October 9, 2023 • 24 mins
Ready to transform your life by launching a successful online startup business?
This episode of Brilliant Business, Beautiful Life podcast walks you through the essential steps to prepare for long-term entrepreneurship.
We delve into the importance of financial preparedness, honing the right skills, establishing a work-life flow, creating a robust support system, and designing a smart transition plan.
Whether you’re contemplating turning your side hustle into a full-time gig or looking for reliable client work, we provide you with the insights to navigate the early stages of online startup life to keep your experience smooth and stress-free.
The conversation doesn’t end there.
As we unfold the 9-5 Exit Plan, we help you tap into your existing skills and experiences, guiding you on how to transform them into a thriving online service business. We broach the subject of work-life harmony, sharing tips on setting boundaries, prioritising self-care, and drawing inspiration from successful entrepreneurs.
From creating a financial plan to building a support system to designing a work-life flow that suits you, this episode is your guide to navigating the online startup journey and creating a business and life you absolutely love.
Join us, and take your first step towards entrepreneurial success.
I'd love to know what you enjoyed about today's episode! Leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram @16thavecreative
Don't forget to subscribe, and tap the bell so you’ll be notified every time a new episode drops. Plus, it would be amazing if you could rate the show and leave a positive review.
Here's a few ways we can help you:
- JOIN THE WAITING LIST FOR START-UP SUCCESS! Build Your Business in 60 Days!
- Ditch Your 9-5! Get Your 9-5 Exit Plan Here!
- Get the Brilliant Business Beautiful Life Playbook Straight to Your Inbox!
- Ultimate Website Content Checklist
- The Framework: Your Brand Voice
- Check out our Services : Squarespace website design, copywriting, & branding
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Samantha Bell (00:00):
The fact that you're here listening to the
Brilliant Business, beautifulLife podcast means that you know
there is so much more tostarting an online service
business than just choosing yourname and making your logo.
And you not only want to do itright, but you also want to
start your business as easily aspossible.
And today's episode is numberfour in our five part startup
(00:24):
success series, and I think it'sgoing to be very valuable to
you.
Welcome to the BrilliantBusiness, beautiful Life podcast
, where we share simple,actionable strategies, plus the
mindset and wellness practicesyou need to build the business
and life you love.
Head to 16th Ave Creativecomforward slash playbook and
(00:47):
download your free guide todesign the business and life you
deserve.
Today I'm your host, samanthaBell, and this is the Brilliant
Business, beautiful Life podcast.
Are you ready for the businessand life of your dreams?
Let's get started.
Well, you're super keen toditch your nine to five if you
(01:07):
want to be in business foryourself long term.
There are actually a few stepsto take.
First, to make sure you build asolid foundation to start
strong, so you can keep going asan entrepreneur for the next 10
, 15, 20 years.
That sounds a long time, but Imean you're not just going to
start an online service businessto close it down in two or
(01:29):
three years, are you?
As?
If you are, that would bemadness.
Before I go any further, hereis some tough love for you If
you are only thinking about atwo to three year time frame for
your business.
If that's your intention, getin and get out quick approach.
You're probably actually best tostay in your nine to five and
(01:51):
leave entrepreneurship tosomeone else, because for your
business to be a success, toearn some serious money and give
you the lifestyle that youcrave, you need to be in this
for the long haul.
It needs to not have an enddate.
You need to go all in.
You're either an entrepreneuror you're not, so it's best to
(02:14):
dig deep and decide that rightnow.
You don't have to stay marriedto your original business idea
for the next 20 years, but youdo need to have a strong level
of commitment to stay the course, to pivot when you need to, to
grow and to change things up forthe next 10 plus years.
It's a long game, not a shortsprint.
(02:35):
So if you can do that, fabulous, come to the world of
entrepreneurship.
But if it's not, for youamazing.
That's totally fine too.
Leave entrepreneurship tosomeone else and go and find
what is you and what you love todo, and go do that.
Otherwise, you're going to setyourself up for a negative
(02:56):
experience and a whole lot oftime devoted to something that
your heart just isn't in lovewith.
I'm all about loving life, sostart where you mean to finish,
with the life of your dreams asyour focus, and you'll know if
this is right for you or not.
Don't force it.
If it's right, it's right, andif it's not, what that means is
(03:18):
that some other wonderfulopportunity is waiting for you.
It hasn't presented itself yet.
If you have downloaded my nineto five exit plan, you will know
I highly recommend doing a fewstrategic things before
gloriously ditching your nine tofive.
You need a foolproof planbecause, let's be honest, making
(03:41):
the leap from being a corporatehostage to owning your own
online service business can bereally no racking and confusing.
There are five things I suggestyou do before leaving your nine
to five so that, when thatexciting day comes, you can
confidently say adios, amigosand strut out the door with full
(04:02):
confidence, because you're wellprepared, just like a seasoned
entrepreneur.
