Today, I’m incredibly happy. My Dream Garden business is finally running smoothly. This morning alone, I took tourists on boat rides six times, carrying about eighty guests between 9 AM and 3 PM. As I guided the boat across the calm river, watching people smile and take photos, a wave of memories suddenly hit me.
I remembered 2014—my first attempt at running a business. My partner and I were so excited back then. So confident. But we made mistake after mistake until everything collapsed in 2015. That failure stuck with me for years. I tried again in 2017. Failed again in 2019.
But each failure taught me something important. And now that I finally succeeded on my third real attempt in 2023, I want to share the lessons that cost me time, energy, and more money than I want to admit. If you’re thinking about starting your own business, these 7 mistakes might save you years of frustration.
1. Starting Without a Destination
The biggest problem with my first two businesses was simple: we didn’t know where we were going. We just woke up every day and guessed what to do next. No plan, no timeline, no clear goal. It was like driving a car with no map—eventually the fuel runs out, and you’re still lost.
When I started Dream Garden in 2023, I finally fixed that. I wrote down exactly where I wanted the business to be in one year, three years, and five years. One of my first goals was: “Serve 50 tourists per week by December 2025.”
That one clear target changed everything. Decisions became easier because I actually knew what I was aiming for.
Lesson: Before you spend a dollar, spend a week figuring out exactly what you want your business to become.
2. Choosing a View Instead of a Venue
This mistake still makes me cringe.
For our first business, we chose the land simply because it had an incredible sunset view. We thought, “This place is so beautiful—people will definitely come.”
We didn’t think about the road. It was a rough dirt track full of potholes. In the rainy season, it basically turned into a mudslide. We had the best sunset in the province, but customers couldn’t even reach the property.
We ended up sitting in an empty restaurant, watching the sun go down by ourselves, realizing we had bought a painting, not a business location.
Lesson: A decent business in a place people can actually reach will always beat the perfect business in the wrong spot.
3. Buying “Ferrari” Furniture for a “Bicycle” Business
Let me be honest: ego almost destroyed our first business.
We wanted everything to look premium. Imported luxury chairs, expensive playground equipment—things that made the place look successful on the outside. But all that cash went into appearances, and we had nothing left for marketing or emergencies.
We had the most comfortable chairs in the world… but nobody was sitting in them.
When we built Dream Garden, we changed our mindset completely. We built our own furniture using bamboo and cement. It cost about 10% of what we had spent before, and customers loved the natural feel even more.
Lesson: Start small. Start simple. Upgrade later with actual profits—not dreams.
4. Building What YOU Want (Instead of What THEY Need)
Back in 2014, I had no idea who my customers were. I didn’t ask. I didn’t research. I just assumed people would like what I liked.
That assumption cost me dearly.
We created things we thought were interesting without checking if anyone actually wanted them. One of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make is building a business around their own taste instead of customers’ problems.
Lesson: Before you invest money, talk to real people—your future customers. Ask them what they need. It’s much cheaper to change your plan early than to shut your business down later.
5. Trying to Be the Plumber (When You’re Supposed to Be the Owner)
This one hits me hard because I wasted so much time.
At the beginning, I wanted to do everything myself: manage, market, fix things, handle accounting, and deal with maintenance. I thought I was saving money.
Then one day, I tried to repair a complicated water pump system. I watched YouTube videos, bought tools, and spent three exhausting days trying to fix it. In the end, I broke the valve and ended up flooding a part of the garden. A local mechanic came, fixed it in 20 minutes, and charged me $5.
I lost three days of valuable work trying to save $5. That’s not being smart. That’s being stubborn.
Lesson: Make a list of the tasks only you can do—and delegate everything else. Doing everything yourself doesn’t save money; it slows your growth.
6. Thinking You’re “Too Unique” to Compete
In 2015, I barely looked at what other businesses were doing. I foolishly believed, “We’re different. We don’t have competitors.”
That arrogance cost me.
While I was ignoring the market, my competitors were improving their services, adjusting their prices, and marketing better. Meanwhile, I was sitting there wondering why customers kept choosing them instead of us.
Lesson: Studying competitors isn’t copying them—it’s understanding what customers already expect. You can’t win a game if you don’t even know the score.
7. Refusing to Adapt When the Plan Fails
After my second failure in 2019, I realized something important: I was too stubborn. I stuck to my plan even when it was clearly not working. I ignored the signs because admitting I was wrong felt painful.
Business changes fast. What worked last month might not work next month. If something isn’t working, change it. If customers keep asking for something different, listen to them.
Lesson: Survival doesn’t depend on being the strongest—it depends on being the most adaptable.
Final Thoughts: Failure Isn’t the End
I failed twice before things finally worked out. Some entrepreneurs fail even more times before they succeed.
If you’re reading this because you’re about to start a business, I’m genuinely excited for you. It won’t be easy. You will make mistakes. Some days you’ll want to give up. But if you avoid the mistakes I made—if you choose a reachable location, spend wisely, listen to your customers, and stay flexible—you’ll have a stronger chance of succeeding.
Today, as I watch the sunset over the river, with tourists smiling and taking photos, I feel grateful for every failure. Each one taught me what it really takes to build something that lasts.
Now it’s your turn. Learn from my mistakes, and build something amazing.
Disclaimer: This article is based on my personal experience as a business owner. I am not a financial advisor or business consultant. Please consult with a professional before making major financial decisions.
