A Year in: The Reality of Building My own Business

Well, where has that year gone?

In November 2025, I launched Nuvelis Digital, my own digital marketing agency.

I'd always liked the idea of running my own business. I wasn't necessarily sure what that business would look like, but the thought of building something of my own had been in the back of my mind for some time.

Before launching Nuvelis Digital, I'd spent the last 20 years working in SaaS Sales. Being made redundant wasn't exactly part of the plan, but it gave me something I hadn't really had before: the time to properly explore the idea of working for myself.

After considering my options, I settled on digital marketing and started putting the foundations in place for Nuvelis Digital.

I knew starting a business wouldn't be easy, but I was excited about the opportunity to build something from scratch and do things my own way.

What I probably underestimated was just how much goes into running your own business.

From finding clients and building relationships to managing projects, finances and everything else that comes with it, there's certainly been plenty to learn!

As I approach my first anniversary, I've been reflecting on the past 12 months. There have been some really positive moments, a few frustrations and plenty of things I've learnt along the way.

I thought I'd share some of those experiences.

Winning business when it's your own

Having spent much of my career in sales roles, I'm certainly no stranger to business development, managing opportunities or dealing with occasional disappointment when a deal doesn't materialise.

But I've found there's a difference between selling for an established business and building a client base of your own.

When it's your own business, those familiar sales responsibilities take on a different perspective. The outcome of every opportunity has a more personal impact.

And when a promising opportunity doesn't progress, you naturally feel it a little more.

I've had some really positive conversations with business owners over the past year. Some have become clients, while others have decided to hold off, revisit things further down the line or focus their investment elsewhere.

That's business and it's certainly nothing new to me.

What's been different is learning to balance business development with everything else involved in running an agency.

It's reinforced the importance of qualifying opportunities properly, managing my time effectively and recognising where my efforts are best spent.

The biggest adjustment hasn't been learning to sell, but learning how to build a business around it.

The value of building relationships

Networking has played a big part in my first year.

I've met some genuinely good people, learnt about businesses I probably wouldn't otherwise have come across and had conversations that have opened up opportunities.

When I first started attending networking meetings, naturally I was focused on introducing Nuvelis Digital and explaining what I could offer.

But I've come to realise that networking isn't really about turning up every fortnight and delivering the perfect 60-seconds pitch.

It's about getting to know people. Understanding what they do, the challenges they're facing and where you might be able to help each other.

Some of the most useful conversations I've had haven't involved selling anything at all. They've been over a coffee, during one-to-one meetings or simply chatting with someone after a networking event.

I've also learnt that relationships take time to develop. You can't expect someone to recommend your business after meeting you once. People need to understand what you do, have confidence in your approach and, ultimately, trust you.

I've been fortunate to receive introductions and referrals through relationships I've built over the year, and that's something I really appreciate.

It's reinforced my belief that taking a genuine interest in other people's businesses is far more valuable that constantly trying to sell your own services.

There's a lot more to running a business than I expected

This has probably been one of the biggest adjustments.

When you start your own business, you naturally focus on the service you're going to provide and how you are going to find customers.

What you don't necessarily think about is everything else that comes with it.

Sales, marketing, proposals, invoicing, accounts, administration, supplier relationships, customer service and keeping your own website up to date.

And there's always something else that needs doing.

I've also discovered how easy it is to get caught up in the smaller details, particularly when you're someone who likes things done properly.

I've also been making much better use of my CRM, particularly when it comes to managing enquiries, pipeline, keeping on top of follow ups and tracking client projects. It's become an important part of how I organise my day and make sure things don't get missed.

It's also given me a much better understanding of the challenges many small business owners face.

When you're busy running your business and looking after clients, finding time to focus on your own marketing isn't always easy.

I can certainly relate to that now!

Not every opportunity is necessarily the right one

When you're starting out, there's an understandable temptation to take on every opportunity that comes your way.

After all, you're trying to build a client base, generate revenue and get the business established. But I've learnt that not every opportunity is necessarily the right one.

