In our online age of social media and uber-connectivity, starting an online business has never been easier. With a good Wi-fi connection, a few social media accounts, and some basic steps, you can start your online business in a matter of hours. And no, you don’t need to be particularly tech-savvy, well-connected or even well-versed in a particular topic in order to do so.
The first time I made money from my online business, I was shocked. As a conservative accountant raised in the traditional age of traditional businesses, I did not think you could actually set up a business online in a matter of hours. I was pleasantly surprised to note that not only can you do so, but you can actually build an extremely successful one at that.
If you’re thinking about starting an online business, you may be wondering where to begin. How do you go from watching everyone else build their own online businesses to creating your own? What do you have to do to launch this new online adventure? Can you start from scratch or do you have some pre-requisites to follow?
Here are a few simple steps to get you started from scratch, as long as you have access to a basic computer and Wi-fi connection:
Start with YOUR idea and develop your concept
Any business starts with an IDEA! In my experience in business and as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), most ideas come from a need in the market. If you already have your business IDEA, you can get started with it! If you don’t, think about a need you or other people around you may have. A success business answers a need, or a question, so it’s valuable enough for customers to spend their hard-earned money on. What do you see as a problem, a need or gap in the market? Could you build an online business that would solve this problem?
Through this process, it really helps to map out your thoughts in a logical way. A great tool to help with this is Mindmeister, an online mind-mapping tool aimed at helping organize your insights and ideas in a logical way. If you’re more of a pen-and-paper gal or guy, it could also be as simple as working through this process on a regular notebook page (my favorites are from At-A-Glance).
If you’re thinking about starting an online business, you may be wondering where to begin. How do you go from watching everyone else build their own online businesses to creating your own? What do you have to do to launch this new online adventure? Can you start from scratch or do you have some pre-requisites to follow?
Here are a few simple steps to get you started from scratch, as long as you have access to a basic computer and Wi-fi connection:
Start with YOUR idea and develop your concept
Any business starts with an IDEA! In my experience in business and as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), most ideas come from a need in the market. If you already have your business IDEA, you can get started with it! If you don’t, think about a need you or other people around you may have. A success business answers a need, or a question, so it’s valuable enough for customers to spend their hard-earned money on. What do you see as a problem, a need or gap in the market? Could you build an online business that would solve this problem?
Through this process, it really helps to map out your thoughts in a logical way. A great tool to help with this is Mindmeister, an online mind-mapping tool aimed at helping organize your insights and ideas in a logical way. If you’re more of a pen-and-paper gal or guy, it could also be as simple as working through this process on a regular notebook page (my favorites are from At-A-Glance).
Get an online presence
It’s never been easier to get an online presence as today. These days, you can get a website up and running in a matter of hours through WordPressor Wix. You can also use the help of web hosting companies like Bluehostor GoDaddy. You can even buy your own domain name, or the web site address you envision for your business, in the same breath.
I use Bluehostfor all my web hosting needs for The Corporate Sisterwebsite, and have been very satisfied with their services. Bluehost for instance, will link to WordPress to help you create your website or blog quickly and efficiently. I’m far from being tech-savvy (quite the opposite actually) and was able to build mine with Bluehost and WordPress pretty easily.
You can also start your business by creating offers to sell directly from websites such as Leadpages. Leadpagesallows you to create free or paid online offers to your targeted audience to grow your customer base and make money in the process.
You don’t necessarily need a website to have an online presence though. You can simply begin on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, which exposes you to millions of potential customers already. However, since you don’t own those platforms, you may want to be careful and build your own platform in the long run.
Build a connection with your audience
One crucial thing to do as you start your online business is to build a connection with your audience. You can do this by interacting with it on social media or on your website. A really powerful way to do it as well is to build an email list, so you can regularly correspond with individuals who subscribe to your newsletter in order to receive news from your business.
Mailchimpis a great tool for this, as it helps you build and send out your business news periodically.
Set up your accounting and payroll system
Although it’s easy to set up an online business, you also have to make sure that it’s financially sound. This is where your accounting comes into play. Whether you’re accounting-savvy or not, you can do this very easily with Freshbooks.
Freshbooks Accountingis perfect for freelancers, small business owners, as well as agencies, firms and consultancies. It helps you support your growing business with accounting tools and reports, from invoicing to expense and time tracking.
As for your payroll, if you need support, Gustois an amazing tool providing payroll, benefits and HR tools and services.
Identify resources to help you
As you start your online business, you will wear many hats, including CEO, social media manager, secretary, etc. This is why you want to identify and use resources to help you, such as Amazon Business, which tailors all kinds of business services and products from office to restaurant supplies to what you need!