What you need to consider aremoney, skills, work-life flow,
your support system and, finally, your transition plan.
Before you start your business,you need to know what is going
to cost you to get online.
(04:23):
Use the start-up costs sectioninside the Ditching Nine to Five
calculator and that will helpyou work out how much is going
to cost you to set up yourbusiness.
It might actually be a lot lessthan you think.
Then save that money, pop thosefunds into your bank and you're
already ahead of the game.
The money will be sitting therewaiting for you when you need
(04:45):
it.
That's really smart becauseit's going to put you in a
strong starting position.
You won't be scrambling tryingto find money and it will take
away stress.
You want everything to be asstress-free as possible, so do
that.
It's a very smart thing to doIn the early days of your online
business, when you are stillgetting it all set up, getting
your first clients, finding yourway and navigating your new
(05:09):
life as an entrepreneur, you'llmost likely still be working in
your nine to five and doing yourbusiness as a side hustle.
That's a great way to start.
I know our focus is to ditchyour nine to five, but you
probably have someresponsibilities that need a
consistent income.
If you give up that income whenyou aren't yet making money in
(05:30):
your business, you will putunnecessary stress and a huge
financial burden on yourshoulders, unless you've saved
up an emergency fund that cansupport you through the first,
say, three to six months of yourbusiness.
Ditching your nine to five jobtoo soon will make your
entrepreneurial journeystressful.
(05:50):
I started my business as a sidehustle and I'm really glad that
I did.
It was a great way to getstarted, find some consistent
client work and have someregular income coming into the
business Without any of thatextra stress of trying to find
money to pay my bills or puttingtoo much pressure on my new
(06:12):
business to perform before itwas capable of performing at the
level I needed it to.
You want to give yourself everychance of success, particularly
while you're still in thestartup phase and you're on such
a high learning curve.
There's so much to learn and itactually won't take you that
long to save up that money.
(06:32):
If you keep your expenses downand really concentrate on
getting new clients, you canvery quickly build up your
business bank account to thepoint where it's got six months
worth of expenses sitting there.
You haven't had to dip intoyour household savings to save
that money.
It's all come from yourbusiness and when you've got
that, then you can ditch yournine to five.
(06:53):
Now that's brilliant.
Part of the entrepreneurialjourney is getting smart with
your money.
Building up that buffer issuper smart and your future self
will really thank you for it.
A lot of startups fail in thefirst two to three years of
business and it's simply due toa lack of planning or not
thinking ahead, and especiallyabout money.
(07:14):
If you haven't already, grabthe nine to five exit plan and
use the expenses calculatorinside it, and it will help give
you clarity on how to prepareto ditch your nine to five.
The calculator is super simple.
It shows you how easy it is toreplace your nine to five income
(07:36):
depending on the hourly rateyou charge and how many clients
you have time for each month onthe side.
For example, if you spend 10hours a week working with
clients in your side hustle, youcould potentially earn more in
your business than what you getpaid for in your 9-5.
So you can see how easy it isto squirrel away 2, 3, 4, 5
(08:01):
months worth of expenses fromyour business while running it
on the side while you're stillin your 9-5.
Doing this is going to give youa great financial buffer for
the day you do excitedly ditchyour 9-5.
And what it means is you're notgoing to be stressed about
money when you are solelyworking in your business.
(08:21):
When you've ditched your 9-5,you'll just be able to focus on
doing what you love to doattracting more clients, working
with those clients all withinyour business, and making money.
That's a really smart thing todo and that is an entrepreneur
action.
You've got to start thinkinglike an entrepreneur.
(08:42):
Another thing to think aboutbefore you leave your 9-5 is
what is your side hustle idea?
Have you thought about theskills and the experience you
already have?
You've probably got a wealth ofknowledge that you can
transform into an online servicebusiness.
In the 9-5 exit plan, section 2has an area where you can write
(09:04):
out all the ideas for yourbusiness, and then you list down
all the skills that you have.
And skills include those thatyou've learned or got
certificates or degrees for, butalso your life skills, passion,
projects, where you've learnedother skills along the way.
Write them all down.
It doesn't matter how big orsmall they are, and when you
(09:25):
look at the whole list, you'llbe surprised at how much you
have to offer.
And then, once you've uncoveredyour skillsets, think about
your experience List all yourlearned and your lived
experiences and again, thewealth of knowledge that you
have is probably going tosurprise you.
So you've got a whole bank ofthings there that you can offer
(09:46):
to potential clients as aservice, which is fantastic.
And then have a think aboutareas where you've got a bit of
a gap, where there's somethingyou need to learn.
Just say you're really great attech.
You've got lots of tech skills.
You want to be a websitedesigner, like I'm a website
designer, but you haven'tactually done website design.
Do a website design course.
