How to Start a Business If You Have a Day Job

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Noah Kagan © OkDork

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1. File > “Make a copy” ©

🤠
2. Use these tips to launch your own business
3. Good luck. Love, Noah.

Table of Contents

● Excuse #1: “I don’t have any good ideas”

● Excuse #2: “But I want to start a big business, not be a freelancer”
● Excuse #3: “I don’t have the time”
● Excuse #4: “I don’t have the energy”
● Excuse #5: “Everyone’s going to make fun of me”
● Excuse #6: You’re waiting for permission
● Excuse #7: “I’ll do it tomorrow”

Many of you out there probably want to start your own business — but you’re running into
roadblocks.

I don’t have the time.

I don’t have the energy.

I’ll do it tomorrow.

These “roadblocks” are just excuses, and we’re going to talk right now about how to minimize
these excuses so you can push past them and create the business (and life) you’ve always
wanted for yourself.

Let’s get into it.

Frequently Made Excuses

Excuse #1: “I don’t have any good ideas”

This is one of the most common reasons that people with a day job never get started.

And it’s hogwash!

Of course you have great ideas — you just aren’t paying attention to them.

So many people fall into the trap of thinking you need a revolutionary business idea to get
started. But you don’t! Your business ideas can be simple and still be successful.

And, there are SO MANY proven business models out there that you can straight up copy and
make a lot of money with!! So you don’t even have to come up with a completely new idea.

So how can you come up with good business ideas even if you don’t think you have any?

Take Inventory of Your Skills

Figure out what you’re an expert at and monetize it. But don’t just think about business related
things! Maybe you’re an expert at flower arranging, dog walking, or always you find the coolest
new apps! You’re probably really experienced in something — even if it is really niche.

Often we don’t realize what we’re good at because it comes so naturally to us — so ask your
friends! Ask your best friend, wife, husband, colleague what kind of business they can imagine
you starting? Text 2 people right now.

Or what do your friends come to you for? Think of the people you’ve talked to in the past 30
days — what have they asked you? Example: for me it’s advice about YouTube.

And don’t forget to consider any creative hobbies you have on the side. Do you bake cookies?
Brew your own beer? Are you really good at yoga? Do friends and family always ask you to pet
sit?

You might not realize it, but you’re an expert at something.

And that something can be monetized.

Find the People & Businesses that Need Your Help the Most
Another great way to come up with business ideas is to find people or businesses that
need your help.

How?

● Check Marketplaces: Marketplaces are great because they show you which products
and services people are already buying and selling. Look on TaskRabbit, Thumbtack,
Fiverr, Upwork, Etsy, and of course, the AppSumo Marketplace for ideas.
● Online Communities: Join all the local freelance gig Facebook groups and see what
other people are doing. Here are some examples: Cult of Copy group for copywriters,
Stuff to do in Austin if you want to be a tour guide or host cool events, or Austin Startups
if you want to help entrepreneurs who are starting a business with any services (legal,
design, market research, etc.).
● Leverage Your Network: Check with any connection you know from your current job to
see if they could take on as a client on the side.
● Do Free Work for Your Dream Clients: This strategy is great because it gets your foot
in the door — who turns down free work?? Plus it gives you an opportunity to impress
them and become indispensable to their business. And if you do a good job, free work
almost always turns into paid work.

Excuse #2: “I want to start a big business, not be a

freelancer”
One of the most common excuses people say is that they want to start a big business like
Google or Facebook — they don’t want to be a freelancer and trade their time for money.

But guess what — those people are still making $0 by not starting.

Every big business starts with ONE customer. So don’t focus on the scale of your business just
yet — just focus on starting. Focus on getting that first customer and that first sale, and that will
give you the confidence to go after so much more.

Plus, if you start as a freelancer and get consistent customers rolling in, you can start hiring
people to do the work for you and scale your operation as you grow. Or, you could use software
to automate your business and become a tech company.

Just because you start as a freelancer, doesn’t mean you have to stay as one. You can always
grow it into a bigger business.
But just start it first by getting one customer.

Excuse #3: “I don’t have the time”

The number one thing to think about if this is the excuse you tell yourself is…

What is your dream?

Is it your dream to have a day job?

Don’t get me wrong — lots of day jobs are great! And they can be a great way to make a lot of
money and have a comfortable living — but if you’re reading this right now then you’re probably
looking for something more.

So write it down — “Where do I want to be?”

Maybe you just want some side income, maybe you want to explore your creativity and make
money from it, or maybe you do want to run your own business in the future. So write down
what your dream is.

Now consider what you’re willing to give up. Because there is a trade off.

You won’t be able to watch Netflix every night or you might have to give up a weekend or a
lunch break or a happy hour — but the truth is, you have the time if you make the time.

So, start auditing your time.

How are you spending it? And is how you’re spending it getting you closer to that dream you
wrote down or not?

Everyone has a weekend to change their life.

Maybe it won’t be a weekend for you depending on your life and commitments, but it can be an
hour before work, your lunch break, or an hour after work — wherever you can make time.

