It’s January. That means in the last week I’ve had at least ten people tell me they want to start their own business and finally quit their day jobs. Or, they’ve had a business on the side for years, but this is the year they finally want to go for it full-time.
(Been there. I feel you.)
Rather than letting another year go by where you forgo starting your business, I’m going to share some tips with you to actually make it happen. Even if you already started a business, these tips can help you finally do it full time.
Prioritize it.
When I’d reached a point where I knew I had to quit my job to focus on my business I read something by Danielle LaPorte that blew my mind.
In one of her books – I believe it was “The FIrestarter Sessions” – she talks about how we need to stop giving 100 percent to everything. That means if you want to focus on starting your business then that’s what you should be giving most of your energy to while you scale back in other areas (AKA your day job).
I took this to heart back in 2013 and asked to go part-time at my then day job. A couple of months after that I was generating enough revenue where I could quit. I haven’t looked back since.
Don’t ignore the numbers.
The last thing I want you to do while you’re starting your business is ignore the numbers. I made this mistake for ages and I’m sure it’s the reason why it took me so long to finally quit my job.
It wasn’t until I started working with a business coach who forced me to look at the numbers that I knew what I had to do to earn the money it would take to quit my job. Once I had numbers, I knew how much I needed to hustle and how to do it..
When you’re starting your business, numbers can give you clarity. Figure them out and they’ll show you where to go.
Get help when you need it.
As I mentioned in the last section, I wasn’t able to quit my job after starting my business until I got help.
No one got to where they are alone. The greatest business owners know that they don’t know everything and seek help when they need it. In fact, don’t be surprised if we’re always being coached or mentored by somebody else.
I’ve worked with a ton of coaching clients who are still at their day jobs. By seeking help, they are able to get clear on their marketing and target goals. By getting help, they are held accountable. And the latter is what really makes the difference.
Just do it.
Here’s a little secret as it pertains to starting your business. There’s no such thing as the right time to start. The only time you really have is now. So, in the immortal words of Nike, “Just do it.”
