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This guide is especially for you if you're looking to quit your job and work for yourself.

Your “To Do” list is already long. You’re working full-time and have a busy home life. Just thinking about how and when you’ll find the time to start a business can seem overwhelming. Whether you just want to build a business so you can quit your full-time job and travel, work from home, earn some extra money to pay off debt or just need a creative outlet, this guide will help you get started in the right direction.

What is an Online Business?

An online business is a web-based business. Online businesses could include selling a service or selling digital projects. Having an online business typically means that you’ll have lower overhead costs since you don’t have a brick and mortar store front that you’re paying for. With an online business, you can typically operate your business from anywhere. Your home. Your RV. Your Sailboat. Now that sounds nice!

When you already have a job, a business venture starts out as a side hustle since you work on your business in addition to the hours you already work at your day job. Some people want a side hustle in order to make extra money and some want to grow their business into something more lucrative. Maybe even build up a business so you can eventually quit your day job.  Since it’s your own business, the sky’s the limit for your earning potential.

How to Start an Online Business so you can Work from Home

Many online businesses need little money to get started. Below is a comprehensive list of things to consider when starting a business. Some of these items aren’t the fun side of starting a business but important none the less. Choosing a business name and figuring out how you want to help people can be way more exciting than checking zoning regulations and filling out paper work to register your business but it’s all  part of owning a business. The items below can help you get your business started legally. Let’s dive into this exciting list!

1.  Make a list of skills you are good at and things you are passionate about.

The two of these things combined have the makings of a success cocktail. Sometimes coming up with this list is hard. Ask your friends and family what they think you are good at. What do they come to you for advice on? They might have some ideas you didn’t even think about or confirm an idea that you had self-doubt about. Now take those skills and relate them to different online business ideas. If you’re looking for online business ideas, see my post, 37 Amazing Online Business Ideas You Can Do While Traveling.

2.  Is there a need for your business idea?

After you’ve compiled a list of your ideas. Ask yourself if there’s a need for the product or service. Do some research online to see what people are searching for, also known as market research. Look at your potential competitors and see what they are offering and how you could do it better or put a different spin on it. Are you in any Facebook groups where other moms are constantly seeking a solution for something? Maybe you have the answer!

3.  Think about how you are going to find your customers.

A great place to start is by telling friends and family about your new business venture. This can land you a customer/client or two to start with. Get the word out! You never know who might need what you have to offer if you don’t talk to people about it.

Most people have Facebook. I have a love/hate relationship with it myself but it can be a great way to let people know you have a business. Start by creating a Facebook business page. It doesn’t cost you anything. Sharing your new business venture on Facebook can be scary but sharing your Facebook business page with your family and friends might just give you the jump start you need. You never know when someone who’s friends with your cousin’s aunt is looking for your product or services!

Think about where your customers hang out online and make your presence known there so they can find you. Depending on your home business there might be an “online board” that you can post your services to for example. There could be Facebook groups you could join and interact with that you could eventually share your product or service on (if permitted by their rules).

Pinterest is another great way to drive traffic to a website or even Etsy. Pinterest is actually a visual search engine and can be very powerful.

4.  Check rules for starting a business out of your home.

I recommend checking for zoning issues, deed restrictions, association rules and Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CCR’s) that might restrict you from operating a business out of your home. I also recommend checking local city or county codes, depending on where you live, to make sure there aren’t any zoning restrictions or application processes to conduct a business on your property.

The same goes for looking for any deed restrictions specific to this. This should have shown up in a title search when you purchased the property. Association rules could be like a condo association and CCR’s for your subdivision might be recorded at your county Clerk’s office. Some CCR’s even expire over time and might not be relevant any longer.

The point of this research is to make sure you don’t invest a lot of time or any expenses toward starting a business just to have your business shut down. If your business is providing bookkeeping services and you have clients visit your house, there could be increased traffic that gets noticed.

