10 Tips for Starting a Business
“While there can be no question that the last two years have harmed us, it’s also encouraged us to rethink how, where, and why we work.” - Rha Goddess
As Rha Goddess so aptly points out, the last two years have led many of us to question the hows, wheres, and whys of our work. I have seen clients leave their jobs to start new jobs, leave their jobs even when they don’t have new jobs, and leave their jobs because they have a bigger “why” that’s calling to them. A lot of times this bigger “why” is connected to a deep sense of purpose and calling, a desire to remove themselves from the traditional 9-5, and create a relationship with work that honors their values and energy cycles.
As a business owner I find it so exciting to work with clients who are exploring the idea of starting their own business. I have learned a lot over the years from my own experience as a business owner. I have put in time, energy, and resources towards learning how to run a business (and still have so much to learn). I have educated myself with books, professional coaches, masterminds, and courses to learn about business, money psychology, and leadership. Through my own experiences and a good lot of trial and error, I’m sharing with you my 10 fundamental tips for starting your own business, whether it’s a side hustle or your true calling.
1) Start Before You’re Ready
Don’t let your desire to get things perfect stop you from starting. Maybe you are a planner, a Type A personality, a perfectionist, a Virgo, a Manifestor, or a procrastinator (or all of the above!) If so, it’s natural that you might want to get every single detail ironed out before starting to offer your gifts to the world. While there are some things that do need to be addressed before you can start (e.g. getting a Tax ID number & setting up a business bank account, deciding on your rates, etc.), I generally recommend starting before you are ready and ironing out details as you go.
One way that you might procrastinate is by telling yourself that you need to learn more, sign up for more courses, read another book etc. I’m all for learning and education, but at a certain point, education and learning can be a form of avoidance. The most important thing is to start so that you can begin offering your amazing, unique services to the world!
2) Don’t Be Afraid To Let Things Break
One of my trusted coaches, Uriah Guilford, told me this one. Sometimes, perfectionism can lead to analysis paralysis. In your fear that things could go wrong or that something won’t go as planned, you might get rigid, inflexible and fearful of trying something new. There have been times where my fear of something going poorly held me back from growing in ways that were critical to my business. For example, I was terrified to hire an Intake Coordinator to handle new client contacts, so for years I was the only person handling all new client contact and intakes. This was unsustainable, but I was so concerned that I was the magic sauce that made clients book sessions and that nobody else would be able to do the job. Thanks to some coaching support and a wonderful assistant that I came to really trust, I was eventually able to hand off this role to her. It was painful and I was stressed out, but I look back now and cannot imagine being the person answering every client call. Things definitely “broke” at times, but through trial and error my assistant and I were able to get a really great system going. If I had been too afraid to let things break, I would never have been able to free up my time and energy to focus on running my business rather than working in my business.
3) You Get Clients One at a Time
When you are just getting started, the prospect of getting enough clients/projects to make a living is really impossible to imagine. But just keep in mind– you get clients one at a time. You start with one, and then you get another, and then another. Maybe one wraps up, and then you have two, and then you get another and another. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the idea that you have to be immediately successful. Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time to build, it takes time to find yourself, and it takes time to build the confidence to energetically pull-in a lot of work. Don’t overwhelm yourself to the point where you say “forget it”. Give yourself permission that starting with one is enough, and trust in the process.
4) Start With a Shitty First Draft
The concept of the “ the shitty first draft” comes from the amazing Brene Brown. I think it applies to so many aspects of life but especially to business. Whether you are creating a website, writing a blog, building an email list, creating a business plan, or identifying your ideal client, this concept is the antidote to perfectionism. Sometimes you can feel so paralyzed in your need to get it perfectly, that it holds you back from putting the important work out into the world that no one else can do but you. Starting with a shitty first draft is how I’ve started anything I’ve ever done. When I sit down to write something, half the time I have no clue what I’m going to write. If I give myself permission to just write, it releases the pressure or expectation that it will be anything at all.
