You worked through your resistance to becoming an entrepreneur, and you’ve identified how you operate best. Now what?
Most people stall out here, thinking they need a complete roadmap before they take the first step. But you don’t need the entire plan, just one next move. And what that move is depends on what you’re building.
Last episode, we talked about 3 dimensions: who you work with, what you create, and how much flexibility or stability you need. Once you know that, you can map those dimensions onto possible paths, from starting your own company to buying a franchise.
This is part 3 of my short series called The Reluctant Entrepreneur. If you haven’t heard them yet, catch up on episodes 25 and 26. Today, we’re taking action – your first step to getting out of the corporate world and building something better.
Learning comes first
What constitutes action? I used to think that I was only making progress on my business when I was creating in a visible way. Posting stuff, setting up systems, designing a workshop. And sure, those are signs, but there is a lot of work that comes before.
The first move is about learning.
And thankfully, learning doesn’t require you to commit to anything permanent. You’re doing the legwork that leads to the experimentation phase, where you test out your ideas for what comes next.
One quick warning: if you’re anything like me, you may be thinking “oh cool! I can research online and read lots of books and then I’ll know what to do next!” It’s easy to confuse data gathering with progress. The goal here is to make your learning experiential. If all the knowledge you amass stays in your head, it won’t provide you with the real embodied feedback you need to test options.
Experiential learning means you feel something. You have a conversation that perks up your ears, or makes you think ‘nope, not for me.’ You look at the requirements for your chosen path and your stomach drops, or you feel relieved. You imagine a typical Tuesday in that life and notice whether you’re excited or exhausted. That’s the feedback you’re looking for.
Start with conversations
Before we go into specific actions for each path, start with the basics: talk to people who are already doing what you’re thinking of doing. You might need to tap your network or start asking around.
When you find people, tell them you’re in the initial research phase for your next career and you’d like to ask them some questions over coffee or the phone. People are generally happy to share their experiences, especially if you won’t be competing directly with them.
When you get together, ask them how their business is going. What were the big surprises along the way? What did they wish they knew sooner? How did they get their first clients? Take notes. Ask who else you should talk to.
As they talk, pay attention to how you’re feeling. They’ll tell you about their struggles and their wins. Do you feel energized by this? Competitive? Totally demoralized? Your reaction to these conversations is just as much information as what they’re telling you.
Once you have some initial intel from people on the ground, you can take the next action depending on the path you want to follow. Great news: it’s still learning.
Consulting/Fractional work
Going out on your own as a consultant depends entirely on whether there is a market for what you do. First find out if there are other people like you out there. You can search on LinkedIn for whatever you do plus consultant. If 10+ people show up calling themselves that, there’s a market.
Next, find out if there are contract agencies who regularly place people like you. You don’t have to upload a resume or sign up for anything – just check out a couple of websites to see if they are actively recruiting for roles that you could do.
Buying a business or franchise
The learning moves here start at home, since you’ll be looking at a sizable investment to get into any business. Do you have the funds for this? If not, do you know where you can get the funds? There is no point in starting to shop for businesses if you are uncertain about whether you can pull it off.
So talk to your financial advisor and get familiar with your spending. I see plenty of people avoid this critical step because they don’t want to face what they actually spend their money on. Or they believe that finding out will cause an immediate and brutal paring down of expenses. Not necessarily.
Understanding your cashflow and reserves will show you how much you can put toward a purchase and how long you can go before that business needs to make a profit.
Starting your own company
Inventors, I know you’re eager to get started right now. But your line of business can be quick to fizzle out. So the first thing to do is your own skills inventory. What are you great at, how do you know, and what skills do you have that you’d like to leave behind forever? If you aren’t sure I bet some current or former coworkers could help.
Then identify the gaps. In order to both create the company you want and maintain it, what do you need that you don’t already have?
If you plan to go solo but you’re not great at marketing, what tools or people exist that could help you? If you want to find a co-founder, what does that person need to be great at?
Write a one-paragraph job description for your ideal co-founder or your first hire. This forces you to clarify what YOU’re actually doing vs. what you need help with.
The Pattern You’ll Notice
This learning exercise does not require money, or for you to quit your job. Nothing here is carved in stone.
They all require about 3-5 hours this week. That’s it.
Most people who successfully leave corporate and build something sustainable spent months in the learning phase. They talked to people, sat with their reactions, and let clarity emerge gradually. The ones who skip this step and jump straight to execution are usually the ones who quit within a year because they chose the wrong path.
Doing this investigation helps you build the muscle of taking action on your own terms.
What Happens After the First Move
Once you take this learning action, you may discover you’re even more excited about the path you chose. Or you’ll see that the idea needs adjusting or retooling. Either way, your network will expand.
All of those outcomes are valuable. Because now you know something you didn’t know last week.
And that’s how this works. You don’t figure it all out and then start. You start, and then you figure it out.
What not to do
Here’s what NOT to do this week: Don’t research LLC structures. Don’t design a logo. Don’t make a list of businesses for sale. Those come later. Right now, you’re just learning.
Your Assignment
Pick the first move that matches your profile from Episode 26.
Do it this week.
Then ask yourself: What did I learn? What’s the next smallest step?
You’re not committing to a 10-year plan. You’re committing to one week of action.
That’s how reluctant entrepreneurs become actual entrepreneurs. One small, clear move at a time.
Burn the map. Build what fits.
