The rise of young entrepreneurs and small businesses has allowed many people, including myself, to venture out and take a leap of faith doing something they’re interested in. If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business but have been too scared to make the first move, my sole advice to you is: just go for it. Follow this advice to transform your thoughts into a reality:
Step 1: Take the leap.
Chances are, you’ve had visions and ideas boiling in your mind for a long time about what you want to create. Perhaps you brush them aside in favor of intense fear, or you get so overwhelmed that you don’t even know where to start. The first thing you have to do is disregard those feelings and simply tell yourself that if you want it, you’ll make it happen.
You may be scared of rejection, judgment, or failure. But what good comes from being comfortable and stagnant? You must feel uncomfortable to learn and evolve.
Step 2: Refine your ideas.
You have your idea. You want to start a candle company, a clothing boutique, a dog-walking business, a private tutoring company, or another exciting venture. But where do you start?
Well, you need to start somewhere. Brainstorm potential name ideas. Identify your target niche. Create a business plan. Set a budget for yourself. Research. Research. Research. It won’t be easy; in fact, it will be quite tedious, but completely necessary to create tangible elements of your business. If you’re in the realm of something you’re interested in, chances are it’ll be fun!
Step 3: Start…but start slow.
The first thing you must do to officially start your business is to make it available to your potential buyers, customers, patients, etc. This is the scariest part, because you’re opening yourself up to scary possibilities – judgement or rejection. What I like to tell myself while undertaking my side hustle is that worst comes to worst, you’ll end up where you were when you began, but with a lot more knowledge and experience. If anyone wants to be negative about your successes or your failures, it frankly says more about them than it does you. Focus on the people who support and encourage you.
Starting slow entails getting a feel for the response of your target audience, and making strategic pivots to optimize the success of your business. Easier said than done, but the gist is: only fools rush in.
Of course, there are a million little steps in between Step 1 and 3, and a million more beyond that. There are tons of resources out there with practical advice about how to run a business, and many other people who can offer strong tips. After all, a business takes hard-work, dedication, and consistency. My goal is to emphasize that if you’re willing to put in the work, than allow yourself to begin your small business. Don’t run from the fear of what could go wrong, because it’s better to say ‘oh well’ than ‘what if’. Starting slow will protect you from enormous losses, but starting, period, will reward you with internal wins.