How To Become Your Own Boss

Many people start out in 9-to-5 jobs where there are tons of people working above them and progressing up the hierarchy can be a lifelong battle. But what if you don’t want to wait a decade or more to become your own boss? The quickest way to become your own boss is to start your business. Here are a few steps to take if you want to transition to becoming an entrepreneur:

(Curated from Pittsburgh Business Times)

1. Before you quit your job and start working on a developing a business idea, you should make sure you’re comfortable with taking risks. Understanding your decision-making process will help you determine whether you’re capable of dealing with risk.
2. Research everything before you take the plunge into starting a new business. When you  understand your customer and your audience, you’ll be able to develop and deliver your business better.
3. A big part of starting your own business is making sure you have a flexible personal life. Becoming your own boss might require unusual hours and irregular compensation for your work. You should be able to answer these questions:

“Do you have savings you can live on? Are you prepared to reduce your living expenses? How much time are you willing to give your business? For example, are you prepared to pass on Saturday night plans when duty calls?”

4. Once your personal life is ready for the challenges of entrepreneurship, develop a solid business plan. Having a well-researched and effective business plan will help keep you grounded and on track.

“Treat your business like a business. Carve out your schedule and workspace. It’s hard to be disciplined when you’re defining your day from scratch every morning, so plan your time. And set up your home office, garage or co-work space in a way that’s exclusively for running your business.”

5. And finally, start networking. You can’t do everything yourself so start making connections and find people who can help you launch your startup.

“Build your network in a meaningful way. To grow, you’ll need a healthy ecosystem of vendors, employees, partners, advisers and advocates. Collaboration is key, so be certain you have a rich and growing network to draw upon.”

How is your new business going? Please share your experience with us!