Build up that skill set, getthat in your bank of knowledge
(10:10):
so that you can then offer thatas a service and be really good
at it.
You will still need to practice, and practice makes perfect.
So you can do a few test sites,you can build some templates,
you can do some free work forpeople To get some more
experience in that area.
That's just an example.
Have a look at your skill sets,analyze any gaps that are
(10:31):
missing, where you could maybeimprove and do some training
while you're still in your nineto five, so it's not impacting
your business.
It's not impacting your income.
It's a really clever thing todo.
Doing this, you're going tohave a really clear idea of all
your strengths, your weaknesses,your skill sets.
You'll be able to startbrainstorming ideas of how you'd
(10:54):
like to use all of these skillsin your service business, and
you'll also be able to upskillyourself without the pressure of
having to perform immediatelyin your business.
And one of the main reasons youare starting your online
service business is becausefreedom matters to you.
You don't want to swap yournine to five prison just to work
(11:14):
seven days a week in your ownbusiness, and it's really easy
for time creep to happen Ifyou're not intentional about
your time or have strongboundaries.
With a few simple strategies,you can create a beautiful
harmony between your personallife, your 9-5 and your new
business.
You need to juggle them all,but with harmony, not with
(11:37):
resistance.
First, start with creating somebeautiful boundaries.
Boundaries are healthy.
They create a feeling of trustand safety.
Plus, having healthy boundariesmakes sure that you can give
your full attention to whateverneeds it.
Right in that moment, whenyou're out with the girls, you
(11:58):
can just relax.
Your mind doesn't need to bethinking about work.
You can just enjoy your timewithout stressing about your
to-do list.
Similarly, when you're workingon your business, you can do so
with full focus, get superproductive and shave hours off
your schedule.
And that leads to scheduling.
Create a schedule thatseparates your 9-5, your side
(12:20):
hustle and your personal life.
Decide how much time you planto spend on each of those things
where you need to spend thattime, when you're going to spend
that time and put it all inyour calendar, map it out, plot
it out, because if you don'tplan, it's not going to happen.
Then, importantly, let everyoneknow your plans.
Let them know that when you'rein business mode, this is your
(12:44):
do-not disturb time.
You are dedicating this time toyou and your business and it's
for nothing else.
You need to create space forwhat you need to do, and it's
also training yourself in thehabits of being a successful
entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs are great atmanaging their time.
(13:07):
This little activity may soundsimple, and it is, which is why
it works, but it's also verypowerful.
Also think do I need to bedoing this?
Do I need to be doing all thesethings?
You're an entrepreneur.
You need to step into yourCEO's shoes and start thinking
differently, and part of thisjourney is realizing that you
(13:28):
can't do everything yourself.
Prioritize what you must do andget other people to help you
with the things that they can do, even when it's usually your
job.
Get the family on board to helpyou out with the household
chores and the grocery shopping.
Get a cleaner.
Get a lawn mowing person.
Get a pool cleaner, whatever itis, so you can free up time to
(13:50):
concentrate on what trulymatters, and that is starting
your business and spendingquality time with loved ones and
doing activities you enjoy.
I always say you cannot have ahealthy business without a
healthy you.
So prioritizing you,prioritizing time for your
business, fitting in your nineto five, is making really
(14:10):
healthy boundaries, and it'salso making your physical and
mental health the top priority.
That's going to make you evenmore successful in every area of
your life, particularly yourbusiness, if you don't have one
already.
Start a self-care routine, onethat includes exercising, eating
(14:31):
a really healthy diet andgetting lots of sleep and water.
Do things to relax and pamperyour body and your mind.
Have a warm bath, startlistening to meditation apps, do
some journaling and make sureyou get outside into nature
every day, even if it's just alittle walk around the block.
Just get outside, get the freshair and the sun on your face
(14:54):
and, if you can, take your shoesand socks off, get your feet on
the ground, on the grass.
Grounds yourself.
It has an enormous positivebenefit for your body.
Think about all the successfulentrepreneurs.
Look at them for someinspiration.
They all talk about theimportance of taking time out
for yourself and prioritizingyour health and your well-being,
(15:16):
and that's because it has sucha powerful effect.
It's a motivator and it keepsyou positive and happy and able
to look for all thoseopportunities.
So start now, and it's anotherway of conditioning yourself
into your new entrepreneuriallife.
We want flow, not hustle,harmony, not stress.
(15:36):
In life and in business, thingsdon't always go to plan, so
you've got to set yourself up tobe in that positive mindset and
in a position where you can belooking at things with
positivity.
No matter how much you prepare,life is going to throw you
those curveballs along the waythat we've talked about before,
and you need to expect them.
