You might remember a few weeks ago, I shared my Top 10 list of "Reasons Why Starting a Business is Like Starting a Family," and I thought — why not explore these in detail?
So, first up: "You're never going to be ready — but do it anyway."
Now, I don't mean that throw every bit of caution to the proverbial wind, or that you don't take the time to work through scenarios in your head and weigh the pros and cons. What I mean is that you need to challenge what "ready" really means.
I've noticed that what gets people stuck the most — and frankly, where I got stuck — is when you're in the cadence of a full-time job. There's a predictability there that's so comforting — you're getting paid every two weeks, your benefits are (hopefully!) taken care of, and you have built-in PTO that you can take. Why would you take that away from yourself?
Well, there are two distinct feelings I felt when I was in that "in between" of making that leap:
If you keep thinking about going out on your own — and that thought never goes away, even if you're pretty happy in your role, it might mean it's time to strike out and explore. That voice is only going to get louder and more impatient over time, until all of a sudden it's screaming at you every day, "If not now, when?"
If you've already designed half of your business in your head, that's another key indicator. You've put the work in to understand what you can offer, the kind of work you want to do, and how you'll do it. Spending that much time on something? You're more ready than you think.
I'd love to hear from the self-employed people in my network: What was the sign that made you take the leap?
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