Starting a business is a lot of hard work. Before taking the leap of leaving your career, consider asking yourself these 5 questions!

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Business

Starting a business involves a lot of hard work. Before taking the leap and leaving your job, ask yourself these 5 key questions first.

Hello, mom friends! It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new article for my working mom friends here. The last time we spoke, I shared with you Five Things for a Working Mom to Consider Before Making a Career Change. Since then, a lot has changed and I’m excited to share with you the new journey I’m on.

It’s hard to believe that just 10 months ago, I quit my corporate job of 10.5 years and found a more flexible work-from-home opportunity in the same industry. Part of me would love to tell you it was an amazing experience, but it wasn’t! It was actually quite horrible. However, I learned a lot about myself, my work style, and my true career desires. From this experience, I decided that it was time to take the leap and start my own online business.

Seven months after I left my corporate job, I jumped into full-time entrepreneurship. My blog, Redefining Mom, is the backbone of my business. While I am a blogger, I don’t consider that to be my title. I make money through multiple revenue streams. If you are interested in how I make money online, you can check out my blog income reports.

As I reflect on taking the leap of faith into my own business, I’ve come up with a few questions to ask yourself before you decide to follow suit.

Questions to ask yourself before starting a business

#1. Do you have what it takes?

One of the most surprising things I’ve experienced is brain fatigue. I’m not sure if this is a real thing or not, but I describe it as my brain constantly firing 24/7. Part of it is because I have so many great ideas, and the other part is that I have to make all the decisions.

I’ve quickly come to realize that I shut my brain off way more than I thought while I worked in corporate. My brain is so fried by the end of the day, I can barely answer my husband when he asks me the most basic of questions like “do you know where you put the extra rolls of toilet paper?” Toilet paper, what’s that?!

Starting a new business is tough—about 10x tougher than I originally anticipated. It’s important to keep that in mind. For most people, it is not a get rich quick scheme. I know for me it certainly isn’t!

#2. What will your childcare arrangements look like?

A lot of moms I know who run successful online businesses started out with the intention of achieving flexibility. For a lot of moms, this meant keeping their young children at home while they work.

I’m not going to say this is impossible. Speaking as someone who came from a corporate environment that always had dedicated work time, for me it is impossible. I learned quickly that the only way I could earn an income from my business was to continue sending my daughter to preschool.

I still have the ability to structure my work day differently than I did in corporate. I want you to ask yourself this question before taking the leap so you’re not caught unprepared if you find out that working at home with small children simply doesn’t work for you.

#3. What will your work day look like?

I never stop working. As they say, #thestruggleisreal! When your business is online and you carry a hotspot for the internet with you everywhere you go (your phone), turning off work is extremely difficult. As a matter of fact, I’m not so great at this.

I’ve determined that having dedicated work time during the weekdays is important to me. The problem I face is that I love what I am doing and have so many great ideas. I’m constantly on my phone, even during family time, which is a habit I need to break because it matters to me that I am more present with my family than I was before.

I recommend considering how you will structure your work hours before you start.

#4. Are you prepared to be the boss?

Being the boss means you will have to make tough decisions. It’s up to you to decide everything. I’ve been doing this full-time for about three months now, and I’ve already had to fire a client. It was an uncomfortable situation but one I am proud I’ve worked my way through already.

If you don’t enjoy making decisions, I would reconsider your choice to run a business. I’ve learned that blogging as a hobby is much different than running a blog as a business.

#5. Do you understand why?

Last but not least, why do you want to start a business? Is it simply because you hate your job? Or, is it because you are truly passionate about creating your own company?

I had to think long and hard about this myself. A lot goes into setting up a business, from finances to long-term growth plans. Starting a business can be both thrilling and scary at the same time.

I always tell people to think long and hard about their reasons for wanting to quit their job. I’ve found that a lot of times the reasons they come up with could be resolved by either asking their employer to make a concession or finding a new job with a different company. Many people see starting a business as a way out. I would say that for me, it was a way out of corporate. I wouldn’t say it has been easier.

If you have a strong understanding of why you want to start a business, it will help you weather the bad times and enjoy the good times a lot more!

So, should you start a business?

If you’ve taken the time to think through all of these questions and you still feel the fire burning inside of you to put your message into the world—I’d say yes!

Starting a business involves a lot of hard work. Before taking the leap and leaving your job, ask yourself these 5 key questions first.

How to begin

I’ve written a book called Busy Moms Building: 12 Steps to Running Your Own Online Business for Busy Moms (WMAG is an affiliate partner, so if you end up buying through this link, you’ll help support this site).

lessons I've learned about transitioning my career to being an online business owner while still balancing work and family. I share with you all the steps I wish I had known to take when I was getting started. The best part is, I've included a blueprint that will help you get up and running in just 45 days!

In the book, I share the lessons I’ve learned about transitioning my career to being an online business owner while still balancing work and family. I share with you all the steps I wish I had known to take when I was getting started. The best part is, I’ve included a blueprint that will help you get up and running in just 45 days!

My mission is to empower women to find flexible work arrangements that fit their family values. I hope you’ve decided to jodin me on your own business journey, but if not, I hope I’ve helped bring clarity to your career situation.

8 thoughts on “5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Business

  1. Number 1 is the real deal! Brain fatigue! There are some nights I stare at my computer with NO THOUGHTS. It’s definitely been a lesson in self-care and how important it is!

  2. Justin Peter says:

    Informative Post! Definitely Here are you Explained some of great point to starting a new business. I am also believe it and totally agree with you! I hope this information will very helpful to that people who are looking for such info. I much appreciated you for publishing this helpful and inspirational article. I am a writer and blogger. Now I am works as a freelance writer at Edubirdie. So if anyone get edu birdie creative writing service and advice for your any type of writing solution, I recommend their for visit our site and contact us. I have been works in this industry more than five years. Thanks

  3. Cassie Bender says:

    Thank you for this article! It’s quite useful and informative for those people who are thinking to start their own business. Actually, I want to add a few questions you should ask yourself before starting the business:
    – Who is my target audience?
    – What is my business model and how will I generate revenue?
    – What is my plan for scaling vs growing the business in the future?

  4. Thanks for the great info.
    When you want to start in business you should have a plan and understand what problems your business solves, in other words, what value your business brings to the market. I think marketing strategy is an important aspect too, as your current state and where you need to go in terms of scaling. As I work in mobile app development, it’s crucial to set realistic and measurable goals and develop a plan to achieve them.

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  6. Brenda Gray says:

    Thank you for sharing this valuable article on the important questions to ask before starting a business. It’s crucial to thoroughly evaluate various aspects and consider the potential challenges before embarking on an entrepreneurial journey. For those who are interested in starting a business that involves logistics or transportation, I came across an informative blog post on IoT-based GPS tracking software provided by A-Team Global. It offers insights into how technology can enhance business operations and ensure efficient tracking. If you’re curious, you can check it out here: https://a-team.global/blog/iot-based-gps-tracking-software/. Best of luck to all aspiring entrepreneurs out there!

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  8. tim kelly says:

    Are you thinking of starting your own business? Well, before you do, ask yourself these crucial questions from our friend Rush Analytics. Because let’s face it, jumping into entrepreneurship without doing your due diligence can be like trying to build a house without a blueprint – it may seem fun at first, but things will quickly go off the rails. So take heed of our advice and save yourself the trouble down the line. And don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you were too scared to ask for help. Check out Rush Analytics here: https://rush-analytics.com/ I hope this helps inspire you to write your own unique response! Let me know if you have any other questions.

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