress, and if you wait until everything is perfect, you may never start. Progress builds momentum and fuels your ambitions, with each step forward creating confidence and building energy for the next action. Mistakes are part of learning, but remember: they don’t erase your progress, they’re part of the process.

Consistency matters more than flawless execution. Showing up every day beats waiting for perfect conditions. Even a few hours each month improving your systems and processes will reap rewards in the long term.

Are you regularly spending time building your business? Your competitors are, and remaining front and centre in the minds of your customers requires ongoing, continuous effort. That’s what gets you noticed and builds a legion of local, loyal customers.

There are no shortcuts in business, but build it well and you’ll be well served by your business.

By Stuart Morrison