I've spoken to businesses that believe they need Google Ads when their website isn't ready to convert the traffic. Others are convinced they need a new website when improving their local search visibility might be a better starting point.

And sometimes a business simply isn't ready to commit to ongoing marketing.

One thing I've always wanted Nuvelis Digital to stand for is giving businesses honest, practical advice.

That means taking the time to understand what someone is trying to achieve before recommending a particular service.

Of course, that approach doesn't always result in winning the business.

But I'd much rather build relationships with clients who understand the value of what we are doing and are committed to making it work.

For me, that's a much better foundation for long-term business.

The moments that make it worthwhile

For all the challenges, there have been some really rewarding moments.

Seeing a clients new website go live after weeks of planning and design is always so satisfying. So is seeing improvements in their online visibility, receiving positive feedback or hearing that they've received an enquiry through something you've helped put in place.

I've enjoyed getting to know the businesses I've worked with, understanding their challenges and helping them work towards their goals.

One of the things I like most about running Nuvelis Digital is the variety.

One day I might be discussing how a local trades business can generate more enquiries, and the next I'm looking at how a professional services company could improve it's customer management processes.

I've also been fortunate to build a strong relationships with a delivery partner who supports the services we provide.

That's been an important part of developing the agency and making sure clients receive the level of service I'd want them to expect.

And when someone recommends Nuvelis Digital to another business, it means a lot.

When you are building something from scratch, those recommendations are a real confidence boost. They tell you that you're doing something right.

You never really stop learning

If there is one thing I've certainly done a lot over the past year, it's learn.

Digital marketing is constantly evolving, particularly with the developments we are seeing in AI and automation.

I've spent a considerable amount of time developing my knowledge, exploring new services and looking at how technology can help businesses work more efficiently.

But some of the biggest lesson haven't been technical at all.

They've been about managing my time, setting expectations, handling difficult conversations and making decisions when there isn't necessarily an obvious right answer.

I've made some decisions I'd probably approach differently now.

There have been times when I've spent too much time pursuing opportunities that haven't gone anywhere. And there have been times when I've questioned whether I'm focusing on the right things.

I suspect that's fairly normal when you're running your own business.

You don't always have someone sitting alongside you to bounce ideas off or reassure you that you are making the right decision.



Sometimes you just have to trust your judgement, learn from the outcome and keep moving forward.

I certainly don't have everything figured out yet, but I do feel I've learnt an huge amount over the past 12 months.

Taking a moment to appreciate the progress

Something I've noticed about myself is that I'm always thinking about what's next.

The next client, the next meeting, the next proposal or even the next thing I want to improve.

It's very easy to focus on what you haven't achieved rather than what you have.

Twelve months ago, Nuvelis Digital was a new business with a website, a plan and plenty of work ahead of it.

Today, I've built a client base, developed relationships with other businesses and created something I'm genuinely proud of.

Is the business where I want it to be?

No, not yet.

There are still plenty of things I want to achieve, and I'm under no illusion that building a successful business happens overnight.

But when I look back at where I started, I can see how much progress I've made, and perhaps that's something I should remind myself of more often!

Looking ahead to year two

So, what does next year look like?

My focus is pretty straightforward.

I want to continue building Nuvelis Digital into an agency that businesses can trust to provide practical, honest advice and deliver measurable results.

That means continuing to develop our services across website design, SEO, paid advertising, CRM and AI automation, while maintaining the personal approach that was important to me when I started.

I also want to build on the relationships I've made, continue learning and hopefully help more businesses achieve their goals.

I'm sure there will be challenges along the way. If the first year has taught me anything, it's that things rarely happen quite as quickly or as smoothly as you'd like.

But I'm enjoying running the business, and looking forward to seeing where the next 12 months takes me.

Would I make the decision to start Nuvelis Digital again?

Absolutely!

Finally, a genuine thank you to everyone who supported me during my first year. Whether you've become a client, recommended me to someone, offered advice, made an introduction pr simply taken the time to have a conversation, I really do appreciate it.

Here's to year two!