Listen, starting a business can be scary, overwhelming and,simply put... hard.

And on top of all that, most people don’t even know where tostart.

Some people have a blueprint. Maybe entrepreneurship runs intheir family, or they grew up watching someone build a business from the groundup. But a lot of us? We’re the first in our families to do this, which meanswe’re starting from the bottom.

And that’s okay. The rose-through-the-concrete stories arebetter anyway, right? Lol.

As much as I love a good underdog story, there are somethings about entrepreneurship you’re simply going to learn through experience.You’ll make mistakes. You’ll change your mind. You’ll probably spend money onsomething and six months later wonder, Nowwhy did I buy that?

That’s part of it.

But there are also some things you should know before you go.

You ever get all the way to the entrance of a concert onlyto find out your bag is too big? Now you have to walk ALL the way back to thecar because nobody told you about the bag policy.

Starting a business can feel a lot like that.

So, in no particular order, here are five things I wish Iknew before starting my first business.

1. Starting a business takes more discipline than working for someoneelse.

One of the biggest appeals of entrepreneurship is being yourown boss.

No manager. No asking for PTO. No random meeting thatprobably could’ve been an email.

Sounds great, right?

But being responsible for an entire company comes with adifferent level of pressure.

When you work for an established organization, there areusually people handling things you barely have to think about: HR, payroll,accounting, communications, insurance, marketing, legal, technology andoperations.

When you start a business, especially in the beginning, you may be all of those departments.

CEO at 9:00. Customer service at 10:00. Marketing departmentat noon. Payroll at 3:00. And somehow you’re also supposed to sell the thing.

That doesn’t mean you need a huge team from day one. It doesmean you should understand all the functions your business needs to operate —and be realistic about which ones you can manage yourself and which onesrequire help.

2. Even as the founder, you still need help.

You’ve heard the saying: Jack of all trades, master of none.

Top-five professional-world quote. 😂

Entrepreneurs love wearing all the hats because it makes usfeel like some kind of business unicorn. But the truth is, some people aresimply better at certain things than you are.

And that’s a good thing.

Your job as the founder is not to personally be the bestaccountant, graphic designer, attorney, marketer, salesperson, web developerand operations manager alive.

Your job is to buildthe business.

Especially when you’re launching, getting the right peopleinvolved in the areas outside your expertise can save you time, money and unnecessary mistakes.

That doesn’t mean hiring a full-time team or givingeverybody equity in your company. Consultants, freelancers and subject-matterexperts can fill specific gaps without becoming permanent employees.

Know what you’re good at.

Know what you’re not.

And please stop trying to become an expert in everything byTuesday.

3. You need people you trust enough to talk through your ideas with.

There’s a misconception in entrepreneurship that youshouldn’t tell anybody what you’re working on.

Maybe you’re afraid somebody will steal your idea. Maybe youdon’t want anyone speaking negatively about something you’re excited about.

And sure, both things can happen.

But building a business completely in isolation can be justas dangerous.

Find a mentor — or a few trusted people — who actuallyunderstand the industry or space you’re entering.

Ask questions.

How does this industry really work? What mistakes did theymake early? What would they do differently? What makes businesses succeed inthis space? What causes them to fail?

You don’t have to take every piece of advice you receive.Use your own discretion and wisdom. But there is tremendous value in learningfrom people who have already walked some version of the road you’re about totake.

And remember: most business ideas are not completely new.

Someone knowing your idea isn’t what determines yoursuccess.

Execution does.

How you do it, who you serve and the experience you createare what make your business different.

4. Yes, you probably need money to start a business.

I know.

The whole reason you’re starting the business is to makemoney, and now I’m telling you that you need money first.

Rude.

But the cliché is true: it takes money to make money.

Every business is different, and some businesses are muchcheaper to launch than others. Still, startup costs are real.

There are the obvious expenses you plan for — registrationfees, inventory, equipment, a website, packaging or marketing.

Then there are the expenses that show up like, Surprise! Betyou forgot about me.

Insurance. Software subscriptions. Payment-processing fees.Shipping materials. Professional services. Licenses. Taxes.

Before launching, figure out what it will actually cost toget your business running.

Then create a strategy for getting there.

Maybe that means saving for six months. Starting smaller.Keeping your full-time job while you build. Pre-selling. Finding a partner.Applying for funding.

The answer will look different for everybody.

The important thingis knowing your number.

5. Study. Study. STUDY.

Starting a business is basically an open-book test.

So use the book!

Study the industry you want to enter from every angle.

Read stories about successful founders.

More importantly, read stories about businesses that failed.

Research your competitors. Look at pricing. Study customerbehavior. Understand market size and trends. Look at realistic financialprojections. Read reviews from customers in your industry and pay attention towhat people complain about.

There is so much information available before you ever sellyour first product or service.

Use it.

You don’t need to know everything before you start — becauseif you wait until you know everything, you’ll probably never start.

But there’s a big difference between learning as you go and walkingin blind.

The Bottom Line

There will never be a perfect time to start a business, andthere will never be a checklist that protects you from every mistake.

Some lessons simply come with entrepreneurship.

But you don’t have to make every mistake yourself.

Learn from people who have done it. Know your numbers. Askfor help. Study your industry. Build the discipline to keep going whenentrepreneurship stops feeling exciting and starts feeling like...well, work.

Because it iswork.

But when you’re building something you believe in?

It can be some pretty rewarding work, too.

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