And if you’re having a hard time making time — ask the people around you for help. See if you
can get more support from your friends or family to take one thing off your plate or ask your
work if they’ll allow your schedule to be more flexible. If they won’t, consider getting a job that’s
less demanding and more flexible.
There’s always an option. Find something that works for your life.

Excuse #4: “I don’t have the energy”

Something that’s really important to point out here is that your business should be something
that adds energy to your life, rather than take it away.
Find the thing that adds energy to your life and is going to make it better.

If your business is draining your energy, you’re never going to want to work on it and you’re
going to procrastinate on it and never want to make time for it in your schedule.

That’s no way to start a successful business.

So if you find yourself starting businesses but you’re not excited about them and instead, you
actually dread spending time on them — try something else! You’re way less likely to succeed at
doing something you hate, so find something you’re excited about instead.

But don’t fall into the trap of quitting on something too soon. Make sure you give it a good try
first and build up some momentum before you decide whether or not it’s draining or adding
energy into your life.

Excuse #5: “Everyone’s going to make fun of me”

This excuse is just your brain’s way of trying to keep you safe.

It’s trying to convince you to do what everyone else is doing so you’ll fit in and everyone will like
you and you won’t be left out by the group. This is a very primordial part of your brain talking to
you — and it’s not the truth.

Remember this: The people doing the things you want to do will never make fun of you for trying
and succeeding, or trying and failing. It’s the people who are behind you — the people who
think small and live small — who try to keep other people small, too.
So you can’t let this excuse stop you. Practice putting yourself out of your comfort zone and
getting rejected to really exercise this muscle. Because sticking out and standing out from the
crowd really is a muscle you can exercise and you can do it by getting rejected.

Practice getting rejected with the Coffee Challenge.

What’s the Coffee Challenge?

Anytime you buy coffee, ask for 10% off.

Simple.

All you have to do is ask for 10% off and usually the cashier will look at you funny and ask why
you want 10% off — but don’t make up another excuse! Just say because you want one. And
they’ll still probably look at you funny and say no.

And guess what?

You’ll be fine! You’ll get rejected, but you’ll be fine.

The purpose of Coffee Challenge isn’t actually to get the 10% off. It’s to get rejected. And to get
comfortable being rejected. So if you’re afraid of starting a business and everyone making fun of
you, go practice getting rejected and realize that it doesn’t kill you, and then go after your
dreams!

At the end of the day, business is all about exchange of value: Can you give me this amount of
money for my service that I’m providing? If you can get more comfortable asking people for
things, you’ll be more likely to have a successful business.

Excuse #6: You’re waiting for permission

If you’re reading this — then your permission is granted.

Permission to start a business, to succeed — to do what you’ve always wanted to do. If you’ve
been waiting around for someone to tell you you can do it. This is your permission.

The super successful entrepreneurs out there, they don’t wait for permission! They don’t say
“Can I do this?” they just go out there and do it. They don’t wait for people to let them. They go
out there and get it.
So go out and get yours!

Yes, you.

People who start businesses and get successful at them aren’t special. They’re super normal.
Some of them just got lucky and they ran with it and made the most of whatever they did. And
you can do that too.

Stop waiting for permission. Just go out there and get it.

Excuse #7: “I’ll do it tomorrow”

This excuse is the silent killer of so many unstarted businesses.

DO NOT let yourself fall into this trap.

It’s so easy to push off starting your business until tomorrow.

“Oh the game is on, I’ll watch that and work on the business tomorrow”

“Today was crazy and I have to get up so early, I’ll just do it tomorrow”

“What difference does it make? No one will know. I’ll just start it tomorrow”

And suddenly it’s one month, two months, or twelve months later and you STILL haven’t started.

The best way to get yourself out of the “I’ll do it tomorrow” mindset is to put a limit on your time.
Give yourself 48 hours, get 3 customers, and aim to make at least $100.

That’s the million dollar weekend formula right there.

You don’t have to do anything fancy like set up a website or create a whole product or do any of
the other shit you’d normally do to procrastinate even more. Make it a challenge: You have 48
hours and you have to do everything in your power to get at least 3 customers and $100.

Why?

Because you’ll take all the time you give yourself in order to get your business started. If you
give yourself 48 hours, you’ll take 48 hours. If you don’t put a limit on it then you’ll never finish it.
So change your life this weekend. You can do it in 48 hours.

What it does is it removes all the excuses and forces you to get creative and focused on what
the problem is that people are actually having that YOU can solve.

Sure, you might have to scale down and start smaller. But you can still do it.

Quit the excuses & just make it happen

You’re not alone. You’re not the first entrepreneur to have these excuses running through your
brain and you definitely won’t be the last. But the key here is to not let the excuses take over.

Don’t let them stop you from starting.

The good news is — all of these excuses can be overcome. Give the suggestions a try, flex your
rejection muscle, limit your time to get started, and get customers rolling in. Once you get
customers and cash coming through the door, the momentum will keep you going.

And remember to make space in your life for your business. It’s not about having time, it’s about
making time. It may not be easy, but that’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur. Getting through
the hard stuff and finding a way to succeed anyways.

Go out there and make it happen.