Need custom designs? 99 designs helps you with original designs for your logos, book covers, websites and so much more! For any writing need you may have, you can’t go wrong with Grammarly, which offers automated proofreading and plagiarism check. An absolute must-have in business! For all your visual needs, Tailwind is one of the best platforms to help you win on social media. The point is to use as many resources and tools you need so you can focus on doing what you do best!
Build your reputation
As soon as you’re in business, you want to build your reputation and establish your expertise by sharing it. One great way to do it online is by teaching what you know, and charging for it. You can do this by creating courses for instance, through platforms like Thinkific, which allows you to create, market and merchandise your knowledge.
The more you can share your expertise, the more your ideal audience will trust you and buy from you!
Keep learning!
Last but not least, starting your online business also means always keeping yourself at the cutting edge of your field. Keep learning as much as you can about your industry trends and changes, and refresh your knowledge.
If you feel like you need to go back to school for that MBA or Law degree to push your business to the next level, the Princeton Reviewcan help you with taking the related standardized tests and get into the school of your choice.
Whether you’re gearing up for a new position, jumping ship into a new career entirely, or preparing for an upcoming interview, half of the battle is showing up, and showing up well. Which brings about how you dress and your professional wardrobe. You’ve heard the saying before: “Dress for the job you want”. Yet, in the midst of work obligations, business calls, and family to-do’s, focusing on your wardrobe can be a stretch.
I used to consider investing in my professional wardrobe as a non-priority item on my to-do list. Shopping for conservative suits and elegant blouses was not quite as fun as foraying into the latest fashion trends around. It also explains why revamping my professional wardrobe was always put on the back burner. Yet, as I switched careers, and also became an entrepreneur, I found myself in front of audiences as a speaker, which forced me to re-consider how I dressed, and what dressing for the job I want really means for me. With two kids in tow, a household to manage, and not enough time to get everything done, I was left with solving the dilemma of dressing for the jobs I wanted, on a budget and without too much unnecessary headache.
Considering my shopping trips are now limited for fear of having the whole department store on lockdown because my son wants to play hide and seek, and the significant decrease in my patience genes post-babies, I’ve had to find a system. I no longer wanted to hide from my kids and spend hours at the mall fishing for something professional yet fun. Neither was I attracted by the prospect of
Here are some tips for any busy, time-starved, on a budget working woman and mom to put a fresh spin into your professional wardrobe:
Rent!
Got a special work event and nothing to wear? Or maybe you’re just tired of your same old work outfits, and want a change without the commitment of buying? You can rent work styles at Rent-the-Runway, ranging from distinctive knit dresses to polished tops.
Get it personalized!
Did you know that you can get your professional wardrobe personalized to your taste and office dress code? Companies like MM.LaFleurhelp you do just that! After you answer a few questions aroud your style and office dress code, MM.LaFleurbuilds your personalized Bento box, which consists in an assortment of work clothing put together for you. Once you receive your Bento box, you can decide what to keep and what to return.
Clean up your current wardrobe
First things first, take a look at your current work wardrobe. Is it packed with clothing you haven’t worn in the past six months? One of my cardinal fashion rules nowadays is: “If I haven’t worn it in the past six months, it’s got to go.” It’s helped me clear out the clutter (hello Marie Kondo), while being able to have a clearer picture of what I actually own. I was surprised to find out that in the middle of my wardrobe mess, there actually were some beautiful pieces I couldn’t even see before.
Invest in basics
You cannot underestimate the positive effect of quality undergarments such as Spanxshapewear on anything you wear, especially at work. My go-to’s, like this Spanx higher power shaping brief, are among my favorites.
You’re in charge of your career. Let me say this again: You’re in charge of your career. Which also means that you can make the decisions and take the steps needed to craft the type of work in which you flourish and fulfill your purpose. This also means that contrary to public opinion, your career success doesn’t depend on your boss, your company, or even the state of the economy.
I used to believe you needed a perfect alignment of all the right planets and chakras to create a successful career. That you need a supportive boss, the right opportunities, strong mentors, and a company that believes in your talents. Don’t get me wrong, all these are certainly needed in anyone’s work evolution and growth. Yet, what I found out, is that they’re not necessarily make-or-break deals. You are the only make-or-break deal in your career. That is, if you take full and complete responsibility for your work.
Here are a few ways you can keep taking charge of your career, or regain control over the work you do:
Change the story you tell yourself about work
Much of our lack of success at work is linked to negative mindsets. If you’re telling yourself you will never succeed, or that your boss’ lack of support will end your career, chances are, that’s exactly what will happen. Instead, change the story you tell yourself about your career.
