Starting a business on any level can be difficult. Starting one while working full-time is even harder. Add family into the equation and depending on you certainly have a mission on your hands. No matter what your route, it won’t be easy. It’s going to take commitment, determination and willingness to work your ass off even when you feel like packing it all in.
Now this isn’t some bullshit from someone who has all the time on their hands. This is real talk from someone who works full-time in a job that sometimes has me out on the road for 16-hour days, 6 days per week. I’m also a father. I’m setting up businesses so that I am comfortable. I’m not thinking small. I have a huge idea of what I want my future to look like. I say this only to confirm that what I’m saying is real and to the point.
Stop fucking around reading through Facebook. Stop pretending to give a shit about what people are posting on Twitter. Stop liking fake-ass pictures on Instagram. It’s time to switch your priorities, stop wasting time and get real with yourself – get shit done!
Here are some tips to help you create that ‘something’ for yourself.
It’s Time To Be Honest With Yourself
Let’s cut the bullshit here. Many people have ‘dreams’ about what they want their future to look like. ‘Ooh I want to be rich’ or ‘I want to live in a mansion’ and while those thoughts are OK, most of the time they are simply just that… dreams. The fact of the matter is that many people have those thoughts but only a few are willing to sacrifice anything to make it a reality.
Now, if you are reading this with every excuse possible, I’ll put money on it that you are one of the people I have mentioned with all the excuses in the world. I’m not saying this to offend anyone here. I’m simply asking you to take a good hard look at yourself and be completely honest. Look, there is no point wasting time doing something half-arsed as you will inevitably fail while spending a lot of hours that you could have used to share memories with your family and friends. If however, you are still reading this with optimism – great. Let’s move onto the next point…
Utilise Your Time Effectively
So let’s look at your daily routine for a minute. After repeatedly hitting the snooze button, you get up and brush your teeth. Mindlessly check Facebook, get the kids up, shower, get dressed then sit down and eat breakfast together. They go to school, you go to work. You get back from work. You check Facebook again, cook some food and eat together. You put the kids to bed after spending some time with them then sit down with your partner to watch TV while you both flick through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and anything else. After watching some YouTube vids you both get into bed – sometimes falling asleep watching TV. How the hell are you supposed to fit anything else in?
If you spend your days like that, you won’t be able to set up anything. But truth be told, there is always time to be made up from somewhere if you are committed enough. Just getting up an hour earlier every day and you already have another seven hours to work with. Instead of watching TV in the evening, spend 1-2 in the evening working on your projects. That’s another 7-14 hours. Need to make calls to bring in revenue? Use your lunch breaks and there you have at least another 5 hours to work with.
Stop fucking around reading through Facebook. Stop pretending to give a shit about what people are posting on Twitter. Stop liking fake-ass pictures on Instagram. It’s time to switch your priorities, stop wasting time and get real with yourself – get shit done!
Help people constantly along the way so that you build knowledge, reputation and friends along the journey.
Look After Yourself
Let’s face it, it’s going to get tiring. Working full-time, having a family and setting up a business can seem impossible at times so look after yourself. Eat well and get plenty of exercise. You may be thinking, ‘but when?’. I’ve already given you at least 30 hours to play with. The healthier you are, the better you deal with the situations ahead. The better hydrated you are, the more productive you will be when working. Exercise well and you will sleep more efficiently.
Plan
Waking up in the morning with no idea what you are going to do is just insane. Make a list the night before for what you will do at each available time-slot. What will you do first thing? What will you do in your lunch hour? What will you do in the evening? Be effective with your planning. Understand how your mind works and work around that. Your brain is more creative in the mornings so use this time to do any writing etc. Use the evenings to go through emails and write proposals. Use your breaks at work to contact clients. Have everything planned out. Otherwise you’ll be waking up and wasting the day as you won’t have a clue what to tackle first.
Stop Making Excuses
When you write it down on paper, it looks extremely simple. Work hard, eat well and don’t give up. However in reality it’s fucking difficult to stay motivated and committed to the cause. I’m not here to butter things up. I’m here to tell you the truth. If you want it, you are going to have to grind harder than you thought possible and do things at times when you really can’t be arsed.
Work your arse off now and reap the benefits later. Or be truthful to yourself and enjoy your free time. Shit doesn’t come easy. It’s totally up to you but once you make the choice, commit to it and work!
Look, the most successful people in the world are no different. They too have moments when they really can’t be arsed. But what differentiates them from everyone else is they still do what needs to be done even when they can’t be bothered. Success is 90% turning up – that’s it. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who has what you want! Want in? Then get shit done!
Provide Value
Markets are competitive. We are at a time when competition is strife – and it’s wonderful. Consumers have choice which allows them to get the best value for money. Value doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest. Value is simply the best for the price they are paying. Value wins consistently. Work out what will set you out from everyone else and do that. Help people constantly along the way so that you build knowledge, reputation and friends along the journey. Business today isn’t just about making money. We have the technology to build strong relationships throughout the globe. Utilise it and provide something that will help people achieve what they are looking for rather than simply looking to make profit. Hands down, profit should be the by-product from helping someone.
Live Within Your Means
Cash flow is extremely important in businesses. For many, it is make-or-break. You have the wonderful opportunity to set something up while having financial stability to pay for the necessities. New car, multiple holidays and weekends away, eating out regularly and so on. You are going to need to sacrifice some stuff. Don’t fuck things up by buying things you don’t need.
“By covering our bases financially, we escape the pressure to publish half-baked books, sell shoddy art, or launch untested businesses” – Adam Grant’s ‘Originals’
The beauty of setting up something while working full-time means that you won’t take shortcuts in order to ‘pay the rent’. We all have bills to pay and if your business is struggling then you might do things you wouldn’t normally consider. In order to catapult your business you are going to need to live within your means.
Be Prepared To Be Lonely
It’s time to get brutally honest again and say that setting up a business can be extremely fucking lonely. I am swearing there to emphasise it – it’s brutally true. I’m sat here now, @ 11:51 writing this while everyone is asleep. I’ve been working since 8pm alone. I’ll be getting up at 5am to work on some proposals before my daughter gets up at 7am. You need to be prepared to lock yourself away in a room and grind like fuck. Have a lunch break at work? Use it. Don’t spend time chatting to friends about what you did at the weekend. Take your laptop to somewhere quiet and work through your ever-increasing to-do list.
Summary
Work your arse off now and reap the benefits later. Or be truthful to yourself and enjoy your free time. Shit doesn’t come easy. It’s totally up to you but once you make the choice, commit to it and work!
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