Once you get your shitty first draft, take a break, go on a walk, sleep on it, and come back to it tomorrow. Maybe it becomes something and maybe it was just something that needed to come out of you before you could create the next thing. Trust in your process!
5) Offer Reduced Fees/Sliding Scale as You Gain Confidence
Offer a reduced fee or sliding scale when you are getting started, or even offer a free pilot as you work out some of the kinks. Remember- you are starting before you are ready, and you aren’t afraid to let things break! So by offering free or reduced fees at first, you can take the pressure off of yourself and create some transparency in the fact that you are just starting out. This way the whole experience can be educational for you and your client may even enjoy giving you feedback!
6) You Have to Spend Money to Make Money
Don’t shy away from paying people to help you. When I first started my business, I paid for professional coaching, a mastermind group, a CPA, and an SEO guy to help me optimize my website. Know that whatever you pay for in services and help, the intention is that your investment will multiply over time. Don’t shy away from paying for help with building a website, getting headshots, marketing, etc. Whenever you spend money on your business, whisper to yourself “I love spending money on my business” and “money flows freely and easily to me”.
7) Build Your Team
It’s so important to build a team of professionals that you trust with your most precious creation. I highly recommend engaging a CPA and a lawyer as you are getting started in your practice. These days I consider my team to include: a CPA/bookkeeper, a lawyer that specializes in small business, a financial planner, a marketing & social media team, a virtual assistant/intake coordinator, two Associate Marriage & Family Therapists, various professional coaches (one that specializes in money psychology and one that specializes in group therapy practices), my own personal therapist AND a couples therapist!
8) Identify Your "Hype Guys"
I got this one from Tara Schuster’s memoir Buy Yourself the F*ing Lilies. When you are first getting started with a business idea (or any idea for that matter), you need people around you who will help you water the seedling. When an idea is new, like a seedling, it needs lots of sunlight, nourishing food, and encouragement. But if you expose that seedling to harsh rain, wind, or hail, that seedling might die. Know who your hype guys are, and keep your seedling safe with them. We’ve all been in that situation where you are so excited about an idea, and you unwittingly go to a not-Hype guy, and they completely yuck your yum by pointing out all the ways your idea could go wrong. Protect your seedling at the beginning by identifying your hype guys and try to brainstorm exclusively with them.
9) Celebrate Your Wins!!
When I first got started in my business, I would never have dreamed of celebrating a win. When I saw my first client in private practice, do you think I got up and did a money dance? I sure didn’t. Because if I celebrated and then everything went to sh**, then I’d really feel like an idiot. I always learned that you “shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Celebrating a win early on felt like some sort of bad omen, that would ensure I would never get paid again in my life. That is, until I met with a life coach, who gave me the assignment that every time I get paid, I celebrate it by doing a money dance! We MUST celebrate our wins as business owners, because it builds an energy of abundance, it feels good, and we deserve it. It took a long time to unlearn my “expect the worst/celebrate nothing” attitude when it came to success and money, but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to celebrate your wins.
10) Identify your Ideal Client and Services/Offerings
This one may seem really obvious, especially if your business is designed around a physical product. But when considering what your offerings are, a really important exercise is thinking about who your ideal clients are. Is it mothers with young children? Couples? Techie people in their early thirties? Videogame designers? Then think about what problem that client might need help with solving. Get as specific as you can with identifying your ideal client and their problems, wishes, and desires for their life. This will help you hone in on your exact offerings.
Summary:
You have unique gifts that no one else can offer. I believe that your offering to the world is so fundamental that the world simply cannot wait for you to get everything just right before starting your business. Whether it’s a side hustle or your main squeeze, I promise you that your gifts are worth the time, effort, and resources that it takes to start a business.
If you have any desire to start something new, I encourage you to start today.
If you are questioning your purpose or calling at work or feeling pulled to make a big change in your work life, therapy can help you explore your deeper calling and sense of meaning. Therapy can help you work through any blocks and obstacles so that you can pursue your dreams!
Contact us today to get started in therapy. Remember, the world needs your special gifts, since no one else can do what you do :)
With love and hugs,
Becky White LMFT
