Look, I get it. You’re a busy person with a million things going on. You’ve got bills to pay, maybe other mouths to feed, priorities to take care of. And yet, somehow you ended up on a blog post that talks about how to start a business when you’re already swamped. Something in you knows there’s more to this life in store for you, but you’re just not sure how to get started. Let’s break down what you’re going to need to do to develop your dream.
How To Start a Business: The No Bullshit Guide
Learn
When it comes to starting a business, you don’t know what you don’t know. We all start at 0 in this crazy game, but don’t feel intimidated by all of the important bells and whistles you’ll need to learn. Start with a list of things you’re good at, things you’re okay at, and things you desperately suck at. From there, start learning what it is you’ll need to learn to be a success. You don’t need to be a master at accounting, for example, but you should know enough jargon like gross vs net, how to price products, and be able to understand a little bit of what your accountant is telling you to do. Speaking of…
Invest
Don’t ever think for a second that the easy way out is to Google something instead of paying for it. It sounds great, sure, because it’ll save you a few bucks, but your time needs to be spent doing things that matter for your brand so invest in training, in help, and in tools that will help you be able to be the boss instead of the employee. You need to grow and develop the business, and wrapping lip balms probably isn’t going to be the best way to spend your time (yes, I speak from experience)
Do It
I’ve seen so many people have amazing ideas for businesses, and then never do them. If you’re here because you googled “how to start a business” then you probably have some kind of idea of what you’d like to offer. Maybe you want to be a full time blogger, or maybe you’ve got a top notch soap that your family just adores. Maybe you’re really looking to become a fitness coach because you want to help others look and feel their best. Whatever it is, let me tell you something:
It’s never going to be perfect
It’s not. Having a business is like having a kid: it will grow, change, develop, and completely surprise you along the way. Waiting for the perfect time, the perfect branding, the perfect anything will make you wait forever. If you want to get on this boat you’ve got to jump in. Don’t wait for perfection, because there will never be perfection. Just start the business now and work on it as you go.
Keep Doing It
My love, I wish I could hold your hand and shelter you through this journey because it’s going to suck. There are going to be tough times financially, emotionally, and maybe even physically. I’m pretty sure I have permanent damage in my shoulder from lifting heavy tubs of soap and candles for 10 years. But you cannot give up* when times are tough because we all go through those. Make sure you have a support network (like a mastermind group, or even just a group of friends that are also business owners) to help you through the tough business times. You’ll make it through, I promise, you just gotta keep chugging along.
*however, please do walk away if it’s not what fulfills you any longer. There’s no sense in turning your business into a job you despise, but know the difference between a bad day and a dead passion.
Keep Keep Doing It
You know what the secret to running a business is? Repetition and consistency. For bloggers that means creating a consistent blog schedule and sticking to it. For product based businesses, that means working on launch schedules and improving your products. For service based businesses, that means making sure you’re offering your clients exactly what they need and making sure your offerings are the best and most up to date.
If you learn how to start a business by following these steps, you’ll be so much further ahead of your competitors. Remember that you need to create a plan, ask for help, and gain the tools and knowledge you need. That’s it! That’s the secret formula.
Now get to to work.