I’ve also heard of a situation where condo rules specifically said no business could be operated onsite, therefore, a daycare couldn’t be operated out of the home.

Now in most cases, an online business isn’t going to be an impact in your neighborhood so no one will probably ever know but if you start advertising on your car for instance, well you now have a billboard right in your driveway. All it takes is one neighbor that you don’t get along with or the neighborhood busy body making a phone call to turn you in. 

All I’m trying to say is, know the rules and make a judgment call on your risks, if any. In most cases, there probably won’t be an issue but it’s good to know the rules.

Depending on your research, make this an opportunity to help shape your business plan.  For instance, instead of clients coming to your home, just offer your services online. This could help with insurance that might be needed as well.

5.  Check to see if you need local, state or federal licenses or permits.

Most online businesses won’t need special permits. However, a special license might be needed in your state if you want to offer online counseling. This might depend on the type of counseling services you want to offer.  

When checking on your zoning with your local jurisdiction (city or county) you may ask if they know of any state or federal licenses or permits that may be needed. They may be able to direct you to those agencies.

6.  Choose a business entity.

What is this and do I really need to do this? It’s good to have an understanding of what a business entity is and how it affects you and your business. Most people starting an online business probably don’t start off as a corporation but instead, start their businesses as a sole proprietor. The other great options are forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or an S-Corporation (S-Corp).

The differences in these business entities have to do with how you file and pay your taxes, business ownership rules, whether or not you have a business partner and whether or not your personal assets are tied to your business.

If your personal assets are tied to your business and you get sued by someone then your personal bank accounts and personal assets like your home and vehicles can be fair game. I’m not an attorney or an accountant so I can’t advise you on what the best option is for your situation but I recommend you reach out to professionals so they can help you decide the best option.

The chart below breaks down different business entities and how they function “in general”. These business structures can also vary by state

Some things to think about:

• “In general” a Sole Proprietorship is good for a low risk type of business or business idea you are testing out.

• “In general” an LLC functions with the benefits of a partnership and a corporation.

• “In general” a Corporation offers owners of the business the best protection from any personal liability. The downside to starting a corporation when you are just starting a small business is that the costs are typically higher to form one and there are more complex record-keeping, reporting and operational type processes that you have to adhere to.

Again, be sure to check the state rules where your business will be filed to see if they follow the business entity structures above.

7.  Choose a business name and check for availability.

There’s a great online tool, Namechk, where you can check web addresses, social media accounts, etc. for business name ideas. It’s pretty fun to look up different ideas. Now don’t get too hung up on finding a name for your business. It should be something you like but don’t let it keep you from making progress and completing your other tasks. If you need to register your business as discussed below, you’ll need to check the availability in your state to make sure your proposed business name isn’t being used as well. 

When choosing a business name and checking into business registration below, make sure you know what business entity you are going with. This could change your registration process or business name availability depending on how you need to register your business or what you want to be included in your web address, etc. For instance, if you register as an LLC, maybe you want the LLC as part of your website address, though that’s not necessary. You might want to change your business entity down the road so you might not want to include it as part of your web address.

8.  Register your business.

Check with your city and state to see if you need to register and/or license your business. Sometimes if you are not operating under your own name, Sally Creator, and you opt for something like, Sally’s Printables Business, you need to register your business with your state. Your city may have additional registration or licensing requirements as well. During this process you’ll be able to find out if your business name is available to register.

The U.S. Small Business Administration website has a lot of information about starting a new business and their website has links to your State’s business registration website or go to your State’s government website and search for Secretary of State.

9.  Write down your business goals.

What are you hoping to accomplish with your business? Are you hoping for a certain amount of extra income each month to help pay off debt? Are you hoping your business turns into a full time gig so you can quit your day job and work from anywhere? Write it down!

This may even be your “why” of starting a business written out to be a goal. Knowing what you want to accomplish with your business will help you write out your short term and long term goals to help you achieve it!

