5 Costly Mistakes I Made in My Businesses (So You Don’t Have To)

 “Some of the most expensive business mistakes happen in your first few months.”

It’s Business Wednesday and today I am
talking about mistakes.

Not the cute kind.

The ones that cost you money, bookings, time, and sleep.

So here are five real mistakes I’ve made in OZ Events Ltd and OZ Eats and what they’ve taught me.

If you’re starting a business, please learn from me. 😅

1. Not Having Backup Equipment

Let me tell you how one dough cutter almost ruined my delivery day.

I had only one.

It fell.

It broke.

I had pies to deliver.

Panic.

Thankfully, the set came with different sizes, so I had to improvise with another one and apologise to the client.

The same thing happened in OZ Events Ltd, a foil balloon burst during a setup and I didn’t have a replacement.

Since that day, my rule is simple:

If it is essential to your production or setup, you must have a spare.

Because in business, things will break usually at the worst possible time.

2. Slow Response to Enquiries

When you work a 9–5 and run a business, this is real.

I used to miss calls.

Reply late to messages.

Lose bookings.

Not because I wasn’t serious  but because I was in engineering mode during the day.

And guess what?

Clients move on quickly.

What changed everything for me was putting a system in place where calls are received, details are taken, and I can call back later.

Since then:

✔ Fewer missed jobs

✔ Faster response time

✔ More bookings

If you don’t respond fast, you’re not in the competition.

3. Giving Free Ideas to Non-Serious Clients

This one was painful.

I would:

• Write detailed quotes

• Create concepts

• Send inspiration photos

…only for the client to disappear and execute the idea without me.

Now?

Consultation fee first.

If they book, it goes into their event cost.

If they don’t, I have been paid for my time and creativity.

This single decision:

• Protected my energy

• Filtered unserious enquiries

• Positioned me as a professional

Your ideas are not free.

4. Underpricing Out of Fear

At the beginning, I was scared to charge what my work was worth.

Now?

I am more expensive than my competitors with the OZ Eats and OZ Events Ltd and I’m fully booked.

Because I know:

• the preparation

• the execution

• the pack-down

• the attention to detail

• the client experience

People pay for value, not cheap prices.

Your people will find you.

5. Weak Branding Materials (Flyers, Stickers, Business Cards)

This one I’m still working on and I’m being publicly accountable.

Right now:

• I don’t have any business cards

• My food packages don’t carry branded stickers

• I don’t always have flyers on me

Which means:

I talk about my business… and people have nothing to take away.

That is a marketing gap.

So February’s mission is clear:

✔ Design

✔ Print

✔ Show the process

✔ Show the results

Receipts included.

Hold me accountable. 😄

What These Mistakes Have Taught Me

Business is not about being perfect.

It’s about:

• learning fast

• adjusting quickly

• building systems

• knowing your value

And most importantly, growing in public so others can grow too.

If you’re starting a business, don’t be afraid of mistakes.

Just make sure each one becomes a lesson.

Business Wednesday reflection:

Which of these are you currently struggling with in your business?

Because I’m correcting mine, one system at a time.

With Love,

A Business Owner ❤