This is going to sound extremely selfish of me to say, but I almost get offended when amazing people don’t start their dream business. It’s not my business (no pun intended) whether or not someone actually goes through with it, but as someone who is so passionate about brilliant women making an impact in their industry, I want to scream when I hear excuses about why something so amazing hasn’t been started. And yes, I consider them to be excuses. Not only does starting a business change your life, but (if you do it right), it’s meant to change the lives of others too.

I’ve witnessed plenty of intelligent creatives contemplate going after their dreams, and the ones who actually went for it have NEVER had a regret. It’s not whether or not they make money. It’s the fact that they went after something they wanted even if they were scared. Making a life change is scary, but you know what’s even scarier? Regret. There are 3 common excuses I hear from people who are not yet living their dream.

Here are 3 reasons people haven’t started their dream business and how to kick those excuses to the curb:

1. Lack of clarity.

It can be really intimidating entering a situation where there’s confusion. You feel like you’re walking down an unknown path with no eyesight, and I understand that it’s not fun at all. Fortunately, there are so many guides on the Internet to help you begin your journey. There’s this blog called MayaElious.com ran by this girl who gives a bunch of free advice on how to start your business. I don’t know, but you might want to check it out? She also has a few friends who give out amazing free advice, too.

TheAlishaNicole.com

ByRegina.com

Femtrepreneur.co

XOSarah.com

Find help where you can.

[Tweet “Do not allow lack of clarity to paralyze your dreams.”]

2. Lack of cash.

This is a HUGE one. I understand that you can only make it so far in business with free advice, no matter how valuable it is.  You have other expenses that need to be taken care of for you to really succeed.  Until you can come up with the funds, it’s so important for you to create a PLAN. What are the needs of your business and what are the wants of your business? What are you willing to sacrifice to make sure you get what you need? There’s been times where I’ve had to miss out on Taco Tuesday because my tequila funds were tied up for a business investment. No more spending money on things you WANT until you can afford what you NEED.

[Tweet “No more spending money on things you WANT until you can afford what you NEED.”]

I always tell people that if you don’t have the money then you better have the time. If you don’t have the money to pay a web designer, get on YouTube and learn how to start your own site from scratch. What are some things you can do by yourself until you can afford a professional to re-do it for you? What skill sets do you have that you could possibly barter for things you need? What are some ways you can barter your way into getting something that’s costly? I used to design for fitness training services. You can pretty much barter anything. #WillDesignForFood

[Tweet “If you don’t have the money then you better have the time.”]

3. Lack of confidence.

I’m learning that lack of confidence is just as paralyzing as not having any money. To be honest, many potential clients have the funds to invest in themselves, but they’re scared as hell. Fear of failure. Fear of not being good enough. I don’t know how many ways to explain that you ARE good enough. You know how I know you’re good enough? Because no one can be a better you than you. You know the types of things people say?

“But there’s so many other people doing XYZ…”

You’ll never believe this, but I’m actually not the only web and graphic designer in the world. I’m not the only blogger. I’m not the only coach. I know, I know. It’s so hard to believe. But waddya know,  I managed to be successful.  And you know what? I’m GLAD I’m not the only one in my profession because I would have no one to learn from. I don’t consider other bloggers, coaches and designers competition. I consider them inspiration. You know all those friends I listed above? They’re great people for me to collaborate with. I get to share their audience and learn from them. I would feel so lonely without them.

It’s not the profession that you choose that’s going to make your business successful, it’s you. That’s why having a personal brand is SO important when thinking about starting a business.

[Tweet “Haven’t started your business because you’re not confident enough? Read this.”]

So what’s your reason for depriving the world of your greatness? Whether it’s lack of cash, clarity or confidence, I’ve created a FREE email course to help you with all 3.

I call it the #PBJcourse.

1. Because PB&J is my favorite sandwich.
2. Because it stands for Personal Branding Jumpstart Course: The non-scary way to putting yourself out there on the internet.

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. Take a chance on yourself with my free course.