Next, list short term goals. These goals should be items you wish to achieve within 6 months or even up to a year. For instance, I want to get my first sale or client within 1 month of starting my business. These goals also help guide you on where you should be focusing your time when working on your business.

For example, your goal is to create 10 digital products within 2 weeks before launching your website. Figure out how much time it typically takes to create 1 digital product and then multiply that by 10. Now you know how many hours you need to work on creating your digital products in a 2 week period.

Knowing this information can help you fit these hours into your dedicated time for working on your business. It can also help you determine if your goal seems achievable or not. If not, you may need to adjust the parameters of your goal or scheduling additional time to do it.

These goals can help give you the push you need to meet a deadline but at the same time, it needs to be realistic with the amount of time you have to work on your business.

Lastly, list long term goals. These should be business goals out past a year or more. A long term goal could be to have 500 sales within 1 year of starting your business. To help achieve your long term goals you could have short term goals that assist you in reaching that goal.

For example, if you want to try and have a certain number of sales on your product within one year, then your short terms goals could support that by focusing on getting traffic to your website or gaining more email subscribers that you can share your product with. Having several small wins with short term goals can have a big impact on your long term goals!

Starting a business when you’re already busy is hard work so don’t forget to celebrate your wins, big or small. This can certainly help keep you motivated!

10. Create a website.

Word of mouth can be just enough to get you started with your first client or sale of your first product. Having a website can showcase your services or products you offer. It can help you reach a broader audience. A website can also be a great place to display testimonials from your customers.

When you do create a website, I recommend that you keep it simple. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on this to get up and running. When setting up a website you need to have web hosting. I use Blue Host for my web hosting through a WordPress website.

You can start basic and use a free theme to get your website up and running. You can even start out with just a landing page that people see so they know how to reach you and see what services or products you offer. You can then build from this over time.

11. Create a business email with your website name.

After getting your website hosted, create a professional email address. Maybe you already have a Gmail account for your business email but you can create an email with your website name that looks more professional like [email protected] instead of hello@ xmail.com.

See the difference? Something as simple as this can increase the professionalism of your business. A lot of time, this can be done through your website hosting provider.

12. Business contracts for service based businesses.

I’m not an attorney so I can’t offer you legal advice but if you are providing your services to an individual or another business, you should have a contract that spells out the terms of the services you will be offering.

A contract should include items, such as the services being provided, how much you’ll be paid and when, how to deal with non-payment, the length of the service and ending the service, etc.

An idea might be starting out with a generic contract through an online company to get started but I’d highly recommend speaking to an attorney sooner than later (preferably first) to make sure you protect yourself, your assets and your business.

13. Find a platform to sell your products.

If you are creating digital products to sell, look into online market places, such as Spotify, Etsy and Amazon. There are many others out there so look around.

You’ll want to find a platform where the fees aren’t too high and that’s easy to use for you and your customers. There might be a market place that’s popular for the product you intend to sell.

You can even create your own shop using WooCommerce. WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to create your own online store on your existing WordPress website or as its own website. Super exciting!

14. Figure out your payment method.

Show me the money! Having a way for customers to make payments online, even for services, will help you get paid faster! There’s no need to wait, hoping a check will clear. If you are selling products through a platform like Etsy for example, your payments could be handled through their own payment system or through PayPal.

Before deciding on the system you’ll use to receive payments for your products or services, make sure it’s a compatible extension of your selling platform or website. Try looking into Stripe or Paypal online payment options for your website. Stripe seems to be pretty popular and a lot of people are familiar with PayPal.

Further down the list, I mention finding a system to track your finances. Some of these systems, such as Quickbooks Online, have options to receiving payments through their website as well where customers can pay their fees directly from a link on their invoice. This might work especially well if you are offering services where you’ll be invoicing your client.

With any online payment options, there will be transaction fees associated with using credit cards, debit cards and automatic bank withdrawals. I’d recommend comparing these fees and try to avoid any additional monthly fees. I’d also watch out for first time set up fees and avoid those if possible. There are MANY more options out there so don’t hesitate to look around on the web! 

15. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

An EIN is typically a federal tax ID # but you may be able to get a state one as well. You would need to check with your state to see if they have a different tax number you can apply for, other than your social security number.

Typically, as a sole proprietor, you can use your social security number on your taxes and business related documents. If you don’t want to use your social security number on documents related to your business, you can easily apply for a federal number that you can use to identify your business.

This is free to do. Something that doesn’t cost you anything, yeah! As a side note, even with an EIN you may still need to use your social security number on certain documents depending on how your business is registered.

You would want to apply for an EIN after you choose your business name and structure and after you register your business. You can find out more information and apply on the IRS website.

16. Open a business checking account.

It’s important from the beginning to keep your business expenses separate from your personal expenses. I recommend getting a business checking account as soon as possible. Call the bank or look up what is needed to open a business checking account so you are prepared before you go in. To open a business checking account you’ll likely need the following:

• Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (for a sole proprietor)

• State Business Registration (shows your registered business name)

• Business formation/ownership documents (other than sole proprietor), for instance, Articles of Operation for an LLC

• Business license

If you don’t have a separate checking account in the beginning stages, at least try and designate a separate personal account for the business to record transactions and a dedicated credit card for online purchases to help track what’s personal and what’s business. This isn’t the best but it can help in a pinch and is better than nothing. You’ll be glad you did when you go to balance your books and when tax time rolls around.

17. Look into purchasing business insurance.

Businesses need to protect themselves and be prepared if the unthinkable happens and you get sued or have a cyber attack. Whether you are providing a service, selling digital products or doing freelance work, you should look into insurance to protect yourself.

If a mistake is made or someone injures themselves using your product and someone tries to sue you, it would be beneficial to have some insurance to fall back on. I’m not an insurance agent so I can’t recommend what kind of insurance you need but I definitely recommend speaking to one to decide what kind of business insurance you need.

Let’s look at a couple different kinds of insurances to give you an idea of what you should look into.

Hiscox is a company that provides the first 4 of the insurances described above (and some others) that I know a lot of people use in the bookkeeping industry. They seem to have what you need if you are providing services or doing freelance work. They will provide you a free quote and you can definitely talk to them about your needs and come up with a policy that fits your specific business needs.

There are many insurance companies around that offer these services so get several quotes. Just remember, you can still get sued and have to pay legal fees, even if something is not your fault. Please cover yourself and get some insurance once you get your first client, start selling your products or sooner!

18. Find a system to track your finances.

I recommend doing this from the beginning. This could be a computer program, an online program or even a spreadsheet. I wouldn’t recommend the spreadsheet long term, especially if your business is growing but it can work when you get started and won’t be an extra cost up front.

The main thing is tracking your business income and expenses and keeping your personal and business transactions separate. By combining the two, it becomes a real mess come tax time. Do what you can to avoid this.

Tracking your expenses can seem daunting when you’re just starting your business but it’s really important. Keeping track of your purchases as they happen will save a you lot of time and frustration later on. If you start getting over your head, reach out to a bookkeeper or accountant before things get too out of hand, especially if your business is growing.

Below is a list of some web-based accounting programs that can help you track your business finances. Think about what your needs are. Do you just need to track your income and expenses or do you also need to create invoices? One thing that makes selling digital products or providing a service, is that you don’t have physical products and an inventory to manage. 

Compare different features and costs when looking at software to keep track of your finances. Some of the options below have plans that can grow with you as your business takes off.

• Xero – limited cost with a lot of features

• Quickbooks – user friendly, good mobile app, lots of features

• Freshbooks – unlimited invoices and estimates

• Wave – free accounting, invoicing and receipt scanning

• Zip Books – free, unlimited invoices, only connects to one back account

• Zoho – low cost with inventory management

Once you get your business up and running, and if business finances aren’t your thing, you might want to make an appointment with a professional to help get your books set up correctly from the beginning to help give you an understanding of what you need to keep track of and how to do it.

