Starting a Business is not as Complicated as you think it is
Don’t be Afraid to Start a Business
Have you told yourself you don’t know anything about entrepreneurship, and that’s what’s keeping you from starting a business?
Do you think starting a business is too complicated, or maybe you don’t know anyone in your family or friends that have ever started a business?
I bet you know more than you think, and it isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be. I will explain further.
This is the fifth in a several part series where I discuss the roadblocks that keep people from starting a business.
In today's topic is the Miseducation of Entrepreneurship.
Are you hesitant to start a business because you’re not business savvy? Did you not grow up around any business owners? Is business ownership wasn’t something that was talked about in your family or in your close network?
Don’t let limiting beliefs slow you down.
What is a limiting belief?
A limiting belief is a belief that you have that makes you feel like you can’t do something, and as I tell my three-year-old son, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” There’s no reason to ever say, “I can’t,” maybe, “I won’t,” but never I can’t.
I bet you have more business owners in your family than you think about. I bet you have more business owners in the family than you know. You just may not see their business as legitimate. Maybe their side hustle has never been incorporated. It doesn’t have an LLC, so you don’t consider it a company. But it’s the way someone in your family or your close friends or your associates are making money.
Do you have an uncle who owns a pressure washing business, landscape or lawn care business, or just cuts the grass? Do you know anyone that sells Mary Kay, or Amway, or Pampered Chef? Those are all legitimate businesses, and those are all side hustles that can bring income, based upon how hard that person grinds. Maybe your Aunt Carol does the taxes for all your family members during tax season and charges a fee. That’s a business.
All you have to do is know how to do something, everyone else doesn’t know how to do it, or isn’t willing to do, or doesn’t have the time to do it, and you can start a business or a side hustle.
So let’s break down these issues.
1. You don't know anything about business.
Just say you don’t know anything about business. The business wasn’t talked about in my family. Business ownership wasn’t something that we talked about or that anyone around me really did. But it was always something that I wanted to do because I hated working for people.
I knew that I wanted to work for myself, so I had the personal drive to strive for that. Maybe you don’t have anyone to go to for advice. Perhaps there are no mentors you can go to, but you can find them.
Some people even have family members that detract or distract you from wanting to start your own business. Avoid them and don’t listen. You get on Facebook, get on social media forums, go to meetups, get on Reddit, find people like you. They don’t have to be in your same city. You can be online friends, discuss, build, grow, and bounce ideas against each other.
There are so many people who are just like you, looking for someone to help them get through the hump and get over the hurdles of starting a business. They will help you, and you can help each other.
2. You question your beliefs.
The next issue with the limiting belief of lack of knowledge is to question your beliefs. Ask yourself why you think the way you do. Usually, it’s that lack of exposure, that lack of knowledge that makes you believe you can only be an employee.
Let’s reframe this. Let’s think of it this way to start a business to have an LLC, you don’t need a college degree. You don’t need certificates, education, or even a business bank account. You just fill out the paperwork.
Imagine that the person you work for has nothing, has none of that, doesn’t have a high school degree, doesn’t have a college degree, and doesn’t have any certificates, but when they hire you, they require you to have those things. Pretty clever, huh? Have you ever thought about that?
You need to have a degree to get a job, but the person who owns the company doesn’t have to have a degree to hire you.
That changed things didn’t it?
And if you lack exposure to entrepreneurship, get that exposure. Put yourself out there, change the narrative. Start asking people about their business.
When you’re chit-chatting with the guy who owns the dry cleaners that you go to ask him how did it start? When did he start? What capital did he use? Who helped him? If you see a business that is something that you would enjoy doing, stop that person, ask them, “Hey, how long have you been doing this? What do you like about this job? What don’t you like about this job?” Interview them quickly.
I am not the only show in town. I’m not the only person that can give you this information. I wish I was, but I’m not. The Internet, YouTube, and social media are chock full of people just like me, chock full of people who can give you massive amounts of ideas on starting a business and starting a side hustle with little to no money and in a perfect niche.
In the end, don't let your beginnings define you.
Don’t let your lack of knowledge convince you that you can’t be great and achieve exponential greatness. Those who have been exposed to business may appear to have a leg up on you, and sometimes they actually have a leg up.
But business ownership is not a competition. It’s not a pie that only has eight slices, or cake in my case because I love cake. It’s endless possibilities.
Stop competing with people.
Most things aren’t saturated.
Most things are wide open to competition, and you can get in then you can make some money too.
Look at me, I’m going to quit my job in 365 days and transfer over to my side hustles full time, and I plan to match my income or exceed it from my main hustle. Those are huge goals, but you know what, I know I can do it, and so can you.
Good luck!