The start-up phase is the time when you realize that there are so many new things you have to learn –right from the business plan to the financial projections and sales and marketing techniques. Yes, you must know all this. But instead of feeling overwhelmed with the information overload and the lack of it, the best way I can suggest is to look for a mentor, a person who has been through this phase. By learning from others, you might accelerate this phase which often drives the entrepreneurs in self-doubt and the fear of lack of knowledge on starting a new venture.
What you can do now:
- Find a mentor to help answer your questions.
A mentor could be someone you know who is already a Mommy Entrepreneur or a professional entrepreneurial coach to be your partner in your path to entrepreneurship. - Have a support group.
Involve your spouse or close family members and friends who you feel could provide you with the much needed encouragement during this phase. Be with people who inspire you, read material that gives you the motivation. And remember, the main support group you can have is yourself. Believe in yourself, in your dreams and have faith, if the external support group fails to provide you with the strength you need, your internal faith should never falter. - Be ready to learn!
Maybe the legal aspects and preparation of contractual agreements might feel daunting at first, but overcome all with a strong determination and clear planning on learning and assimilating this knowledge. Once you know it all seems easy. There is abundant information online on how to make a business plan and how to foresee financial projections, research those and ask those who have already been there. Never undermine the importance of a good research and asking questions to those who can help. Persistent determination and hard work will get you wherever you want to go. - Organize yourself.
Equip yourself with all the required tools and software you might require for your business, however, do not go overboard with overloading yourself with everything you find relevant. Start with the basics you can always buy more software, hardware and furniture as need arises.
And yes, don’t lose faith, sometimes things take longer time than you would have anticipated.
You can’t overestimate the need to plan and prepare. In most of the mistakes I’ve made, there has been this common theme of inadequate planning beforehand. You really can’t over-prepare in business!
— Chris Corrigan