Tips for Success in Starting an Online Business

After looking at all the things to consider when starting an online business, let’s get into some tips to help you be successful.

• Define your Why. If your “why” of starting a business is important enough, you’ll make the time to work on it and your motivation will be strong. Starting a business can be hard work but if you constantly think about your “why” it will help keep you motivated on the tough days.

• Just start. Procrastination gets you no where. I know because I’m known to do it. If you’re anything like me, you might get stuck in the “research” phase of your ideas for way too long. Research is good, don’t get me wrong but you have to move past it at some point. The other common one is the “everything has to be perfect” phase. Make deadlines for yourself and don’t get too caught up on the small details. For example, you can always go back and make a logo after you get started.

• Fight the fear. Fear also likes to creep in there. Don’t let fear stop you from getting started. Keep your “Why” on the forefront of your mind and keep it as your focus to fight past the fear.

• Fight procrastination. A lot of time we procrastinate when something is hard or when we are fearful. Break out the hard tasks in steps and give yourself timelines to get stuff done. I think procrastination and fear are good friends and they don’t want to share you with your new friends goals and success. Let’s say we dump procrastination and fear and make life long friends with goals and success!

• Schedule your time. Time blocking is your friend. Make a daily calendar with all the hours of the day. Block out your work and family obligations and also block out the hours when you are able to work on your business. Times you’re able to dedicate to your business might be early morning, evenings and/or weekends. Don’t forget commute times and lunch hours. These are valuable hours that you can put to good use with podcasts, errands, exercise and small home or business tasks. When you’re a busy working mom, you have to get creative and not let any of that special time get wasted.

• Make productive tasks your priorities. You really want to start a new season of your favorite show on Netflix but you know if you do, you’ll binge watch several episodes, because you can, and you end up staying up really late. You didn’t work on your business or do the dishes, so tomorrow you have catch up to do. Don’t do this to yourself!
  
  Yes, you deserve a break every now and then but keep it in check. Sometimes when you’re overwhelmed by all the things, you self sabotage and tell yourself you deserve a break but often, you just don’t want to think about “all the things”. I know this all too well. I personally don’t have much self control when I’m feeling overwhelmed to turn on the TV and just watch one show or one movie. So I just don’t turn it on if I want to be productive. I save that time for dedicated TV watching time with family or scheduled me time.
  
  I can’t even turn a movie on when I clean or do chores because I end up getting sucked onto the couch with a bowl of popcorn. After another movie or two later, I’ve gotten nothing done but some me time and I no longer have the energy to be productive and I feel bad. Now I’m behind on house chores and working on my business! I’m really not missing out if I put my energy towards a business that I’m building so that I can reach my goals and live the life I’ve dreamed to have. The benefits, later on, outweigh the hours of TV time that I’m missing. What’s funny, is that I’m really not that into TV but you wouldn’t know it based on what I’ve said, would you?
  
  What sucks you into that deep dark hole of unproductivity? Make a list for yourself so you know what to avoid! Work on sticking to your schedule, focus on your priorities and working toward your goals. You’ll feel so good when you see yourself making progress!

• Stay organized (home and business). Organization will become another one of your best friends during your journey to starting a business. You will be managing your home and your business and things can get crazy and tiring pretty quickly. Avoid distractions of wanting to clean your kitchen or fold the laundry on the couch instead of focusing on your work by taking 10 to 15 minutes here and there to clean and organize. Give items like mail and bills a home so that you can quickly deal with them avoid pile ups.

• Set goals. Short term goals and long term goals are great. A short term goal could be making money from your business to pay off a credit card, save for a vacation or build up your savings account. A long term goal could be making enough money from your business consistently so you can quit your day job and work from anywhere.