(15:56):
You need to embrace them andcatch those curveballs and
redirect them where you wantthem to go, and by being
adaptable, embracing change andchallenges, you will actually
spark creativity in your mindthat allows you to think outside
the box and come up with newways of handling situations and
(16:16):
turning those challenges thatwill come your way, turning them
into opportunities.
And again, this is anentrepreneurial mindset.
Mindset is key here, and youneed to start training yourself
to think like an entrepreneur sothat you're going to be
successful, and the key tosuccess is finding harmony in
(16:37):
all the aspects of your life.
I mentioned earlier that youcan't do everything yourself,
and entrepreneurs embrace thismindset and surround themselves
with the right people.
It's important to have thesupport and guidance you need to
help you on your journey.
You're learning.
You need some help along theway.
(16:58):
Get a mentor, get some kind ofcoach or mentor that will
challenge you, advise you andhelp to keep you on track.
I wrote a blog a little whileago called the Nine Little Known
Strategies to Build a Brilliantand Profitable Business, and in
that article I talk about theimportance of getting yourself a
(17:19):
business mentor or coach.
The most successful businesspeople and entrepreneurs around
the world all have a few thingsin common, and one of those
commonalities is mentors.
They all had one at variousstages of their careers.
It's quite common for startupsand entrepreneurs to DIY
(17:40):
everything in their business andlearn as they go.
Now, that's definitely powerfuland is an important way to do
things.
However, doing that you canonly go so far, because you only
know what you know.
You need someone who's had morelife experience, more bigger
picture view, someone who seesyou and your business from the
outside in and can give you somefeedback and some really
(18:03):
valuable tips that you can't seebecause you're too close to you
and you're too close to yoursituation.
Even Oprah Winfrey says thatmentors are important and she
doesn't think that anybody makesit in the world without some
kind of mentorship.
Hiring a mentor or a businesscoach really is one of the
greatest investments that youcan make in your business and in
(18:27):
yourself.
They will actually help youreach your goals faster and with
less mistakes and less stressalong the way.
Another person you need in yourcorner is your accountant or
financial advisor Probably thelast person you're thinking of,
but they're actually reallyhelpful.
They can help you create theperfect budget, help you manage
(18:50):
your cash flow, get into thebusiness jargon about finances
that you may not know.
If you get great advice now,while you're in the early
startup stages.
It's going to reap rewards foryou down the track and you'll be
all set up and your accountingsystem won't have any errors in
it and everything will flow awhole lot more smoothly.
(19:12):
Also, having support from thepeople you love is priceless
your partner, your friends orfamily, even your colleagues,
can help spread the word aboutyou and your business and even
help to get your first fewclients.
So developing a beautiful,strong support system all these
(19:32):
amazing people around you isgoing to help you be successful.
It's going to help you feelmore calm, more in control, more
on track.
You'll have a better idea ofhow to get where you want to go
and it's going to improve yourmental health so that you can
enjoy your entrepreneurialjourney even more.
(19:55):
Once you've done all thisamazing work, it's time to
develop your transition plan soyou can fully step into your CEO
shoes as a startup success.
Inside the 9-to-5 exit planthere's a transition planner.
Go there and you can map outeach milestone and when you're
going to complete it by.
Entrepreneurs give themselvesdeadlines, give themselves
(20:17):
timelines.
So you need to start practicingthat now to be successful, and
when you do, the day you ditchyour 9-to-5 could be even closer
than you think.
If you want to escape the9-to-5 grind and you haven't
already, download my free 9-to-5exit plan and you can map out
your freedom in just three hours.
(20:38):
Go to 16thappcreativecomforward, slash 9-to-5-exit-plan
and get it for free.
Today, you can also jump on thewaiting list for my amazing new
program called Startup Success,which will help you build your
business from scratch in just 60days.
(20:58):
Two months, that's so fast.
You will have everything youneed to be running your business
in just 60 days and I've got avery special limited spot
foundation round opening at theend of October so you can give
notice and start your own onlineservice business in 2024.
Isn't that amazing.
(21:19):
The timeline just got shorter.
You'll be so organized, soexcited.
There'll be no overwhelm, noconfusion.
You'll just be raring to go andyou'll already be earning some
money as you do it on the side,before you book or you quit your
nine to five, so you literallycan stop dreaming and start
(21:40):
doing what lights you up.
Jump on the waiting list forStartup Success today and you
will be so glad you did.
It has everything.
Everything from the initialconcept to booking clients.
Everything you need You'll haveup and running in 60 days If
you've made the decision tostart your own business.
(22:02):
I hope that this episode hashelped give you some clarity
around how to set up yourbusiness to be successful from
day one and start to get youthinking like an entrepreneur,
to start developing those habitsand also, hopefully, the
pressure is off If you've beenfeeling like you need to just
jump all in, all guns blazingand ditch your nine to five
(22:25):
straight away, but at the sametime you've been freaking out
about the money situation.
There's a better way to startthat I've just shared with you
and that's really going to fasttrack you to entrepreneurial
success.
Remember, you can do it.
Now is the time for thebrilliant business and beautiful
(22:45):
life you adore.
So I will see you next week forpart five of our five parts
startup success series and inthe meantime, jump on the
waiting list for Startup Success, download the nine to five exit
plan and get busy building yourdreams.
I'll see you next week.
Thanks so much for listening.
(23:34):
I'd love to know your biggesttakeaway from today's episode,
so leave me a comment below orsend a DM on Instagram If you
enjoyed this episode, hit thesubscribe button wherever you
listen to the brilliant businessbeautiful life podcast and feel
free to share it with someoneelse who'll love it too.
I look forward to seeing youfor the next episode and
(23:55):
remember the time is now foryour brilliant business and the
beautiful life you adore, andI'll see you next week for part
five of our five parts startupsuccess series.
The fact that you're here listening to the
Brilliant Business, beautifulLife podcast means that you know
there is so much more tostarting an online service
business than just choosing yourname and making your logo.
And you not only want to do itright, but you also want to
start your business as easily aspossible.
And today's episode is numberfour in our five part startup
(00:24):
success series, and I think it'sgoing to be very valuable to
you.
Welcome to the BrilliantBusiness, beautiful Life podcast
, where we share simple,actionable strategies, plus the
mindset and wellness practicesyou need to build the business
and life you love.
Head to 16th Ave Creativecomforward slash playbook and
(00:47):
download your free guide todesign the business and life you
deserve.
Today I'm your host, samanthaBell, and this is the Brilliant
Business, beautiful Life podcast.
Are you ready for the businessand life of your dreams?
Let's get started.
Well, you're super keen toditch your nine to five if you
(01:07):
want to be in business foryourself long term.
There are actually a few stepsto take.
First, to make sure you build asolid foundation to start
strong, so you can keep going asan entrepreneur for the next 10
, 15, 20 years.
That sounds a long time, but Imean you're not just going to
start an online service businessto close it down in two or
(01:29):
three years, are you?
As?
If you are, that would bemadness.
Before I go any further, hereis some tough love for you If
you are only thinking about atwo to three year time frame for
your business.
If that's your intention, getin and get out quick approach.
You're probably actually best tostay in your nine to five and
(01:51):
leave entrepreneurship tosomeone else, because for your
business to be a success, toearn some serious money and give
you the lifestyle that youcrave, you need to be in this
for the long haul.
It needs to not have an enddate.
You need to go all in.
You're either an entrepreneuror you're not, so it's best to
(02:14):
dig deep and decide that rightnow.
You don't have to stay marriedto your original business idea
for the next 20 years, but youdo need to have a strong level
of commitment to stay the course, to pivot when you need to, to
grow and to change things up forthe next 10 plus years.
It's a long game, not a shortsprint.
(02:35):
So if you can do that, fabulous, come to the world of
entrepreneurship.
But if it's not, for youamazing.
That's totally fine too.
Leave entrepreneurship tosomeone else and go and find
what is you and what you love todo, and go do that.
Otherwise, you're going to setyourself up for a negative
(02:56):
experience and a whole lot oftime devoted to something that
your heart just isn't in lovewith.
I'm all about loving life, sostart where you mean to finish,
with the life of your dreams asyour focus, and you'll know if
this is right for you or not.
Don't force it.
If it's right, it's right, andif it's not, what that means is
(03:18):
that some other wonderfulopportunity is waiting for you.
It hasn't presented itself yet.
If you have downloaded my nineto five exit plan, you will know
I highly recommend doing a fewstrategic things before
gloriously ditching your nine tofive.
You need a foolproof planbecause, let's be honest, making
(03:41):
the leap from being a corporatehostage to owning your own
online service business can bereally no racking and confusing.
There are five things I suggestyou do before leaving your nine
to five so that, when thatexciting day comes, you can
confidently say adios, amigosand strut out the door with full
(04:02):
confidence, because you're wellprepared, just like a seasoned
entrepreneur.
What you need to consider aremoney, skills, work-life flow,
your support system and, finally, your transition plan.
Before you start your business,you need to know what is going
to cost you to get online.
(04:23):
Use the start-up costs sectioninside the Ditching Nine to Five
calculator and that will helpyou work out how much is going
to cost you to set up yourbusiness.
It might actually be a lot lessthan you think.
Then save that money, pop thosefunds into your bank and you're
already ahead of the game.
The money will be sitting therewaiting for you when you need
(04:45):
it.
That's really smart becauseit's going to put you in a
strong starting position.
You won't be scrambling tryingto find money and it will take
away stress.
You want everything to be asstress-free as possible, so do
that.
It's a very smart thing to doIn the early days of your online
business, when you are stillgetting it all set up, getting
your first clients, finding yourway and navigating your new
(05:09):
life as an entrepreneur, you'llmost likely still be working in
your nine to five and doing yourbusiness as a side hustle.