Re-frame obstacles and failures into learning opportunities. Learn to see stumbling blocks into stepping stones, and focus on the fact that nothing can prevent you from succeeding.
Show excellence
One way we lose control over our careers is by giving up on the quality of our work. It can be tempting to do just the bare minimum in a toxic work environment. We may make more mistakes when we’re unmotivated and don’t see a path to success.
Instead, decide to show excellence in everything you do. If you’re sweeping the floor, do it with excellence. If you’re writing a mundane email, do it as well as you can. Someone is always watching who has the power to bless your career. Besides, you’re not working for your boss, you’re working to learn and build a solid professional reputation. So show up with excellence.
Get committed to constant learning
Learning is one of the strongest competitive advantages you can garner in and outside of work. The more you learn, the more you have to offer, and the more indispensable you become.
Don’t settle for the degree or certification you already have. Instead, strive to keep up with your industry trends by going back to school with tools such as the Princeton Review.Take online classes with sites like Udemy or Thinkific. Learn a new IT system. Read books, even if you have to do so on the go with softwares like Audiobooks. Talk to experts in your field. The more you learn, the more you know. The more you know, the more marketable you are.
Opportunity is everywhere: Use it!
Contrary to public opinion, your manager does not hold all the opportunities available to you. He or she may be able to block some opportunities coming your way; but they cannot limit all all of them. You must learn to see opportunity all around you, instead of waiting to be offered a chance to show your skills and talents.
Where is there a need in your team, department, or business? What can you help improve or bring to the next level? How can you volunteer to use your abilities? Identify and take opportunities around you. It may be helping out in a different team, volunteering for a good cause or a different company, or simply speaking up in a large meeting. Take the opportunity where you find it, and run with it!
Build financial stability
What does financial stability have to do with taking charge of your career? Here’s the thing: the less financially stable you are, the more dependent upon your job you are. Which means you may feel trapped at a company or position that is not the right fit for you for the money!
Not having financial stability can lead you to believe that you have limited career options. When you have money in the bank, some savings and financial resources to tap into, you’re freer to make the right career decisions for you. You can decide to leave the job, take an unpaid but favorable internship, or jump ship and start your own business.
Take risks
You learn the most when you step out of your comfort zone, which can mean taking risks in your career. Maybe the next level in your work means leaving your current company and starting your business. Or you may have to make a lateral move into a different department to use your skills and talents to the maximum of your potential. Or you may have to leave your current mega-company for a smaller start-up to follow your passion.
Whatever the case may be, you’ll never fully feel in control of your career until your get comfortable risking your work outcomes.
Build a network
Your network is truly your net worth. There’s a wealth of information and opportunities in the people around you. This is why it’s crucial to build and nurture the right network for you. With the right people around you, you can get the connections and information to build the career of your dreams.
Make a point to attend at least one networking event every month. Keep in touch with your current network, including your mentors. Build a give-and-take relationship with your connections, and ask for what you need.
Start your side hustle
Side hustles are the new job security. By starting your own business on the side, you’re giving yourself a chance to pursue your passions, while freeing up extra cash. This can make you happier, while lessening the pressure to stay at a job that may not be for you.
Besides, the skills you’ll acquire starting and running a side hustle can help you in your day job as well. All around a win-win.
Commit to your personal growth
You’re not just an employee. You’re an all-around individual with a full life to live and grow through. The more you give yourself permission to evolve into the best version of yourself, the more you can show up at work as the woman or man you were created to be.
So take the trip, read the book, take care of yourself. Take the time to have hobbies and passions outside of work. Nurture your relationships, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and learn from them. The richer your personal growth, the richer your career.
Release what’s weighing you down
One of the reasons why we’re not always as successful as we could or would want to be at work is due to all the “unnecessary” stuff we carry with us. That includes negative mindsets, people-pleasing attitudes, anger, bitterness, resentment, and just putting too much on our plates overall…
The more you learn to release all this heavy baggage, the freer you are to excel in your career. You can then truly own the kind of career you deserve.
It was a Friday afternoon, and I had logged into the NASBA website to check on my latest CPA exam section results. My heart was beating so loudly I could anticipate it exploding out of my chest. The kids were rolling on the floor, which honestly needed to be cleaned by now, but I had to fold the laundry first. I took a deep breath and clicked on the screen. My heart dropped.
I had failed, at both sections of the exam. I mean, failed, failed, not anywhere near the required 75 to pass, but at an abysmal distance from it. I had failed, yet again, at this exam that I could not seem to pass. Truth be told, I had barely studied for both parts, as I desperately tried to cram the night before. Kinda like I did when I ‘d fall asleep on my Princeton Review books while cramming for my GMAT to get into graduate school. Tears were forming in the corner of my eyes, as I yelled at the kids to stop licking the floor. I had failed miserably, and my floors were ridiculously dirty, and it was Friday, and my entire week-end/life was ruined. Plus I hadn’t had lunch yet… I picked up the phone and called a trusted family member. I needed to vent. I don’t remember the conversation, but I’ll always remember what she said to me: “You know, when you have kids, you cannot do as much. Maybe you should let the CPA exam go and focus on your family.” She meant it in a comforting, soothing way. And for a second or so, I was comforted and soothed. The next second, something rose inside of hungry, battered, exhausted self, as I thought: “ But why can’t I be a good mom and follow my dreams?”
How many of you, hard-working moms, have asked yourself the same question, as you stared at your astronomical pile of laundry, your less-than-immaculate floors, or that presentation you had to finish while breast-feeding your baby? And how many times did someone, whether a trusted family member or friend, kindly comforted you by gently admonishing you to break up with your dreams for the sake of your family? Or how many times did you guilt yourself into thinking that because you have kids, you’re no longer allowed to dream for yourself?
I often hear women say that they’re taking a break in their career or business to focus on their family. Or that now that they have kids, it’s no longer about them. Don’t get me wrong, I understand and empathize with the nobleness and self-sacrificial call of motherhood as a whole. I understand that once we become moms, things change and are never quite the same. That former priorities are re-prioritized, schedules arranged and lives re-organized to nurture the precious lives entrusted to us.
Yet, while our kids should be our priority, should they also be the excuses we hide behind not to achieve the fullness of our potential and live up to our God-given purpose? If we are to serve as models to our daughters and sons, ought we not to grow into and show up as the best versions of ourselves, while still being present and caring for them? Wouldn’t we want our daughters to see what it means to enter into the fullness of who we are, whether we do this as stay-at-home moms, business leaders, career women and/or partners, sisters, friends?
Like so many of us, I’ve wrestled (and still do) with these questions, trying to reconcile the practical side of being a working mom to the physical, mental and spiritual demands of living in one’s purpose. I don’t believe there is any right or wrong answer, or that there’s some imaginary “motherhood” line traced in the sand of our existences. What I believe is that we all have our unique process, our unique journey, and our unique answers to these deep questions. However, there are a few simple guideposts we can stand to use as we address these:
Define your priorities
As a working mom, things will come at you from everywhere, all at once. Family, home, work, money, relationships, all seem to create a mumbo-jumbo of commitments and never-ending obligations. This is where defining your priorities becomes crucial. What is most important to you? Where are you committed to pouring most of your energy? For me, it goes in this order: Faith, Self, Family and Work. When I get lost in the brouhaha of daily life, I remind myself of this to re-conceptualize my life and move forward.
Understand what makes you come alive, that is Purpose
What makes me come alive and jump out of bed in the morning? Writing and teaching. While I dabbled with many other interests over the years, I finally came face-to-face with my truth. What is yours? What is the word, or the couple of words, that make you light up and get up out of bed? That is Purpose, and that is where you will do your best work.
Everything else other than your priorities and your Purpose is not essential. Let me repeat this: If it’s not part of your priorities, or aligned with your Purpose, it’s not essential. When faced with any decision or action, ask yourself: “Is this aligned with my priorities or my Purpose?” If the answer is not, then it may have to be relegated to a later free time, or eliminated altogether. It’s not mean, it’s decisive, and it’s to serve your Higher good.
Do you believe you can be a good mom and still follow your dreams?
I remember coming home with my first baby, not having a single idea how I was going to care for this new life. I had all these gigantic, larger-than-life expectations about what I could, and would, be doing as a new mom. Little did I realized that as a working, I would have to re-calibrate most, if not all, of these expectations I had for myself.
Fast-forward almost 10 years later, and my definition of motherhood, as well as my intentions, goals and expectations have drastically changed. For the better, I have to say. I’ve learnt to stop holding myself to impossible standards, such as reading to my babies every single night, or feeding them home-cooked meals every single day. I’ve also given up on comparing my mothering style to that of other women, constantly questioning whether I was doing a good or totally lousy job at it. All in all, I finally made peace with re-defining motherhood as my own brand of working mother, minus the guilt, false beliefs, and the crushing weight of society’s opinions.
