Co-launching a business in 2018 proved to be a very steep learning curve. audreyonline.co.uk is full of stories of the joys and struggles of self-reinvention, inspiring many women to launch their own venture. And what did I learn? So many things. Here are a few:

Being out of your comfort zone is great, as long as it’s mixed with a heavy dose of playing to your strengths.

Having a website and logo is not the first priority – research your market first!

The day-to-day of running a business is not like you think it will be!

You need a sounding board of wise advisors to talk the difficult stuff through with.

You also need cheerleaders.

Sometimes it’s worth paying for a little expert help when you don’t have time to learn every business skill.

There are too many fabulous women out there whose expertise is huge but whose voice is small.

Get your messaging right, then everything else will flow from that.