That's a great way to start.
I know our focus is to ditchyour nine to five, but you
probably have someresponsibilities that need a
consistent income.
If you give up that income whenyou aren't yet making money in
(05:30):
your business, you will putunnecessary stress and a huge
financial burden on yourshoulders, unless you've saved
up an emergency fund that cansupport you through the first,
say, three to six months of yourbusiness.
Ditching your nine to five jobtoo soon will make your
entrepreneurial journeystressful.
(05:50):
I started my business as a sidehustle and I'm really glad that
I did.
It was a great way to getstarted, find some consistent
client work and have someregular income coming into the
business Without any of thatextra stress of trying to find
money to pay my bills or puttingtoo much pressure on my new
(06:12):
business to perform before itwas capable of performing at the
level I needed it to.
You want to give yourself everychance of success, particularly
while you're still in thestartup phase and you're on such
a high learning curve.
There's so much to learn and itactually won't take you that
long to save up that money.
(06:32):
If you keep your expenses downand really concentrate on
getting new clients, you canvery quickly build up your
business bank account to thepoint where it's got six months
worth of expenses sitting there.
You haven't had to dip intoyour household savings to save
that money.
It's all come from yourbusiness and when you've got
that, then you can ditch yournine to five.
(06:53):
Now that's brilliant.
Part of the entrepreneurialjourney is getting smart with
your money.
Building up that buffer issuper smart and your future self
will really thank you for it.
A lot of startups fail in thefirst two to three years of
business and it's simply due toa lack of planning or not
thinking ahead, and especiallyabout money.
(07:14):
If you haven't already, grabthe nine to five exit plan and
use the expenses calculatorinside it, and it will help give
you clarity on how to prepareto ditch your nine to five.
The calculator is super simple.
It shows you how easy it is toreplace your nine to five income
(07:36):
depending on the hourly rateyou charge and how many clients
you have time for each month onthe side.
For example, if you spend 10hours a week working with
clients in your side hustle, youcould potentially earn more in
your business than what you getpaid for in your 9-5.
So you can see how easy it isto squirrel away 2, 3, 4, 5
(08:01):
months worth of expenses fromyour business while running it
on the side while you're stillin your 9-5.
Doing this is going to give youa great financial buffer for
the day you do excitedly ditchyour 9-5.
And what it means is you're notgoing to be stressed about
money when you are solelyworking in your business.
(08:21):
When you've ditched your 9-5,you'll just be able to focus on
doing what you love to doattracting more clients, working
with those clients all withinyour business, and making money.
That's a really smart thing todo and that is an entrepreneur
action.
You've got to start thinkinglike an entrepreneur.
(08:42):
Another thing to think aboutbefore you leave your 9-5 is
what is your side hustle idea?
Have you thought about theskills and the experience you
already have?
You've probably got a wealth ofknowledge that you can
transform into an online servicebusiness.
In the 9-5 exit plan, section 2has an area where you can write
(09:04):
out all the ideas for yourbusiness, and then you list down
all the skills that you have.
And skills include those thatyou've learned or got
certificates or degrees for, butalso your life skills, passion,
projects, where you've learnedother skills along the way.
Write them all down.
It doesn't matter how big orsmall they are, and when you
(09:25):
look at the whole list, you'llbe surprised at how much you
have to offer.
And then, once you've uncoveredyour skillsets, think about
your experience List all yourlearned and your lived
experiences and again, thewealth of knowledge that you
have is probably going tosurprise you.
So you've got a whole bank ofthings there that you can offer
(09:46):
to potential clients as aservice, which is fantastic.
And then have a think aboutareas where you've got a bit of
a gap, where there's somethingyou need to learn.
Just say you're really great attech.
You've got lots of tech skills.
You want to be a websitedesigner, like I'm a website
designer, but you haven'tactually done website design.
Do a website design course.
Build up that skill set, getthat in your bank of knowledge
(10:10):
so that you can then offer thatas a service and be really good
at it.
You will still need to practice, and practice makes perfect.
So you can do a few test sites,you can build some templates,
you can do some free work forpeople To get some more
experience in that area.
That's just an example.
Have a look at your skill sets,analyze any gaps that are
(10:31):
missing, where you could maybeimprove and do some training
while you're still in your nineto five, so it's not impacting
your business.
It's not impacting your income.
It's a really clever thing todo.
Doing this, you're going tohave a really clear idea of all
your strengths, your weaknesses,your skill sets.
You'll be able to startbrainstorming ideas of how you'd
(10:54):
like to use all of these skillsin your service business, and
you'll also be able to upskillyourself without the pressure of
having to perform immediatelyin your business.
And one of the main reasons youare starting your online
service business is becausefreedom matters to you.