• Work-life balance. Recognize burnout and give yourself grace. As a working mom, you wear many hats and have a lot on your plate. While setting goals and giving yourself deadlines can help you succeed, it won’t do you any good if you’re too overwhelmed and don’t take care of yourself. Be sure and schedule some downtime for yourself every so often. You deserve it!

• Plan for the unexpected. Nothing throws your week off like something unexpected. Well, that’s life and we just have to go with the flow. Most often, we can plan for upcoming events and be prepared so we don’t get overwhelmed. Knowing you have an engagement in the evening can really throw everything out of wack. Maybe planning a crockpot dinner that you prepare in the morning will work best that night. Think of things you can do to alleviate stress of an event so you can enjoy it!

• Create an inviting workspace. Having a well lit clutter free area to work in really helps me focus. What helps you focus? A quiet space? A room with a view? Sometimes we just have to make something work in our homes full of people and stuff.

  In our last home I created a cute workspace in our family room in a closet with a double door. I miss that workspace! Now that we downsized, my desk is in the living room and it’s a bid harder to hide my work clutter but it works!

Common Questions / FAQ About Starting an Online Business

How much does it cost to start an online business?

Well, this really depends on the type of business you are starting. There are several businesses you can start with little money. Online businesses that offer services or digital products probably need less money to start and if you already have a computer and an internet connection, you have a majority of what you need to get started already. 

For an online business you are most likely going to need a website of your own. To get started with a service based business you could put the word out to friends and family and get a client without even having a website. You could create one after you start making some money.

If you are selling a product such as printables, you may just use a platform like Etsy or Spotify and not need your own website right away. To my knowledge, it doesn’t cost anything to open an Etsy store but there is a fee to post your items and then there is a percentage of the listing price that Etsy keeps. Etsy has an option called Esty Plus that offers more tools for growing your brand that includes a monthly subscription. Shopify has monthly a subscription fee for their site.

Another thing to consider is registering your business and this fee varies by state. For a service based business, you may also need to create a contract for services you provide and this could include visiting with an attorney or using an online service. If you are providing a service such as bookkeeping, you should also consider liability insurance for your business.

Below is a list of items you might need to get your business started. I’ve discussed some of these above so you might already have an idea of which of the following items you need.

• Computer

• Internet Connection

• Equipment/Software needed

• Website

• Selling Platform

• Business Registration

• Contracts

• Creating a Business Entity

• Business Insurance

• Online Payment System

• Separate Business Bank Account

• Program to Track Business Expenses

In the beginning stages, maybe no money is needed if you already have a computer and internet connection. However, to set your business up properly, you will need some money.

What if I don't have money to start a business?

Coming up with extra money to put into a new business venture can be tough! Knowing you have limited funds might help you figure out what business to start. Think of items you already have to work with. Do you like taking photographs and already have a camera and know how to edit photos? Well start taking stock photos as sell them online or teach others how to take and edit photos of there own!

If you create digital products for instance, you don’t need to buy physical items to create a product but you do need a computer with existing design software, or use free online programs to start out. If you offer a service, you could do this online and use the computer you already have.

Yes, there is money needed to get your business set up legally and to protect yourself and your business. There is a lot that you can get started on depending on the business you choose that doesn’t take money. Some of the steps above require money to be spent but some don’t! The ones that don’t are typically the ones to start with anyway before you start investing any money into your ideas.

Here are some business items you can get started on that don’t require any money:

• Make a list of skills you are good at and passionate about to help you decide what business to start.

• Research the internet to see if your business idea is searched for by others.

• Scope out your competition. What services do they offer? What products do they sell? What do you like and what don’t you like? What could you do differently?

• Find out where your customers hang out.

• Research your zoning regulations.

• Do you need any permits to run your business?

• Do you need a business license?

• Plan out your business goals.

• Look for free trainings online that will help you with areas of your business you might need help with.

• List out the businesses expenses you need money for in order of importance with the amount needed.

