So you want to start a business in 2019? Here are three simple steps to help you on your way.
Got an idea for a business that you've been thinking about for a while now? Here are my three top tips for anyone looking to start their own business.
Do something you love. As a business coach the first question I ask my clients is, what do you want? The reason I started my own business was to escape the rat race of working for someone else's dream. I knew there had to be a better way to live than hustling 8-6, five days a week to only enjoy my life on the weekends. When trying to figure out what business to start, I would spend my morning train commutes brainstorming what I loved doing and what I wish I could get paid to do all day, every day.
You see, most people have a limiting belief that life and career have to be separate. The more I researched entrepreneurship, mastering my mind and setting clear and focused intentions, I became convinced that I was deserving and capable of a building myself a career that didn’t take away from life but was something that I loved to do and that complimented my lifestyle. Once I knew this for sure, I set out to use my business to design the life of dreams and promised myself that I would run a business that gave me the freedom to work the hours I desired, travel the world and spend quality time with the people I love. It’s safe to say that four years on, that’s exactly what I’ve done. It really is possible and something you can set out to achieve in your own life.
When starting a business, be sure not to copy someone else's dream, tap into your heart, passions, and purpose and design a business that will empower you to spend your days doing what you love.
Not sure how to find your passion, consider these questions:
What makes you happy?
What are you good at?
What do people often advice for your help with?
If you could get paid to do something all day, every day, what would you do?
When do you feel most alive?
What would totally blow your mind if you could get paid to do it?
What did you always want to be when you were a kid?
Tell someone you’re starting, write it out and set a date. Once you voice your desire or intention to start a business or achieve a goal it all of a sudden feels real/terrifying! But now it’s out, you have to do something about it. The next step is to be kept accountable and become aware of all the excuses that will come flooding in disguised as ‘legitimate reasons’ as to why you can’t start a business. No matter what my clients say to me as to why 'now isn’t the right time,' I always call it for exactly what it is, an excuse.
If you want it bad enough you will start right now, with what you have and make it work. A few years ago my little brother came to me and said he wanted to get his contractors to license work for himself as an electrician. I asked him, what steps needed to be taken in order for that to happen? He went through the long list and I asked him when he wanted this to happen by? He gave me a date and I told him to write it on a piece of paper and look at it every day. Months went past and one day he called me and said ‘Kay, you told me to write a date down it was today and I just wanted to let you know that my license just arrived in the mail.’ I 100% believe that if you set yourself a goal and you hold firm to that with complete conviction you will see your wildest dreams come to life.
Keep lists and do the work. The reality of starting a business is that it really is a lot of work. You will need to be motivated and driven beyond belief. What you will find is that if you’re working for your own success, you will find the time, energy and resources to get shit done. The best way to stay on top of all the tasks that are going to come flooding in is to keep a list. Everytime you think of something that needs to be done for the business get it out of your head and write it down. The task will be endless and the workload at times unbearable but if you can find a system that works for you and you can surrender to the fact that there will always more to do then you will be ok. The only difference between people who have an idea for a business and those that run successful businesses is HARD WORK. You need to be prepared to do the work, every damn day. How bad do you want it?
In need of a business coach to help you stay on track, identify the next steps you need to take in your business or help you get clear on your idea? Get in touch for a 1:1 Business Coaching session with Kaylene, founder of StartUp Creative.
