The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Starting a business is exciting and challenging all at once. During the formative stages of any company, as the owner you’re certain to be busy and trying to juggle many balls at once, as the old business metaphor goes. With so much going on around you and inside your head, it can be difficult at times to focus on the things that matter.
You’ll also have a tendency to forget about the smaller, trivial things that, albeit not massively urgent, still matter and need doing. No matter how good you are at organizing yourself and others, these things still happen.
Here are five things to remember when starting your business.
Be Realistic
Anyone who has success in any field does so because they have the ability to balance ambition with realism. However, many potentially successful businesses have failed early because people have been too ambitious and lack realism.
Are you going to make your fortune in the first month? Of course you’re not! The early stages of a business are usually difficult, unless you have a range of existing contacts already set up and ready to become clients from day one.
Accept that things take time, and you’ll approach every day in your start-up with a much more positive outlook.
Deal With the Admin
The administrative tasks that come with starting a business are the classic example of something small and innocuous that can grow into something bigger if we don’t deal with it. There are two approaches to take here; you need to make the time in your day to deal with these things, or you need to outsource them as much as possible.
For example, when it comes to dealing with financials such as payroll or tax returns, you could use the accounting services at Friendly Accountants. Even if your need isn’t immediate, it is best to know how you’re going to deal with everything, or else you become a reactive, fire fighting business owner.
Make Time for You
Starting a business is very full on, but if it consumes your entire life you’ll quickly burn out and to be 100% to give your venture the attention it needs. While there might be times when you need to speak to a client on the other side of the world late at night, for example, this should be the exception rather than the norm. Define the start and end of your day as much as possible, and you’ll be much more motivated when it comes to work.
Keep Finances Separated
It is amazing how many start-ups quickly turn into a mess because people cannot distinguish their own finances from those of their business. This is an area where an accountant can help ensure you’re not leaving yourself in dire financial straits.
While we’ve mentioned your work/life balance, we cannot forget that you should look at everything as an opportunity. Whatever industry you’re in, it is likely that you’ll encounter opportunities to grow your business every day, often when you least expect to. Make sure you’re always able to capitalise; your ‘me time’ can be clawed back later, and you wouldn’t want to lose a potentially lucrative client because of your own inflexibility!
Keep these things in mind when starting your business; they will help you to keep a clear head and move forward in the way you want to.
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Karen is a busy entrepreneur who has, in the past, struggled to maintain her work life balance. Now, having learned from her previous circumstances, she has launched a new business aimed at helping companies and individuals define work and down time much more clearly.
Anyone who has success in any field does so because they have the ability to balance ambition with realism. However, many potentially successful businesses have failed early because people have been too ambitious and lack realism.
