I was born a creator. I've always loved building things or pulling ideas from my imagination and bringing them to fruition. I've also been a people person since forever. In my opinion, people and the relationships you have with those individuals are the most important thing. So I guess you can say I was meant for business.

I've learned a lot of lessons building my clothing brand, " No Lackin' ," from the ground. If you're thinking about starting, recently started, or recently began operating a business, here's a couple lessons I've learned.

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1. Protect your idea before you invest in it.

Business is expensive; that's just the way it is. So before you start spending your hard earned dollars, make sure that your business is protected. Take the necessary steps to register it within the state you reside and do business in. It'd be a shame if you created products with your logo and business name to have someone either steal your name, or tell you to stop doing business under your current name because they have the rights.

2. Don't be afraid to do things differently.

Business has been around for a long time, and there are many different common practices found in every industry. However, don't be afraid to do things out of the ordinary! This will help differentiate you and display the uniqueness of your business. If you don't want your business to be extremely formal, it doesn't have to be. We're living in a new era of creativity and progressiveness in business. Just look at Google!

3. Operate with weekly goals.

"Feel like you can’t proceed until you have a bulletproof plan in place? Replace “plan” with “guess” and take it easy. That’s all plans really are anyway: guesses."- Jason Fried, co-founder of Basecamp and co-author of REWORK

Weekly goals keep you progressing and flexible. Planning long term and trying to consistently stick to a pre-outlined program of work can harm more than help. A lot of things change in a year and trends/fads usually are just that; they don't always go completely as planned. Going week by week allows you to better compensate for these unexpected, but not necessarily bad, changes.

4. Stay competent and do your research.

Make sure that you're on top of your game all the time. Studying and researching various topics related to your industry can only benefit your business. The more you know about the market you are working in, the better off you will be.

5). Stay organized and keep your receipts.

This is something I really wish I would have done as soon as possible. Keeping all your paperwork and receipts tidy makes life a breeze; especially come tax season. Trust me on this one.

These are a couple of the things I've learned while building up my brand " No Lackin'." Being a business owner is a lot of hard work, but it's also fun and exciting. As you continue to grow your dreams and works, I hope you keep these lessons in mind. They may just lead you towards better outcomes.