Where to start on your journey
So you want to work for yourself? You want to be the boss, unhitch the shackles of the 9-to-5 and be the captain of your own ship. You’re on the hunt for hidden treasure and you want every penny of that treasure trove to be yours, not for it to fill the pockets of the hierarchy.
Millions of us dream of going it alone, only imagining the relief that comes with walking away from that strip-lit office cubicle for one last time. Only for many it remains just that; a dream. Getting started on the journey towards becoming an entrepreneur isn’t easy. It takes sheer grit, a steely determination and coffee by the bucket load to turn an idea into a business. There’s a little luck involved, sure, but what you really need is the get up and go to just get started.
In the words of Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.” What are you waiting for? Put on your captain’s hat and prepare to cast off on your journey towards blissful self-employment. Here’s where to start.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOURSELF
When an appointment is important, you show up. Neither hell nor high water could come between you and that meeting, not to mention the six alarms you have set to go off three minutes apart. Now, put that same determination into making time for your own business. Put an appointment in your diary and honour it. Whether it is 30 minutes or a couple of hours, that time spent making a start on your business journey must be a non-negotiable, just like that important meeting.
PLEDGE MORE TIME TO YOUR SIDE HUSTLE
From a tiny side hustle grows a great oak of a business…provided you nurture it properly. If your business idea started out as a part-time venture alongside your ‘proper job’, the first step on your business journey is often dedicating some extra time to growing it. It ain’t all easy and you might well find those afternoons down the pub or lazy weekends are sacrificed for a little while, but it is all in the name of sailing away from the safe harbour for exciting horizons new.
LISTEN TO SOME WISE WORDS
Motivational speakers tend to be rather, well, motivational. It’s impossible not to pull out those earphones or put down that book without feeling fired up and ready to get your journey to self-employment started. This is the only time that falling down a rabbit hole of YouTube is acceptable so rack up those Gary Vee, Daniel Priestly and Tony Robbins videos and prepare to ignite the fire. Once you’re feeling inspired, the main thing is to strike while the iron is hot and put your plans in progress rather than letting them stew on the backburner.
For motivation closer to home, look to Helm. Our Creative Entrepreneur Meet-Up is a monthly shot of wise words from our very own Mr Motivator. The man, the mentor and some may say the legend, Ross Cooney has a habit of abolishing your excuses while you’re too busy eating pizza and enjoying a beer to even realise.