You don't want to swap yournine to five prison just to work
(11:14):
seven days a week in your ownbusiness, and it's really easy
for time creep to happen Ifyou're not intentional about
your time or have strongboundaries.
With a few simple strategies,you can create a beautiful
harmony between your personallife, your 9-5 and your new
business.
You need to juggle them all,but with harmony, not with
(11:37):
resistance.
First, start with creating somebeautiful boundaries.
Boundaries are healthy.
They create a feeling of trustand safety.
Plus, having healthy boundariesmakes sure that you can give
your full attention to whateverneeds it.
Right in that moment, whenyou're out with the girls, you
(11:58):
can just relax.
Your mind doesn't need to bethinking about work.
You can just enjoy your timewithout stressing about your
to-do list.
Similarly, when you're workingon your business, you can do so
with full focus, get superproductive and shave hours off
your schedule.
And that leads to scheduling.
Create a schedule thatseparates your 9-5, your side
(12:20):
hustle and your personal life.
Decide how much time you planto spend on each of those things
where you need to spend thattime, when you're going to spend
that time and put it all inyour calendar, map it out, plot
it out, because if you don'tplan, it's not going to happen.
Then, importantly, let everyoneknow your plans.
Let them know that when you'rein business mode, this is your
(12:44):
do-not disturb time.
You are dedicating this time toyou and your business and it's
for nothing else.
You need to create space forwhat you need to do, and it's
also training yourself in thehabits of being a successful
entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs are great atmanaging their time.
(13:07):
This little activity may soundsimple, and it is, which is why
it works, but it's also verypowerful.
Also think do I need to bedoing this?
Do I need to be doing all thesethings?
You're an entrepreneur.
You need to step into yourCEO's shoes and start thinking
differently, and part of thisjourney is realizing that you
(13:28):
can't do everything yourself.
Prioritize what you must do andget other people to help you
with the things that they can do, even when it's usually your
job.
Get the family on board to helpyou out with the household
chores and the grocery shopping.
Get a cleaner.
Get a lawn mowing person.
Get a pool cleaner, whatever itis, so you can free up time to
(13:50):
concentrate on what trulymatters, and that is starting
your business and spendingquality time with loved ones and
doing activities you enjoy.
I always say you cannot have ahealthy business without a
healthy you.
So prioritizing you,prioritizing time for your
business, fitting in your nineto five, is making really
(14:10):
healthy boundaries, and it'salso making your physical and
mental health the top priority.
That's going to make you evenmore successful in every area of
your life, particularly yourbusiness, if you don't have one
already.
Start a self-care routine, onethat includes exercising, eating
(14:31):
a really healthy diet andgetting lots of sleep and water.
Do things to relax and pamperyour body and your mind.
Have a warm bath, startlistening to meditation apps, do
some journaling and make sureyou get outside into nature
every day, even if it's just alittle walk around the block.
Just get outside, get the freshair and the sun on your face
(14:54):
and, if you can, take your shoesand socks off, get your feet on
the ground, on the grass.
Grounds yourself.
It has an enormous positivebenefit for your body.
Think about all the successfulentrepreneurs.
Look at them for someinspiration.
They all talk about theimportance of taking time out
for yourself and prioritizingyour health and your well-being,
(15:16):
and that's because it has sucha powerful effect.
It's a motivator and it keepsyou positive and happy and able
to look for all thoseopportunities.
So start now, and it's anotherway of conditioning yourself
into your new entrepreneuriallife.
We want flow, not hustle,harmony, not stress.
(15:36):
In life and in business, thingsdon't always go to plan, so
you've got to set yourself up tobe in that positive mindset and
in a position where you can belooking at things with
positivity.
No matter how much you prepare,life is going to throw you
those curveballs along the waythat we've talked about before,
and you need to expect them.
(15:56):
You need to embrace them andcatch those curveballs and
redirect them where you wantthem to go, and by being
adaptable, embracing change andchallenges, you will actually
spark creativity in your mindthat allows you to think outside
the box and come up with newways of handling situations and
(16:16):
turning those challenges thatwill come your way, turning them
into opportunities.
And again, this is anentrepreneurial mindset.
Mindset is key here, and youneed to start training yourself
to think like an entrepreneur sothat you're going to be
successful, and the key tosuccess is finding harmony in
(16:37):
all the aspects of your life.
I mentioned earlier that youcan't do everything yourself,
and entrepreneurs embrace thismindset and surround themselves
with the right people.
It's important to have thesupport and guidance you need to
help you on your journey.
You're learning.
You need some help along theway.
(16:58):
Get a mentor, get some kind ofcoach or mentor that will
challenge you, advise you andhelp to keep you on track.
I wrote a blog a little whileago called the Nine Little Known
Strategies to Build a Brilliantand Profitable Business, and in
that article I talk about theimportance of getting yourself a
(17:19):
business mentor or coach.
