10 Years of Clairical: What Running a Business Has Really Taught Me

Ten years.

Wowzers.

When I started Clairical, I never imagined the journey it would become. Like most of you who run your own business, you know exactly why you took the leap. You wanted more control over the hours you work, you had the drive to work for yourself and you have a great idea.

But let’s be honest, running your own business is tough. I even use this as a strapline for my website.

So, here are ten years' worth of lessons condensed into a two-minute read; concise, practical and hopefully a little bit relatable.

Building a business, not just selling a service or product

One of the biggest lessons I've learnt is that having a great product or service isn't enough on its own.

Here's something nobody really talks about; running a business is actually two separate jobs. There's what you do, your product, your service, the thing you're brilliant at. And then there's the actual running of the business. The finances, the marketing, the admin, the processes. A totally separate entity and skillset in itself.

And it’s not something most of us are fully prepared for. We’re usually great at our craft, but not necessarily at running a business. That part is learned over time, often through experience and a fair bit of trial and error. There are a number of ways you can get support when you are setting up your own business. This link will help you find your local government support and advice network. Enterprise Nation also has a lot of practical and useful info and finally, it's also worth checking your local Business & IP Centre to see what support they are offering.

Growth without a plan & structure becomes overwhelming

In the beginning, when things are small, you wear every hat. You manage the work, the emails, the admin, the finances and you make it work because you have to.

But as the business grows, you start to realise something important: growth without a plan and structure becomes overwhelming.

For many, growth is seen as the natural next step, something to aim for, something to build towards. But what I’ve learned is that growth isn’t just about saying yes to more work. It’s about being intentional. Thinking ahead. Deciding what you actually want your business to look like, and how you’re going to get there.

Part of that journey, for many people, involves outsourcing, letting go of certain tasks, building a team and creating processes that allow the business to grow beyond just one person. It also means putting the right structures and systems in place to support that growth.

When that point comes will look different for every business. I often think of it as a horizon. When everything is within view, it feels manageable. But as the workload grows, things start to slip beyond that horizon and that’s usually the moment when it’s time to take action.

For many, that action looks like growing a team, but for me, I’ve taken a slightly different approach.

I’ve consciously chosen not to expand by bringing on additional VAs. Partly because I didn’t need the extra workload while my children were younger, but also because I didn’t want the added pressure of recruiting and managing a team.

Instead, I’ve focused on building a business that works for me, one that is structured, sustainable, and aligned with the life I want to live.

And this is the other point I’ve observed over the years, there is a lot of pressure in the business world to always be growing, earning more, aiming for those six-figure milestones, and being constantly “on”. But that version of success doesn’t suit everyone, and it doesn’t have to. Real growth doesn’t always mean getting bigger. Sometimes it means getting clearer, more efficient, and more intentional. And that, in itself, is success.

Observations from working with lovely people

Time

This realisation is huge and once you recognise it, it can completely transform your productivity. Many people often underestimate how long tasks really take and overestimate what we can do in a day. And on a bad day, this can feel overwhelming and moreover that you haven’t achieved anything.

I’ve learned that being realistic with time isn’t just good planning, it’s discipline. Over the years, I’ve come to measure progress not by how much gets done, but by how steadily things move forward. Consistency and patience make a stronger foundation than rushing through the to-do list. And this leads nicely into my next key point…

 …Prioritisation

Once you have worked out your task timings, and you realise that not every task takes 10 minutes, learning how to prioritise work is the next step.

It’s very easy to be busy without actually being productive.

Every morning, cup of tea in hand, I choose three key things that I must get done that day. If one of them is particularly time-heavy, I drop it to two.

And because I’m a bit old-fashioned, I still write each one on its own Post-it note. It’s a simple system, but it works. It keeps my focus clear and realistic, and I finish the day feeling accomplished rather than scattered.

(Some days, that might mean only one thing gets done and that’s also ok.)

I even shared a little video of this process over on Instagram if you’d like a peek behind the scenes.

Just start!

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that for many people, the hardest part of any task isn’t doing it, it’s starting.

A task can sit on your to-do list all day, feeling bigger and heavier the longer it’s left. You think about it, plan it, maybe even avoid it slightly or a lot… and before you know it, the day has gone.

Sometimes, the simplest approach is the most effective: just start.

Not with the pressure of finishing it.

Not with the expectation of doing it perfectly.

Just starting.

This is where techniques like the Pomodoro method can be really helpful. By breaking work into short, focused intervals, often just 25 minutes, tasks immediately feel more manageable and less overwhelming.

I’ve written more about this in another blog, as it’s something I see come up time and time again.

Reflection & personal growth

Looking back over the last 10 years, I’ve realised how important reflection is. When you’re running a business, you’re always moving.  Meeting deadlines. Solving problems. Planning the next step.  You don’t always stop to see how far you’ve come. . 

Reflection has become an important part of how I work. Not just looking back at what’s gone well, but understanding what didn’t, and why. It’s where a lot of the real learning taken place.

It’s something I feel so strongly about that I’ve written a separate blog on it. It’s such an underrated business tool. If you’d like to explore it further, you can read more about it here, including simple ways to build reflective practices into your own business.

Showing up. Every day.

Running a business can be lonely particularly if you’ve left a busy buzzy office. You don’t always have that daily interaction, the casual chats (gossip), or the structure that comes with a traditional workplace.

And some days, if I’m honest, showing up in the beginning took real effort. There’s no one checking in. No one setting your schedule. It’s entirely up to you to begin the day, to stay focused, to keep things moving forward. That’s why I’ve learned how important routine is and how it helps to keep motivated.

Not a rigid, perfectly structured day but small, consistent habits that help create a sense of rhythm. Because when you have a routine, you remove some of the decision-making and give your day a natural flow, which makes it much easier to get started and stay on track.

For me, that starts with having my own space. A place to sit down and switch into work mode. A place to focus, but also a room to close the door on in the evening and at weekends.

Some of my clients use work hubs, which can be a great option if you’re missing that sense of human connection. There are plenty available across the country, offering different setups, from permanent desks to more flexible drop-in, hot-desking options.

Routine doesn’t remove the harder days. But it does make them easier to navigate. Because showing up doesn’t always mean being full of motivation. Sometimes it simply means following the rhythm you’ve created. Sitting down. Starting anyway.

I’ve written more about this in another blog, as it’s something I think is often overlooked. If you’d like to explore it further, you can read more here including simple ways to build a routine that actually works for you. I’ve also included a video that shows a more extreme example of routine but one that highlights just how powerful consistent daily habits can be.

Full circle: remembering why I began

As I look back over these ten years, one thing has become very clear: perspective matters.

Many people start a business because they want flexibility, balance, and a sense of freedom. When I started Clairical, we had two young children, and that was a big part of my decision. I wanted to build something that worked around life (14 weeks school holidays a year), not something that pulled me away from it.

But over time, it’s easy to lose sight of that.

As the business grows, so do the opportunities and expectations. It becomes all too easy to say yes to everything, to work longer hours, and to convince yourself it’s only temporary.

That’s why taking a step back is so important. Creating space to pause and ask, is this still working for me has been one of the most valuable habits I’ve built.

Because when you grow with intention, manage your time realistically, do a bit of reflection, and keep showing up, you create something that not only grows but actually works for you and makes you happy.

And really, isn’t that the whole point?