The number 1 thing that you must do before you start your business, is to make sure that you have plenty of back up money!

You need back up money, or an extra job that you know you can fall back on, if the “funk hits the fan.”

Why?

When you start working from home, the money may not come right away, and if and when it does, you have to be able to create a steady stream of it.
So that you can concentrate on your new business, and new way of living, without having to worry about if you will have your rent, mortgage payment, and other incoming bills and expenses.

You will first need to wean yourself off of your present job, so that you can set yourself up to work from home, or conduct your business from anywhere in the world.

Always have something to fall back on, even if it's a former job-

and when you leave your former jobs, always try to leave on good terms

The very first time I left my job to start my first business venture in 2007, I did it all wrong. I just hopped up and left😬

As a young adult in college, I always had 2 jobs, so I don't know what was going on in my brain, where I felt like I needed to hop up and leave without a plan.

Not only that, I had a great business idea, and could have even partnered with the company that I left.

While seemingly having everything prepared for my new business, I hated the thought of having to go “bug” strangers. (Cold in person marketing.)

This was before social media! (So duh Tiff, how the heck do you plan on getting clients?? aaaaand you left a great job where you had Seniority!)

My bills started to pile up, and instead of marketing, I gave in, and decided to go back to being an employee!

Luckily for me, I had an excellent reputation with the company that I left.

Although I departed without notice, the owner excepted me back, and even said that he knew that something really deep must have been going on with me…

While the owner and manger welcomed me back to the company, and was very understanding of my situation, (they even admitted that they should have done a better job communicating with me about a few things) I was not able to get my same coveted seniority position.

I learned my lesson about not having a back up plan, and never wanted to make that same mistake again.

2 years later, while working at a Senior Care Agency, I noticed that the independent workers whom I worked closely with, did not have back up clients, or leads, whenever their clients didn’t need as much assistance, or if they sadly passed away.

Independent Care Workers seemed to be constantly stuck when they lost a client.

They were always frantically looking for new Seniors to care for-all while their income declined.

I promised myself that I would NOT be the one to always be desperately and frantically looking for clients.

So before I started my own small Senior Care Service, I weaned myself off of the agency that I was working for, and decided to work under my own business name.

I shortly began making more than enough money in my business with my own clients.

I still kept a close relationship with the agency, and agreed to continue to assist a couple of their clients that I adored, for back up.

I was also fortunate enough to have my first three independent clients, refer me to other Seniors and people with disabilities over and over again, so I did not have to do any marketing!

Having an a, b, c, d, and now, sometimes even an E plan, staying optimistic, and always having an open mind, keeps our family afloat, and confident in uncertain times.

I feel extra confident when I have back up economy proof plans.

We have also learned how to not live beyond our means, use cash for big purchases, and have back up money for emergencies.