There are six basic things to address before exploring other ways to Work Smart Not Hard.

Work Smart Not Hard Tip No. 31 in a series written for Indie Cambs.

I was asked to be a guest on a podcast to talk about the basics of Working Smart and the importance of being in a collaborative community. You can listen to the episode here https://coworkingvaluespodcast.substack.com/p/community-is-the-key-working-smarter

These are the six basic tips I talked about:

1. Vision

This doesn’t have to be a “changing the world” type of statement. It could be just about why you want to run your own business, what will it do for you and you family, what kind of life you want to live. People usually start their own businesses to have more freedom, choice, and autonomy.
The vision you have for how you want to live you life is what will keep you going on the days when you wonder why you’re doing this!

2. Need

If you don’t have a definite need, e.g., to earn enough money to live, then your business is more likely to be a hobby and it will be very easy to give up when things get tough.

3. Skills

You probably have the skills you need to create the product or service you want to make money from but do you have the skills to run a business? This is where most people struggle as trying to acquire all the skills you need can be very time consuming. Figuring out what you need to learn and what can be outsourced or delegated is the key to running a successful business.

4. Resources

Starting a business without enough resources is always going to a source of anxiety. It almost always costs more to set up and longer to start earning revenue that most people allow for. Having a cushion, a rainy day fund, and enough reserves to see you through until revenue is stable is essential. Not quite having enough revenue will also affect whether you have the courage to turn down work that doesn’t pay enough or is from people you don’t want to work with and that will impinge on your vision.

5. Plan

This is not about having a full blown business plan but about having a clear idea of where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. Whether it’s for five years, five months or five weeks, start with the end in mind and work backwards to create a plan. The alternative is to drift from one day to the next without feeling you’ve achieved anything.

6. Consistent Action

Building a business is a long game. If you don’t have a clear vision and a plan it’s very easy to be persuaded to keep changing your approach and get side tracked. Take consistent action and work towards your end goal for long term success.