How to Retire in 12 Months

Many people who have a job would rather have their own business; no surprises here! The amount of people willing or confident enough to start a business while they are working is much less. Everyone has their reasons, however if your reason is fear of the unknown, here are a few tips that will help you on your way…

Choose something you are passionate about

If you are new to business one of the most important things I can recommend is to choose something you are passionate about. The reason for this is simply motivation when the going gets tough. If your business is a genuine extension of you and the things that you love, you are more likely to stick with it in the hard bits. And yes, there will be some hard bits!

Look for how you can share a passion in a way that may entertain, inspire or inform other people who have the same interests. Building a content based website based on your experiences, thoughts and opinions will create a website that is uniquely you. If you want a detailed description of how to do this, check out my book 

Commit time each week to making it happen

If you are juggling a job, a social life and a family as well as a new business, guess what could end up as a lowest priority?! You need to be committed in making time for your business, every week, and preferably every day. Two-three hours of focused attention each day can be enough to get your internet business working for you, so don’t skimp on it! It is certain that you will find a million “too busy” reasons to not work on your business, so this will be one of your most important commitments.

Get a coach and mentor who has experience in making business happen

The only way to get experienced in business is to get stuck in, and yes, you will fail sometimes and learn things the hard way! I highly recommend getting a coach and a mentor (or three) to share their experience with you and give you a head start. There is so much to learn with a web based business that other peoples experience can save you a huge amount of time and money as you progress.

note: In addition to your official coach and mentors, look to expand your network of people in similar business scenarios as you will have tips, applications, resources and epiphanies to share from your experiences.

Surround yourself with encouraging people – if you don’t know them yet, find them

There will always be plenty of people to tell you that you can’t achieve what you want to achieve! Seek out people who can see your vision, who believe in you and who will encourage and support you. If you already have these people appreciate them! If not, start networking as part of your business building. It is important that you have at least one person who won’t let you get defeated when times are tough or are there when you want to vent or celebrate.

Create an income goal

Figure out how much you need to earn to feel comfortable leaving your job and create a clear goal. Place this in a visible place and review your progress against this goal on a regular basis. This is your freedom goal!

Get started & be always learning

There is no time like the present. Take an action every day that will further your business. In the beginning it may be research, asking questions and brainstorming. Get creative and take action. This is where you may have plenty of excuses why you can’t, why the timing is not right or why it’s impossible. Remind yourself that these are excuses and get started. You can make changes along the way. You can adjust the direction along the way. You can make decisions along the way. If you have not started, you have nothing to work with.

Before starting a new website do the Website Planning for Start Ups eCourse , it will help you understand what you need to know, as well as help you plan for a website that will give you what you want. The more knowledge and experience you have the more confidence you will have, and there is much to learn in the ever changing world of internet business, so spend some time each week reading, learning and trying new things.

Be determined, flexible and motivated as life will get in the way

While you are managing a job, it is quite likely that you will not have enough time, resources or energy for your website at some or all times. No one does. Yet some people succeed. Be one of those people by being determined and motivated to keep at it whilst nimble in your approach. Success is never easy, and our lives are packed full of things that compete for our time and energy. Life gets in the way of so many dreams, so make a commitment that you will be unstoppable in doing what it takes to get what you want.

Remember that things may take longer than you hoped, and that is ok

Most of the people I meet are very impatient. They want results NOW! This is fine, and can be very motivating. It can also be demotivating when it doesn’t turn out the way that you expect. We seem to have very high expectations of ourselves when we go into business, even if we have no prior experience, and more often than not things take longer than you expect to work. This is not a failing; it is just part of the journey.

You never know what is around the corner, if you knew that your big break was going to happen in a week, would you work differently? What about in a month, or a year? Keep up the intensity, even if you can’t see an immediate result. Good things can take more time than we plan for. If you leave your job after 3 years instead of 1 year, I am pretty sure you would think it would still be worth it!

Having your internet business replace your job is something that is genuinely possible for many people. If you have a job that pays your bills while you set it up you are in a great position to try something that will give you a great experience and if you do it well, great results!

Update: The Website Launchpad course is now open! If you would like to get started with your first website, check out the Retire Young course page and register today!