Deciding to go to business for yourself is scary. Admittedly, when I took the plunge into MKM, I was already a stay-at-home mom of four with no income, so it was less scary than many who have to contemplate leaving a salary and guaranteed benefits…but nonetheless, making the commitment to go to work for yourself, represent your customers and clients, and just put yourself out there is intensely frightening at times and give-it-all-to-God, sunshine-your-pocket, gloriously fulfilling at others.

So this week on MKM Live we’re tackling the best suggestions I’ve found in getting a small business off the ground. I won’t pretend to have all the answers or tell you I’ve got a step-by-step list that will guarantee success, but I will try to offer up some nuggets of inspiration if you’ve got the whispers of entrepreneurship inside you.

Here’s a list of Molly’s recommended tips and tools for your small biz, in no specific order:

1. Believe in yourself. If you start anything, the biggest key to your success is believing that you will be successful.
2. Work. You need to learn about your craft or skill and how to sell it, but first you need to know how to actually do what you’re trying to sell. So don’t look for quick and easy success. Get your nose down into the work.
3. Find a system for getting and staying organized. This may not happen all at once (I’m still working on a lot of it myself). But invest in a planner to keep your to-dos in line, a system for managing both the physical and the digital documents your business requires, and apps and systems that help you maximize your time and productivity.
4. Open a separate bank account for business tracking. Keeping it all in a separate place will help sooo much at tax time.
5. Personal habits. You need to get yourself healthy and cared for if you want a healthy business. So drink a lot of water, keep healthy snacks around, and express gratitude daily.
6. Caffeine. Because really, you’re gonna work your ass off.
7. Follow or work with someone who’s been there before. It’s always helpful to have a trusted sounding board when you’re wondering where your next step is or if you’ve got all your ducks in a row. Find people you trust and respect and emulate them. This can be a paid coach, an entrepreneurial friend or family member, or someone on social media who has a business podcast, just learn and grow from someone who you’d like to be more like.

For specifics on how I address each of these topics in Molly Knuth Media, and even a few more helpful suggestions, watch the full LIVE broadcast at www.facebook.com/mollyknuthmedia.

MKM LIVE_ Monday, July 9