The first few years of owning a small business deliver lots of lessons and challenges. As part of Indigenous Business Month, Brandi Salmon shares how she’s remained resilient. 

My name is Brandi, I am a proud Wiradjuri woman working and living on Palawa Country in Lutruwita. I run my Fine Art business called ‘Brandi Salmon Art’.

I have been painting for nine years and have been a professional painter for the last three years.

One of the main challenges I have overcome within my business is learning to be resilient in the face of declining and/or stagnant sales on my online store.

Within my business I have experienced unpredictability and fluctuations; some products sell out and some products have failed to sell. I have previously invested in stock that has not sold and sits in my studio collecting dust. In the past, this has taken a toll on me as an artist and small business owner.

I remind myself why I started my business in the first place and try to remain resilient. I remind myself that success is not linear.

What I tell myself

To help myself with remaining resilient I think it is really important to keep things ‘fresh’ within my business and art practice as it is really easy to get caught up in a lack of sales and lose motivation to keep going.

Every time I have felt as though I’m getting caught up in the ‘numbers’ of it all, I focus on other exciting ventures within my business. Whether it be learning how to paint with a new medium, deciding I want to start offering Mentoring to young Blak Artist, or offering Live Wedding Painting as a new service, the possibilities are endless.

My top tip for young Blak Business owners when they are feeling stuck in a rut with their business, ‘rejection is direction’.

Like every article on TomorrowMoney, this is not personal financial advice.