The most successful businesspeople and entrepreneurs around
the world all have a few thingsin common, and one of those
commonalities is mentors.
They all had one at variousstages of their careers.
It's quite common for startupsand entrepreneurs to DIY
(17:40):
everything in their business andlearn as they go.
Now, that's definitely powerfuland is an important way to do
things.
However, doing that you canonly go so far, because you only
know what you know.
You need someone who's had morelife experience, more bigger
picture view, someone who seesyou and your business from the
outside in and can give you somefeedback and some really
(18:03):
valuable tips that you can't seebecause you're too close to you
and you're too close to yoursituation.
Even Oprah Winfrey says thatmentors are important and she
doesn't think that anybody makesit in the world without some
kind of mentorship.
Hiring a mentor or a businesscoach really is one of the
greatest investments that youcan make in your business and in
(18:27):
yourself.
They will actually help youreach your goals faster and with
less mistakes and less stressalong the way.
Another person you need in yourcorner is your accountant or
financial advisor Probably thelast person you're thinking of,
but they're actually reallyhelpful.
They can help you create theperfect budget, help you manage
(18:50):
your cash flow, get into thebusiness jargon about finances
that you may not know.
If you get great advice now,while you're in the early
startup stages.
It's going to reap rewards foryou down the track and you'll be
all set up and your accountingsystem won't have any errors in
it and everything will flow awhole lot more smoothly.
(19:12):
Also, having support from thepeople you love is priceless
your partner, your friends orfamily, even your colleagues,
can help spread the word aboutyou and your business and even
help to get your first fewclients.
So developing a beautiful,strong support system all these
(19:32):
amazing people around you isgoing to help you be successful.
It's going to help you feelmore calm, more in control, more
on track.
You'll have a better idea ofhow to get where you want to go
and it's going to improve yourmental health so that you can
enjoy your entrepreneurialjourney even more.
(19:55):
Once you've done all thisamazing work, it's time to
develop your transition plan soyou can fully step into your CEO
shoes as a startup success.
Inside the 9-to-5 exit planthere's a transition planner.
Go there and you can map outeach milestone and when you're
going to complete it by.
Entrepreneurs give themselvesdeadlines, give themselves
(20:17):
timelines.
So you need to start practicingthat now to be successful, and
when you do, the day you ditchyour 9-to-5 could be even closer
than you think.
If you want to escape the9-to-5 grind and you haven't
already, download my free 9-to-5exit plan and you can map out
your freedom in just three hours.
(20:38):
Go to 16thappcreativecomforward, slash 9-to-5-exit-plan
and get it for free.
Today, you can also jump on thewaiting list for my amazing new
program called Startup Success,which will help you build your
business from scratch in just 60days.
(20:58):
Two months, that's so fast.
You will have everything youneed to be running your business
in just 60 days and I've got avery special limited spot
foundation round opening at theend of October so you can give
notice and start your own onlineservice business in 2024.
Isn't that amazing.
(21:19):
The timeline just got shorter.
You'll be so organized, soexcited.
There'll be no overwhelm, noconfusion.
You'll just be raring to go andyou'll already be earning some
money as you do it on the side,before you book or you quit your
nine to five, so you literallycan stop dreaming and start
(21:40):
doing what lights you up.
Jump on the waiting list forStartup Success today and you
will be so glad you did.
It has everything.
Everything from the initialconcept to booking clients.
Everything you need You'll haveup and running in 60 days If
you've made the decision tostart your own business.
(22:02):
I hope that this episode hashelped give you some clarity
around how to set up yourbusiness to be successful from
day one and start to get youthinking like an entrepreneur,
to start developing those habitsand also, hopefully, the
pressure is off If you've beenfeeling like you need to just
jump all in, all guns blazingand ditch your nine to five
(22:25):
straight away, but at the sametime you've been freaking out
about the money situation.
There's a better way to startthat I've just shared with you
and that's really going to fasttrack you to entrepreneurial
success.
Remember, you can do it.
Now is the time for thebrilliant business and beautiful
(22:45):
life you adore.
So I will see you next week forpart five of our five parts
startup success series and inthe meantime, jump on the
waiting list for Startup Success, download the nine to five exit
plan and get busy building yourdreams.
I'll see you next week.
Thanks so much for listening.
(23:34):
I'd love to know your biggesttakeaway from today's episode,
so leave me a comment below orsend a DM on Instagram If you
enjoyed this episode, hit thesubscribe button wherever you
listen to the brilliant businessbeautiful life podcast and feel
free to share it with someoneelse who'll love it too.
I look forward to seeing youfor the next episode and
(23:55):
remember the time is now foryour brilliant business and the
beautiful life you adore, andI'll see you next week for part
five of our five parts startupsuccess series.
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