I recently started answering your questions from a survey I put out this summer. Last week was the job search edition. This week is all about starting your business!  Yay!

11 No-Nonsense Tips For Starting Your Business

1. How do you grow your blog with authentic and engaged viewers?

2. I need some money making tactics! More information on passive income, please!

3. How do I start a side business if I have a full-time job? How do you side hustle until you can make your side hustle a full-time job?

It’s all about time management and your priorities. First, follow my 13 time management and productivity principles.

Second, make a commitment and make a no-excuses policy with yourself. It will happen no matter what.

Start setting an end date to your day job. Start talking to people around you like you are an entrepreneur and that you will be doing this full-time as of (insert date here). This will give you more confidence, and saying it out loud will get you more comfortable talking about it and visualizing that it will happen. Also, create a vision board and say these affirmations daily. Believe that it will happen and it will.

4. How do you find out what kind of business is right for you, especially when you have so many interests?

5. What is the mindset I need to get out of the rat race?

First, read and implement my success principles. Then, practice these affirmations daily.

The most important mindset you can have is that anything is possible for you. Don’t ever believe or tell yourself that you can’t make your dream career or dream business happen. It might not happen tomorrow, but there truly is nothing you can’t make happen with a little hard work and the right mentorship and support.

The mindset you need right now is to do the best you possibly can at this very moment while making baby steps towards your dream job every single day.

Do what you can, with what you have, from where you are today.

[RELATED: The First Phase of Entrepreneurship]

6. How do I get over the fear I have of starting a business?

It’s so worth it, but I know it’s scary. My husband and I were super scared, too, when we decided to BOTH quit and grow our business together (with a 6-month old!)  Here are the questions I recommend asking yourself: 1) What fears come up when you look at your goals? 2) What is the worst that can happen if you go after your goals? 3) What is the best that can happen if you go after your goals? 4) Is it worth the risk to go all in?

If you want to listen to us talk about our real life fears and how we got over them, watch this video.

7. How should I network without seeming desperate to make connections with people in my same field? It’s hard when you’re a contractor/freelancer.

I would change how you are networking. Get away from the networking events with people in your same field.

8. How do I start freelancing? I need freelancing 101.

It’s easy. Here’s how you do it.

Find a client and offer them a free or discounted (fill in the blank here). Go above and beyond and WOW them. This allows you to get your systems and processes together. It doesn’t have to be perfect because they are getting a discount, but you are growing and learning and taking baby steps. Then, interview them in a Google Hangout (preferred!) or record them on an audio call.

Ask them these four questions: Where were you before you started working with me? What in our working together was the most valuable to you? Where are you now? What would you say to someone who is thinking about working with me?

There, you have your first testimonial which is gold for getting even more clients. You can post the video on your blog. Send it out as an email. Transcribe it and make a blog post or a free case study ebook. Ready, set, go!

9. How do I handle current stress when I can’t leave my job quickly?

Don’t focus on hating your current job and co-workers because that causes even more stress. Instead, be
grateful for it. I know it’s hard, but it is for some use (money to pay your bills, a roof over your head, ability to work while starting your business, or the ability to learn).

If you’re grateful for the job you have, even if it is not your dream job, things will begin to change so you enjoy your job more and opportunities for you will appear. This is what happened to me. The more gratitude you feel, the happier you will be.

The only requirement is that you work DAILY on growing your business. Your excitement for your new business will start overflowing into your day job. You won’t even care about that stupid email from your boss because you have other future (better) plans! Your job is for the paycheck now, but in time you will be running things and won’t have to answer to stupid emails.

I know it is hard and stressful, but focus on saying no as much as possible and stop trying to be perfect in your job. If you aren’t going to be there long term, don’t focus on the raises, promotions, and pleasing everyone you work with. Not everyone will like you. Focus instead on using every last second you have and every thought that you can on learning and growing FOR YOUR NEW BUSINESS, not your day job.

10. What action steps can be taken to reach my goals for my own business quicker and grow it so that I can leave my day job?

Focus on revenue generating activities when starting your business and forget the rest. You have to be SO disciplined with your time and say ‘no’ more than you say ‘yes.’ Make a list of just one to three activities in your business that will produce income for you the fastest. (Note: Blogging is not one of them, sorry!) Then, look at your calendar and block out chunks of time to focus on those revenue generating activities ONLY while starting your business. You can do the other administrative stuff some other time but the only thing that is going to get you leaving your day job faster is the cash flow coming in.

The other thing is to focus on the HIGH dollar amount activities ($1,000-$10,000), not the $50 activities. To quit, you need to make a living and be able to replace your day job income. Know exactly what you need to bring in every month and plot out how you can make it happen in your business. If you don’t know how to bring in higher dollar amounts, then do some more brainstorming about what you are capable of. You aren’t going to be able to make a living in the next 3-6 months selling $50 products!

11. How do you master self-confidence when you know you’re doing what’s right, but those around you don’t get it or have differing opinions?

I could do a whole blog post about this topic (and oh I have here). This question is the story of my life!

I heard it all when I decided to quit my six-figure corporate job to work full-time on my business. I knew people, and even my very close family members, thought and said to my face multiple times that I was crazy.

I learned very quickly already that other people cannot and WILL NOT have a say in my dreams and goals. I’m not saying don’t listen to wise counsel. But, there’s a difference between wise counsel and “Negative Nancy”.  Are you with me? If you are in this same position, these affirmations need to be done twice a day. Repeat positive words to yourself and limit the time around people who are saying the negative things.

I hope you enjoy these tips on starting your business! Which topics do you want me to write more about in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments.