Getting your business going when you have a job and kids

Here’s what I’d tell myself when I worked a 9-5 and the kids were really young:

Put the first things first. Family and health.

Keep chipping away.

Don’t be “busy”. Do things that move the needle. I like to think of The ONE Thing every week/day that will make the most difference and try and do that.

Ask better questions;

Who can you invoice this week?

How can you make a sale this week?

Consider Product-Founder fit. If you’ve limited resources (and don’t we all?) then try side-hustles that *you* can make a sale within a week or month.

Get small wins under your belt. Keep focusing on small wins.

Good things happen when you move at pace. Good things happen when you keep moving.

Consider recurring revenue streams.

Don’t be tempted by promises of “passive” recurring revenue streams. It takes a lot of work to get there.

Remember that your desk is for executing. Do your thinking elsewhere. Don’t open email, Facebook, or the forum when you sit down – that’s a bad habit.

Listen to podcasts on your commute. Not all the time… let your mind have some space to churn things over.

Realise that we can’t really “manage” time. If we say we didn’t have time to do something then realise it’s because we chose to do something else instead.

Filter tasks through the 4 Ds: Dump it, delegate it, defer it, do it.

Make use of your restricted time and turn it into an advantage. Use it as a tool to force you to prioritise.