I spent far too long thinking about starting a business and waiting for the right time.... 

It wasn't until I realised that there wasn't ever going to be a right time that I took the plunge. 

I know that starting a business is a daunting process and it might not be easy to take the plunge as I did which is why I've written this post to help any who is thinking about starting a business. 

I hope this checklist will give you the confidence you need that you are ready to get started and there will be no better time. 

I've come to realise that if your brain or mind keeps coming back to the same things that is a good sign. 

It means that there is likely a much deeper desire or meaning to what it is you're doing.... It suggests it wasn't just a superficial and fleating idea which felt like a good idea in the moment. 

I have lots of business ideas. They usually come to me at random times and I get so excited in the moment. I've learnt from my mistakes though and I don't act on them in that moment... I give them time to develop. 

The ideas that I keep coming back to & spending more time thinking about? 

Those are the ones that I know I should execute because I won't stop thinking about them until I at least try! 

I would take it as a good sign that you have found the right idea if you keep returning to the same business idea...

It really is time to stop talking and start taking action (but make sure to properly evaluate your idea first - drop me a message if you want help with this).

There are 3 things anyone needs to start a business: time, money and the right mindset. 

As with any project we start, we all would like enough time to dedicate to it but the reality is there will always be other things to fill our time. 

We have to create time for the things we want to do and this is the same if you want to start a business. 

You need to estabish if there is some time you have available to dedicate to your business. You are unlikely to have as much time as you will like but you don't need to have as much time as you want you just need some time. 

There are different ways you can find this time from considering time you waste during your day (e.g. watching Netflix and scrolling social media) to time you could create for yourself by making some changes (e.g. driving to work early to give yourself a shorter commute as there will be less traffic and using the time you get to work before work starts to work on your business - and make your boss think you're really committed.

The truth is there are lots of things which you could have and would be nice to have when you start a business.... 

It would be great to have a special camera to take product photos or a website which has all the bells & whistles to advertise what it is you do but the truth is you might not need all of these different things. 

It's really easy to create barriers for ourselves and I've seen myself (& others) do this a lot when it comes to starting a business venture. 

We create a list of all the things we need to have before we can get started but the chances are there are lots of things on this list which are unnecessary (they are just positive procrastination). 

Try to think about what it is you do have already. It is likely that you could get started with that.... 

Arguably, the only thing we need to start any type of business these days is a laptop, phone & internet connection. 

Try not to overcomplicate things.

Again, please send me a message if you want help with this process.

I would say that if you have answered "yes" to these 3 questions then there is nothing stoping you from taking your next steps. 

It will always feel daunting starting something new.... especially something as significant as starting a business (it really does at times feel a bit like you're having a baby). 

Try to remind yourself that you don't need to add this much pressure to the process if you don't want to and you can always close a business should you realise things aren't quite right later down the line.

The question you don't want to have to ever answer though is "do you regret not trying?". 

Did you know I offer 1:1 coaching to help others make changes in their lives? This can be related to careers, starting a business or forming healthier habits. Please just send me an email directly to elle@gabrielletodd.com if this is something you feel you would benefit from & would like to learn more about.