How To Know When You’re Ready To Leave Your 9-5. Plus Three Tactical Steps To Take Today To Set Your Business Up To Launch.
I talk a lot about leaving my 9-5 without having a backup plan, but it doesn’t mean I wasn’t ready to take that leap.
Not having a plan and not being ready to leave the 9-5 security I THOUGHT I had are two very different things.
I shared a little bit about this in my Instagram Reel last night, but let's hash this out here in a bit more detail.
Here's what I KNEW when I left my job without my next steps lined up:
Leaving toxic co-workers would give me SO much more brain power to focus on GROWING a business as opposed to DEFENDING a job. Proving time and time again that while I worked remotely, I was, in fact, working. Not just sitting on my couch eating bonbons watching Real Housewives reruns. Eliminating that nonsense was a game-changer.
Freedom within my schedule was no longer a nice-to-have. It was necessary. I couldn't conform to a true 8-hour work day. I closed my calendar on the school days my husband was working, shifted productivity times from 6 AM to 10 AM, and picked it back up after the school work was done. I needed FREEDOM, and I was over-explaining it to anyone and everyone who questioned what I was doing and when.
So when I say I was ready to leave, I absolutely was. I had the entrepreneurial fire burning. The one that told me it was time to build something for me and stop building for someone else. I didn't know what that looked like. I had no business plan, but I knew I'd figure it out as I went. And for the most part, I did. I just didn't do it as quickly as I would have had I known then what I know now. (Sounds like a bad country song, huh?!)
Now for what I DIDN'T know:
How to apply for an EIN.
How to track expenses. (And how to pay for them)
How to set up a business bank account.
How to pitch myself for new business
How to create a site that engages readers, builds authority, and fuels sales of the services I was selling.
How to create engaging video. After all, it was the boom of TikTok and Instagram reels, and EVERYTHING was video.
If I keep going with this list, we'll be here all day. And I'm about tapped out and ready to get back to organizing my new house and enjoying the weekend to come.
So here are three tactical things you can do TODAY to get your business ready for you to launch. Whether you're leaving a 9-5 or not!
How to apply for an EIN
The IRS makes it fairly simple to apply for an EIN number. But it will be up to you to decide how you're applying. Sole-Proprieter? LLC? If you're not sure, investing a little to ask a professional will take a ton of weight off your shoulders. There are ever some that will do the full application for you. (For a fee of course, but it was worth it for me!)
Set Up A Business Bank Account
Before you do anything else, DO THIS. You'll need an established EIN for a true business bank account. So as soon as those Articles of Organization hit, this is the next step you need to take!
I have used Relay Financial for years mainly because it's built for small businesses, there are no monthly fees or overdraft fees. I can open up to 20 checking accounts for FREE, and it integrates seamlessly with Quickbooks. It also has a great feature that gives accountant-specific access to help you manage finances while keeping you safe and secure. It simplifies your finances and makes business banking so much less intimidating.
Track those expenses!
I can't emphasize this enough. Track your expenses. Keep them organized and separate from your personal and tax time will be so much less daunting! Now I obviously mentioned Quickbooks above and that is my preferred platform. I can send invoices, see estimated taxes, upload receipts from my phone, etc. I get great reports and analytics of where my money is going and where it's coming from. And it makes invoicing clients MUCH easier. During my busiest month, I had over 20 invoices out and being paid at any given time. There was no messing with Venmo or Zelle or keeping track of multiple sources. Your clients can pay via ACH, Check, or Credit Card. It makes it so easy.
Use the link below to receive 30% off for your first six months of QBO. (And yes, I go with Quickbooks Office over Quickbooks Self-Employed. It's less confusing, in my opinion!)
I promised early on that we would get tactical with to-dos and checklists here in The Download. These tips may not be the fancy, flashy ones (we'll get there, I promise), but these are the ones that will build a solid foundation for your future online business!
Happy Creating!
XO,
