If being an entrepreneur was easy then everyone would be doing it, right?
So, how do you know
when you are ready to go out on your own; as a freelancer
or an entrepreneur.
You’ve been sitting on the fence,
but the idea won’t go away.
It’s risky and you know that
but you still want to do it.
Here are 5 ways to know you’re ready
1. You can feel the fear and do it anyway
Reality is we are never ready for anything scary.
We’re never ready to leave home,
the bungy jump,
getting married,
having a baby,
the big promotion
or even our first job
and we’re certainly never ready to cut the aprons strings
on the steady, regular income we’ve come to rely on.
As humans we like things to be safe.
We like to know what’s next, and
because we are full of paradoxes we also desperately crave adventure.
There is no greater adventure than working for yourself.
You are the captain of the ship
in all sorts of unpredictable weather.
You get to decide what to do,
how to do it and with whom.
Having all those decisions to make
and then having the balls to make them
is as exhilarating as being on the crest of a huge wave, as it is terrifying facing the wall of water before you ride it.
You know it’s not going to be comfortable.
You know it’s not going to be easy.
You know you’ll likely work harder and longer
than you ever did for anyone else. But you’re paddling hard from the shore.
If you have the courage to call the shots
knowing full well you will sometimes get it right; and sometimes get it so wrong. and also know you will pick yourself up and keep going again, and again, and again.
2. You show up for yourself
We all show up for appointments
and commitments to others
more than we do for ourselves.
There’s something programmed in us
that we don’t like to let others down, but
If you are willing to plan,
and execute
when no one else is looking
and you keep doing it;
You’ve got the grit
and the old fashioned discipline
to do what needs to be done and
to keep doing it for yourself,
your business and your projects.
You are accountable, responsible for your successes and failures Can you handle that?
3. You’ve got more than your ration of passion
Chances are you’ll need several rations.
Do you love your project so much
you can think about it and talk about it
until you are blue in the face.
Are you passionate and really good at it?
You can’t think of anyone
who can do what you do better?
Are you willing to be even better than that?
You’re going to need to go on believing that
when the plan doesn’t quite stick to the road
You’re going to need it
when it does, so you can keep its fire fuelled.
You are going to need that passion
when you dive into your dips and your doubts
You are going to need it when you are doing stuff
that is a necessary (if not evil) part of the whole
You’ve got to keep doing it until you get it into the hot little hands of those
who will love it as much as you do
before they even know it exists.
4. How’s your heart?
Your mind, your body and your soul?
All these need to be as fit as a fiddle
to keep you centred and brave,
committed and creative,
resilient and strong through the long hours,
the setbacks, the lulls and peaks,
the challenges and the wins.
No project/business is every likely to run as smoothly
as we imagine in our heads.
Cash is unlikely to flow as evenly
as we want, need or desire.
From startup to launch,
concept to delivery we need to keep ourselves strong,
physically mentally and emotionally to ride the waves and the choppy waters as we wait for them to work their way towards shore.
Business is all about relationships.
We all want to work with people we like,
as well as those who are good at what they do,
are confident and inspire us.
Nothing great is achieved alone.
We all need others to make things happen
whether they be partners, employees, suppliers or clients.
We need people on board excited and eager
We need support, wisdom, guidance
Can you work well with others?
Are you willing to share your journey,
your successes and your failures.
It’s your network of referrals, clients and friends
that will make your business sustainable in the longer term.
If you answered yes, yes, and YES to the above. Then you’re ready and willing, so go for it
Now get started. Make a plan. Set a daily intention. Get into action. Reflect. Refine. Act and repeat. Again and again.
Next up, I’ll talk about things to consider
before you hand in that resignation and hang up that shingle
In the meantime dream time and visualisation,
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