Lessons Learned in My First Year of Business | Leicestershire

Reflecting on 2025 as a Business Owner in Leicestershire

2025 was my first full year running Optimum Creative Media.

Looking back now, I am proud to say that I am still in business, still active, and still growing.

That alone feels significant, especially when you consider how many businesses do not make it past their first year.

One of the biggest highlights of the year was forming strong partnerships with local businesses such as Lutterworth Athletic Football Club.

These partnerships played a huge role in building momentum for the business and reinforcing the importance of working closely with organisations that share similar values around community and growth.

Word of mouth has also been one of the biggest wins.

Being recommended by existing partners and clients has opened doors to new opportunities and reinforced why focusing on the local Leicestershire area makes so much sense for my business.

Trust and reputation go a long way, especially when you are building something from the ground up.

Balancing Time and Priorities

One of the biggest challenges throughout the year was managing time effectively.

Balancing work for long term partners, one off client projects, and the day to day running of Optimum Creative Media often meant that something had to give.

In hindsight, outreach to new businesses and creating consistent content for Optimum Creative Media were areas that were lacking during 2025.

You only have to go through the Optimum Creative Media social channels to notice significant gaps in content posted about what I get up to outside of my clients work.

These are both essential for growth, and they are priorities I am actively addressing in 2026 to improve my digital reach and visibility.

Confidence, Pressure, and Personal Growth

Running your own business forces you to grow in ways you might not expect.

As an introvert, I have always been fairly reserved, and in previous roles it was easy to sit back or avoid certain situations.

Running a business removes that safety net.

There is nowhere to hide, and it is up to you to take action, communicate clearly, and put yourself out there.

That growth in confidence has been hugely valuable, but it does come with pressure.

There are days where you question whether you have done enough, whether you earned that break, or whether you could have pushed harder.

Learning to manage that internal dialogue has been one of the more difficult but important lessons.

Time Away and Perspective

Another lesson from 2025 was understanding just how important time away from work really is.

While starting a new business can make you feel reluctant to step away, those breaks are often exactly what you need.

I was fortunate to enjoy a trip with friends and three separate holidays with family throughout the year.

Being able to do that without requesting annual leave from a manager is something I am incredibly grateful for.

Those moments created memories, offered a reset, and reminded me why flexibility was one of the reasons I started this journey in the first place.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Reflecting on 2025, I feel grateful for the partnerships, opportunities, and lessons that shaped my first year in business.

It has been a year of learning, confidence building, and understanding what truly matters both professionally and personally.

Here is to 2026 and a year focused on growth, consistency, and creating even stronger connections across Leicestershire.

What were your biggest highlights and challenges in 2025?

I would love to hear them. Drop me a message, send a DM, and let’s connect.