I have lost count of the stories on forums and Facebook and LinkedIn groups for the self-employed, of people who struggle at the start, then end up running out of steam and giving up after a few months. Getting started is a crucial moment, because that is usually when your motivation is at its highest.
So I have good news for you: getting started is not that complicated if you follow a few simple rules.
1) Your project must become your priority. That does not mean that you must devote 12 hours a day and your weekends to it, but only that your mind must be focused on the fact that during the first months, your family, your friends, etc.: all of that must take a back seat, your priority is your project. Many fail, because they do not manage to prioritize their project.
2) Do not start drawing up your long-term plan yet. The problem with oversized projects is that they are too daunting, so they often end up forgotten. Personally, I set myself a simple overall goal, daily or weekly: do better than the day before.
3) Do not hesitate to break your project down into simple tasks. Personally I use Trello (trello.com), including in my personal life. I break everything down into simple tasks. This lets you see how much work you do every day and keeps you motivated as you progress. It is also a simple, effective way to organise your tasks.
4) Stay consistent. I know, some days are good and some are bad, but apart from serious health problems (which I am experiencing right now), it is important to stay consistent while following point 3.
For example if you say: I am going to contact 2000 people on linkedin, you are fairly unlikely to do it: but if you aim to send 20 messages a day to 20 different Linkedin contacts with your value proposition, and if you keep this up, you will see that after 100 days, that is barely more than 3 months, you will already have reached 2000 contacts.
5) Cash comes first: do not worry about administrative or legal problems, or you will have a rough time: as soon as you earn money you will be able to pay for the services of a competent firm to solve those problems for you. What matters is to reach the income threshold that allows you to pay your bills and live solely from your business.
When I arrived in Ireland, after setting up my new company, I hired a firm as soon as I had generated enough income. It handles all my filings and paperwork, including my personal taxes: a real, useful way to free up my time and my mind. The second step is for later; do not even think about it.
Feel free to subscribe to my mailing list for emails to help you succeed in business. Just email: brain@christophe-casalegnno.com, with the subject “homebiz”. You can also send me your questions or discuss them in my private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/860925151027030/
Christophe Casalegno
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