While you work on finalizing your business idea and getting your online business started, it’s time to get creative on earning some extra cash to get to the next steps in starting your business. Here are some ideas on earning a few extra dollars (keep adding to the list):

• Clean out areas of your home and sell items on Ebay, Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

• Have a garage sale.

• Trade in old phones and electronics for cash.

• Offer tutoring services.

• Offer music lessons (for those that are talented enough to do so).

What about your monthly budget? Can you squeeze anymore out it? Figuring out how much extra money you need might make looking at your spending and expenses exciting as you come up with ways to save a few bucks. Maybe you could save a few bucks to apply toward your new business venture by implementing some of the ideas below:

• Create a budget and challenge yourself to stick to it.

• Use cash as much as possible. You’ll spend less money!

• Start meal planning.

• Shop sales.

• Reduce or quit hitting the coffee shop. Make your own at home!

• Eat out less or stop altogether.

• Cut the cable bill and stream shows for much cheaper!

• Spend less to none on entertainment. You’re busy working on your business anyway!

• Look at monthly app subscriptions that you can stop for a while.

How do I find time to start a business when I work full time?

As mentioned above, scheduling your time, staying organized and meal planning has huge benefits of increasing your productivity. If you're a mom like me, your “To Do” list is always going to be long. If it’s anything like my household, you’re the cook, the cleaning lady, the IT person when electronics don’t work, a teacher, personal shopper, part-time gardener, a taxi and a master at just keeping it all together!

The thought of adding one more thing to your list might want to make you cry. Figure out your pain points and tackle those. Below are some time saving tips to try out!

• Plan Your Meals. Planning out our meals ahead of time not only will reduce stress around mealtimes it can save money on your pocketbook too. Think about meal planning at least a week at a time but two weeks to a month is better!

• Get up Early. This is a tough one for me but it is so worth it. I find that I’m so much more productive working away at my tasks when the house is quiet and I’m undisturbed.

• Time Blocking. If you’re anything like me, there are a million things going on in your head like a revolving to do list, at any given moment. Time blocking helps to prioritize your precious time and help you schedule in time for your business and your family. This really helps you make time for your new business venture.

• Ask for Help. Ask family members for help with household chores. Arrange some time play dates for your kids for a few hours every once in a while. It’s ok to ask for help.

• Learn to Say NO. This is a hard one for me but I’m getting better at it. Don’t overextend yourself and feel obligated to sign up for every volunteer opportunity. I’m not saying don’t help others but you may need to reduce some of these types of activities to help reduce your own overwhelm of trying to move forward on starting your own business.

• Make Good Use of Your Time. This one can work really well with time blocking. Though it’s more than that. It’s planning out the use of your time during specified blocks of time. For example, during a morning commute, you can listen to a business related podcast. Work on the tasks that use more brain power when you are most alert and uninterrupted and save other tasks for when the kids are playing and you can easily pick back up where you left off.

How do I find my local zoning laws?

Look at your city or county website for a department that looks like Planning and Development or Community Development to view rules that pertain to the particular land use zoning of your property. Some jurisdictions have zoning maps that you can view online to look up the zoning of your property. The zoning designation should be tied to a particular development code that lists the uses allowed on your property. It can be confusing to sift through this information if you aren’t familiar with it, so I suggest just calling and asking some questions.

The Last Thing You Need to Know about Starting an Online Business

You can do this! It takes some dedication and hard work to get things set up and your game plan figured out but starting and operating your own successful business can be very rewarding!

I really encourage you to put “working on your business” into your weekly schedule. By consistently working on your business, you’ll be one step closer to towards your goals and actually making money. I hope some of the tips above resonate with you and help you get started. If you get too overwhelmed, take a break and regroup but not for too long. Keep the momentum going. Small steps are still progress! 

I’d love to hear where you are on your journey of starting your own business. Email us at [email protected] and let us know what your struggles are so we can help you!

Other Helpful Resources

• 37 Amazing Online Business Ideas You Can Do While Traveling

• 7 Ultimate Reasons to Start a Virtual Bookkeeping Business