In this era of instant fame, it’s no surprise that aspiring business owners may be fooled into thinking that there’s a fast pass to entrepreneurial success. Sorry to break it to you, but the world of entrepreneurship in no theme park, although there are many distractions.

The truth is business ownership is tough. There’s legal filings, financial reports, and customer acquisition, which are all the not-so-sexy but very necessary parts of owning a business. Let’s not even get into the paperwork involved when you decide to move your business — I’ll stop there before I make this too personal.

But there are many great things to starting your own business. The good news is that while it’s difficult, it is attainable. If you stay focused and work hard, you can open and run a successful business.

Before we dive into the meat of it all, let’s acknowledge that the road to business ownership looks different based on your access to capital as well as other factors. Money and demographics can create barriers to entry depending on the industry. So, identify the barriers and research how others have overcome them. Start by applying their tactics and reworking them as you see fit.

For the brave souls still reading. here goes nothing!

Tip No. 1: Silence the Voices

Before launching your business, there are so many things you need to do. The five that I highlight are important, but they are not everything. Do your research to make sure that you are well prepared.

When I got started, I struggled with the fact that my business — screen printing and embroidery — does not directly change lives. What I mean is that my initial business model did not involve any philanthropic activities, that … well, saved lives. I would hear about all these businesses that had a charitable element, but I just wanted to make quality printed T-shirts.

That leads me into my first “must do” before launching your business, which is silence the voices. Your business is just that — your business. Many people will have an opinion about how your business should be structured, but you have to trust your gut.

This doesn’t mean, however, that some voices aren’t valuable. For example, I strongly encourage entrepreneurs to engage in customer discovery before getting started. The needs of your customers are essential to your success.

It’s the other voices I’m talking about: the naysayers and unqualified experts. Make sure that your voice is the loudest.

Tip No. 2: A Business Plan

With your vision in tote, it’s time to map it out. The second step in the journey is to write a business plan. This is one of the unsexy parts, but in looking back at starting my own business, I understand the value. Drafting a business plan helped me prove to myself how serious I was about my business. It also inspired me to apply strategy to our operating plan and identify how we will scale.

I’m preaching to the choir here because as I type this, I realize that I should probably blow the dust off of my plan and update it because, of course, things have changed. It is a fluid document, but a first draft is necessary before launch.

Tip No. 3: Legal

I’d like to refer to the next part of the journey as “legal matters.”

Now that you’re focused and know your business model, you must take care of legal matters. That involves business formation filings, permits, licenses (state and city), federal tax registration, etc. These requirements vary by industry and state. A quick Google search using such keywords as “how to start a business in [your city]” should get you a solid outline.

Having gone through this recently, I encourage you not to let the paperwork frustrate you. If you need help with filings, locate small business resources in your city and get the help you need.

Tip No. 4: Create Hype

Let’s head to the part of the journey where we build the momentum. This is where things get exciting!

Creating hype about your launch is important. Let me say that again. Creating hype about your launch is important! If you’re selling a product, preorders are a must. If you have a service-based business, find the hottest product in the promotional market, brand it with your logo, and sell it via preorders to get a jumpstart on building a community.

Preorders also serve as a gauge of your business’s marketability and selling power. I wish someone told me this when I launched. At the time, which was during COVID, I was so shy about being the face of my brand that I only did a small Instagram live event. No preorders. But now that I know better, I’ll help you do better!

Tip No. 5: Launch Checklist

At this point in your journey, the launch should be about one month away. In an effort to cultivate a peaceful environment while you face one of the most stressful decisions in your life, you must create a launch checklist.

This is the home stretch of the journey. In order to hit the homerun, you need a clear and concise plan. Your launch checklist should be all-encompassing of your social media launch campaign, launch date, website testing, and order fulfillment preparation.

The key here is not to reinvent the wheel. There are some good launch checklists online. Find one that works best for you and your business and tweak it if necessary.

Outside of the launch checklist that you will share with your team, map out a self-care checklist for the day of. Include your meals for the day, your outfit should you be planning a launch event, and a self-care activity scheduled for after the launch to celebrate the victory! Your self-care checklist is important to help you finish strong, because the reality is it’s only the beginning — you need your strength for the real work.

If this helped you at all, give me a shout on IG (@teeguruusa). I’d love to support your launch!