Thinking of starting your own business? It’s a huge undertaking to hang your shingle out there and offer your services and time, but it can be done. In today’s economy, more and more people want to be their own boss for various reasons. Maybe you have something to offer the world and want to impact people’s lives, or maybe you have an entrepreneurial mindset and want to get your innovative product into the hands of many. The key to starting your own successful business is to combine both your passion with how you will be of service to others. What can you offer people that others cannot?

Business coach Rita Hovakimian of San Francisco based Inspiring Success, helps business owners achieve abundance and prosperity so they can reach their goals and the next level of success. “In order to have a successful business, you have to have a healthy and harmonious relationship with money and not have dysfunctional and distorted beliefs around money,” she says. Some of Rita’s advice for achieving success is to understand what your limiting beliefs are around success and making money. “Then, you’re going to be able to make the transformation that you have in this arena and bring it to the success of your business and every other area of your life!”

Getting clear on your reasons for going into business for yourself will take some soul-searching and will get you on your way to focusing on a specific area of your talents and ideas.

Here are some goal-setting exercises that will help you stay focused when starting your business:

  • Be sure every goal you create ties back to your mission and vision. This will help with long-term strategy, not just in the moment.
  • Make your goals descriptive. Each goal should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.
  • Write down a list of actions you will take to achieve your specific goals.

While people in your life may advise you against starting your own business or have something negative to say about what you’re doing, you’ll need to be mature and let them fall away from your circle. Remember to listen to your intuition and take those calculated risks because you are fearless and can achieve anything your heart desires.

By Shelley Karpaty