A Checklist for Those Who Want to Cut Loose from Corporate and Start a Business
You’re unhappy at work. Your job makes you miserable. You’ve jumped from job to job in the hopes of finding something that’s a better fit, yet here you are dissatisfied again. You’ve thought many times you just aren’t cut out to work for someone else. You feel like the proverbial square peg in a round corporate hole. Trapped. Burned out. Frustrated.
You’re seriously thinking of starting your own business and being your own boss.
Is it a pipe-dream or are you ready to cut loose from corporate and start a business?
Here’s a quick checklist to help you decide:
___ You’ve determined what you dislike about your current and past jobs.
___ You know what you like about your current and past jobs.
___ You know what your strengths, talents and skills are.
___ You are honest with yourself about your weaknesses.
___ You know what your top 3-5 values are.
___ You know why you want to own a business.
___ You have viable ideas for a business, services and/or products.
___ You’ve thought about the types of clients and customers you want to work with.
___ You have ideas about how you’ll use your strengths, talents and skills as a business owner.
___ You’ve considered what makes you unique, different and better able to serve than other like businesses (aka your “competitive advantage” and “unique selling proposition”).
___ You’ve thought about the assistance and support you will need (especially in those areas of weakness).
___ You’ve considered ways you will market your business, services and/or products to attract clients.
___ You know how much money you need to support yourself and support your start-up.
___ You have finances to commit to your business (or you know where you’ll go to get them).
___ You’re willing and able to continuously invest in yourself and in your business.
___ You are self-directed and motivated.
___ You’re not afraid of hard work and long hours.
___ You’re able to establish boundaries between personal time and work time (especially if you’re planning to work from home).
___ You’ve put an escape plan together (or you’re working on one now).
___ You’ve captured all the information about your future business in a business plan (I like Jenn Lee’s Right Brain Business Plan approach and Jim Horan’s One Page Business Plan).
___ When $&*% hits the fan, you’re willing to throw your plan out the window and do whatever it takes to succeed!
This checklist is by no means exhaustive, but it should help you give you a sense of what to consider before making the leap. I know it’s a lot, so my recommendation is to seek out help now!
- Begin by clicking here for helpful resources just for you.
- Check out episodes of my “From Corporate to Creative” show here (including one where I share things I wish I’d know before I went from corporate to creative).
Explore your options and possibilities. Create the strategy and plan to make it happen. Cut loose and go from corporate employee to creative entrepreneur!
Here’s to living an inspired & creative life,
About the author, Kelly
Kelly Galea is a creative, multi-passionate entrepreneur and luminary blessed with a unique combination of wit, grit, intellect and intuition. She helps you navigate the work-life maze of ever-shifting priorities and transform your life through holistic self-discovery techniques and immersive, fun and magical mini-quests. Working with Kelly will inspire you to unveil, express and celebrate your vital personality and lifestyle preferences to create a more harmonious life.