In my previous posts, I explored different aspects of our mindsets that hurt or help us achieve our goals. Limiting beliefs hinder us and liberating truths empower us. I explored the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset. Growth mindset propels us to achieve success and overcome the deadly trio. Fixed mindset does the opposite.

Armed with the right mindset and the mental tools we need to achieve our goals, it’s time to transition from dreaming to taking action. This is where a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs fail to take the leap. They over analyze, over process, and often make excuses why they can’t take the leap.

It’s going to be a leap, but you can always start with a “FIRST” step. Limiting beliefs will tell you it’s not a good time. Liberating truths will say, count all costs, commit to it, take the leap and start because they will never be a good time.

The “FIRST” step method is an acronym I created to help aspiring entrepreneurs move from dreaming to taking action. As my friend Jokotade says “Clarity comes when you know the next step to take”. Here’s the “FIRST” step you need to take to get going with your goal of starting a business or side hustle this year:

• Find a Good Example

• Insight

• Resourceful

• Self-Awareness

• Take Baby Steps

Find a Good Example

The wise King Solomon once said – “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new”.

The business idea you have is not truly new. Someone is already doing it or a variation of it somewhere in the world. Why not find a good example. In her book “Fresh Start“, Jokotade talks about the power of a good example. A good example helps you:

• Gain clarity to start something you’ve never done before.

• See what’s possible and gives you a template you can use as your starting point.

• See what works for others and what hasn’t worked. This helps you know how to craft you own version of the solution to the same problem.

Finding a good example means:

• Finding someone that is already doing the thing you want to do or a semblance of it. This can be your spouse, friend, coach, social media influencer, e.t.c.

• Finding a resource about the idea you want to explore. The resource can be a blog post, a podcast, a book, a news article, e.t.c.

• Finding a template that will show you the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. This template can be a PDF, a strategy doc, an online course, webinar, e.t.c.

I found my good example in a book called “How to become a personal shopper”. This book gave me a roadmap of how to start my international personal shopper business.

To find a good example for the business or side hustle you want to start, ask yourself these 2 questions:

1. Is there anyone that’s already doing what I want to do in my community, online, my personal circles, or social media?

2. What can I learn from them to start my business or side hustle?

Insight

The book “How to become a personal shopper” was my good example when I decided to start my side hustle. There is too much information available to us today but focus is key at this initial phase. Pick one or two good examples. Start paying attention, reading, and gathering as much insight as possible from them.

I spent time reading my good example, taking notes and paying attention to all the details about becoming a personal shopper. I learnt everything possible from the book.

My good example gave me a roadmap with clear steps to create different pieces of my business. Following the roadmap helped me create an initial draft of the following documents:

• My Business Structure – the legal structure I’ll start with

• My Service Offerings – the services I’ll offer

• My Pricing – how much I’ll charge for my services

• My Service Delivery Plan – the things I need to do to deliver my service to my customers

• My Policies – what my customers should expect from using my service

All the content from these documents became my website content when I was ready to build a website.

Resourceful

Focus helps reduce the overwhelm that comes from information overload. Once you’ve gained initial insights and taken notes, then it’s time to be resourceful.

To succeed as an aspiring entrepreneur you have to learn to be resourceful. To be resourceful means having the courage and grit to look for the information you need to take action with or without fear.

One key tool I use to practice being resourceful is “Google Search“. During the early days of starting my side hustle, I spent time on Google searching for good examples I could learn from. I searched for things like:

• Individuals in the personal shopper space

• Apps for managing personal shopping request

• How to price a personal shopping service

• How to take personal shopping requests

I was able to dig deeper through research to find more information to streamline what I already had. Like the wise saying goes, “It’s easier to edit a full page than a blank page”.

In the words of Marie Forloe, being resourceful means having an “Everything is Figureoutable” mindset.

Have an “Everything is Figureoutable” mindset:

• When you need to find answers to questions about starting your side hustle.

• When you need to find solutions to issues you face after launching your side hustle.

• When you need to find courage and grit to keep running your side hustle.

Self-Awareness

Becoming self-aware is a journey everyone should explore. Spending time to study yourself and learn what works for you and what doesn’t work is priceless. I’m realizing every passing day that “One size doesn’t fit all“. It never has and it never will. The way you work is unique! You have to discover what your unique way is as you start your side hustle.

It’s great to gather and learn as much as possible. But, you need to be self-aware to know how to check every information you gather in line with:

• Who you are as an individual – your values, your principles, your purpose, your motivation

• Where you are in life – your season of life, what you’re willing to do or not do in your current life season

• What you have time to do – the commitments you already have

Don’t start a side hustle based on what works for someone else. Their life situation is different from yours and you never get the full story online. Remember you’re as unique as your finger prints. If no one else in the world has your finger prints, then you should design a business or side hustle that’s unique. One that incorporates what works for you based on your purpose and life journey.

Apply the resources you gather, the insights you gain, and the lessons you learn based on self-awareness.

Take Baby Steps

Building a business is not a walk in the park. It takes a lot of time, grit, perseverance, and patience. Instead of jumping into the deep end, you can start with becoming a Solo Entrepreneur or with a Side Hustle.

Start by working for yourself by yourself. You can also outsource certain tasks to others or contractors. Taking this baby step helps you:

• Test the waters and validate your idea.

• Determine if the problem you’re solving is big enough to turn into a profitable business.

• Determine how big the market size is and how much of it you can get.

• Start without quitting your day job and decide if you want to commit full time to your side hustle.

Keeping things simple is one of the most difficult things to do when starting a side hustle. To help you streamline your focus and get started, you need to ask yourself:

“What’s the most basic thing(s) I need to do to serve customers and get paid?”

I call this the “Focusing” question. I ask myself this question when I’m overwhelmed with thoughts of doing so many things at the same time.

This question helped me streamline my focus and launch this blog website in 3 days. I determined that the basic things I needed to serve my audience was to launch with:

1. A main blog page – where you can see all my blog posts

2. A single blog page – where you can read detailed info about one post

3. An about page – where you can read about me

4. A contact page – where you can contact me

5. A privacy page – where you can read about what I do with the info I collect from you

Instead of launching with a 10-page or 15-page blog website, the focusing question helped me focus on launching with a 5-page website. Now I’m up and running, I can add more pages.

Now it’s your turn, ask yourself the question:

“What’s the most basic thing(s) I need to do to serve customers and get paid?”

Here are a few answers to get you going. Using a Google Document or a blank piece of paper answer the following questions:

1. What services will I offer?

2. How much will I charge for my services?

3. How do I want customers to pay me? e.g. Cash, PayPal, Cash App

4. How will I create value for my customers with the way I deliver my service? e.g. online, in-person, both

5. What initial expectations do I want to set for customers? e.g. delivery timeframe, privacy policy, return policy, e.t.c.

Once you answer all 5 questions you’re ready to take your next baby step.

Take the “F. I. R. S. T.” Step!

The journey from dreaming to taking action always begins with the “FIRST” step. Knowing what those steps are makes it easy for any resourceful entrepreneur to take the leap. Your limiting beliefs are always very audible when you want to take the “FIRST” step. But, you have the power to change the narrative with your liberating truths.

The deadly trio can show up right when you have all your ducks in a row and set you back. But, it’s not a sign to quit, it’s a sign that what you want to do its worth doing. Nothing worth doing is done without obstacles. Brace yourself, learn from the obstacles and keep moving. You have what it takes!

LEAVE A COMMENT!

What steps are you going to take today to start that business this year? How can I support you as you take the first step? Please leave a comment below. I’m excited to read your comments.