A few years ago, I did what many women consider at some point in their careers. I stepped out on my own and built a consulting business. I craved a sense of control, autonomy and the chance to work with leaders who truly wanted to “buy what I was selling.”
For six years, I ran that human resources consulting business successfully. It was profitable. It grew (sometimes in stops and starts, but it grew consistently). It gave me flexibility and new opportunities. It also allowed me time at home during the pandemic with young children.
But recently, I made a decision I hadn’t expected when I started: I returned to a full-time role inside an organization. Not because I failed, but because my priorities shifted and I had the clarity to recognize it. This experience has given me perspective. If I could sit down with every woman starting her own business, here’s what I’d want her to know:
1. Busy is not a business model
In the early days of self-employment, being busy felt like validation. A full client load, constant work, and always on the move! But over time, I realized something important: my business depended almost entirely on me. My time. My availability. My energy.
That works… until it doesn’t.
If stepping away creates stress, lost revenue, or a backlog you dread coming back to, that’s not freedom. A sustainable business isn’t measured by how busy you are, but rather by how well it works without requiring all of you, all the time. What can you delegate, outsource or scale back on?
2. Growth isn’t always the goal
There’s a lot of pressure to grow by adding services, taking on more clients, hiring staff, or expanding: bigger, better, faster, stronger. But one of the most valuable phases of my business wasn’t growth, it was the sense of stability. Consistent clients, predictable income, a clear scope of work, and an “emergency fund” that ensured I could endure slower seasons without panicking.
Before adding, I made sure what I already had was working well and profitable. Growth without stability is chaos, not success.
3. Revenue is important. Cash flow is everything.
One of the reasons my business gave me options was that I paid attention to the financial side early. Not just revenue, but profitability, cash flow and establishing a financial cushion. I avoided taking on more debt than necessary, especially in the beginning.
When you understand your numbers and build a buffer, you create flexibility and give yourself the ability to make decisions based on what’s right, not just what’s urgent.
4. Doing it all yourself is expensive
many owners, I did everything myself, especially early on. I felt efficient. Responsible. But over time, the tradeoffs became clear. Every hour spent on administrative work was an hour of higher-value work missed. Even small shifts like outsourcing marketing tasks or providing self-booking for clients made a huge difference. Doing everything yourself might save money, but it can quietly limit your success.
5. Do you have a time problem, or a decision problem?
There were plenty of moments where I felt stretched thin. But when I look back, it was more about decision-making than time management. What was I saying yes to? What boundaries was I letting slip? What wasn’t defined clearly enough? What was on my plate too long?
Clarity around services, boundaries, priorities and communication solved these problems faster than working long hours ever did.
6. Confidence comes after you start, not before
There were many times when I didn’t feel ready, or worse, when I felt like an imposter. Decisions such as rate-setting, taking on larger clients or making changes tempted me to second-guess myself.
But confidence doesn’t show up first, it comes from doing the work. It comes from navigating challenges and proving that I could handle more than I thought. I see many women business owners waiting until things are “just right” before acting. One more website tweak, one more piece of marketing SWAG, etc. Some of these decisions just need to be “good enough to get going.” If you’re waiting for complete confidence before making a move, you’ll be waiting a long time. Action builds confidence.
7. Local advantage is real
One of the most rewarding parts of my business was being rooted in the community. Relationships and reputation matter. Take pride in being known and knowing others.
In a place like Springfield, local connection is a real advantage. It creates trust, opens doors and leads to opportunities you won’t find online. Take the time to attend local events and build relationships.
Final thoughts
Starting a business gave me more than just income. It gave me experience, perspective, options, and ultimately the clarity to make a different choice when the time was right.
Success doesn’t always mean growing, scaling or staying on the same path. Sometimes, success is building something strong, running it well and then choosing what’s next with intention.
If more women focused on being stable, profitable and sustainable I believe we’d see more businesses not just succeed, but truly support the lives that women entrepreneurs were meant to live.
Kelly Gust is the founder and CEO of HR Full Circle, a Springfield-based consulting firm. She now supports talent development at O’Shea Builders, focusing on coaching, learning and building people programs that help individuals and teams succeed. For the past several years, she has written a monthly professional development column for Springfield Business Journal. before starting a business
This article appears in Women’s Business Showcase.