Being working moms has absolutely pushed the boundaries of what motherhood has always meant for women and society alike. As working mothers, we’ve had to couple our own unrealistic expectations with that of the world around us, while still striving to shatter glass ceilings and brick walls in the same breath. Then we’ve started wondering why we never quite feel satisfied, bathing instead in a constant cloud of exhaustion and self-doubt. We’ve desperately tried to hold on to the sanctity of traditional motherhood, what with its perfectly ironed bed sheets, prepared meals, and sparkly-clean households. Except we’ve also managed to add to the mix unending to-do lists, corporate ladders and business board meetings. We’ve tried to lean in, only to realize that we were instead leaning out of alignment with ourselves. Now, many of us are slowly stepping back, re-evaluating our own definitions of what it truly means to be a working mother.
For me, redefining my own brand of motherhood has been quite the process, as I struggled, like so many other working moms, with fitting into the “perfect mother” box. From desperately attempting to make it to every soccer game, to minimizing fast-food trips, not to mention keeping up with the astronomical amount of laundry piling up at the speed of the light, I stretched beyond my own personal, physical and spiritual boundaries. Until I could no more… Until it was necessary to find a new name, a new system and some new sense to this thing called being a “working mom”…
This is what it meant for me, and what it may also mean for you, as you journey through your own process of re-defining motherhood for yourse:
Learning to get the help we need:
As I spoke with many working moms around me, I realized how hard it can be for us to ask or get the help we need. Popular culture has turned supermoms and superwomen into such icons to be venerated and celebrated, that most of us have succumbed to the unrealistic call. In the process, we’ve forgotten that it’s ok to ask and get the help we need.
I know I had. Until I gave in and invited services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh into my life, freeing up both mine and dear hubby’s evenings and weekends by ordering out. Or until I made room in my budget to hire someone to help me with housework. I have to say, it took me some time not to feel guilty about what I considered then to be indulgences, but quickly realized were life and sanity-savers. Or to refrain from sharing this with friends and family, for fear of being judged. Without the pressure of having to do it all, I could finally do simple things like sit on the couch with my husband, actually play with my kids, and stop complaining about not getting a haircut in months, minus the guilt and sleepless nights…
Being more present
Piling more on our to-do lists as working moms has also forced us to give up on being present, as partners, friends, sisters and mothers. There are not enough hours in a day, so we unconsciously do more and live less. We’ve traded in being fully present in our lives, for lists of accomplishments and shiny, photo-shopped pictures on Instagram.
I’m re-defining motherhood as a working mom as simply being, instead of getting lost in the illusion of constantly doing. Which may mean leaving the dishes unwashed in the sink to have a conversation with the kids, or make it on time to the school play. Or putting the phone down during my son’s soccer game, and letting business happen as it would. Or just sitting in silence with myself, instead of mentally searching for one more item to cross off my duty list.
Investing in self-care
Self-care is not an indulgence. Let me repeat this again: self-care is not an indulgence. It’s an investment, one that requires of working moms to provide the effort, time and energy to pour into ourselves before, and because of our call to, pour into others.
I had wrongly defined motherhood as this unending roller-coaster of obligations and responsibilities, neglecting my own well-being. There was always something to do at home or at work, so there was no time to drop by the gym, read a book or hang out with the girls. How many of us negatively judge other working moms who take the time to exercise, have regular girls’ night out, or go back to school? Because shouldn’t motherhood be this sacrificial thing we dedicate ourselves entirely to, before trying to fit in everything (and everyone) else? Hence the myth of the frazzled mom escaping her life at Target on Saturday night….
I’m choosing instead to invest in the best version of myself so I can show up as the best individual, including the best mother, I can be. Which may mean re-arranging some priorities, freeing up some time, and putting my mask on before saving anybody else…
Building a legacy
I choose to re-define being a working mom as investing in building a legacy, from making sure we have a reliable life insurance policy to following my dreams, building the business, rising in my career to having the courage to craft my will. These are things I wouldn’t have time to think about before, let alone tackle, because I would lose myself in all the minute details of parenting, from serving as dedicated chauffeur to shopping the latest kids’ designs.
Yet, if we only could release the pressure on ourselves and lift our heads from the smoke of day-to-day details, we might start asking ourselves questions such as: “What am I leaving my kids?”, or “What impact am I really having on my family?”.
Because being a working mom is not just about crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s of our over-packed existences, but building a legacy we can leave behind. Because our kids may not remember how sparkly clean the house was when they were growing up, but they may very well recall how their working mother invested in their college fund, starter her own business, or built her best career…
How are you re-defining motherhood as a working mom?
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