It is certainly possible to start a business with without any startup capital but, according to Fox Business, one of the worst things you can do is to try to start a business with no money. No matter what anybody tells you, there is no way to get rich quick on a business you started for free. Why? Because no matter what you’ve been told, there is no such thing as a guaranteed way to get rich quick.
Businesses take time and money to build and if you have no money on hand and, worse, no other money coming in, your chances of survival are slim. Your chances of success are almost zero. This is why almost every professional entrepreneur you meet will tell you that it is important to have at least six months’ worth of your current salary saved up before you quit your day job and go into business full time for yourself.
You can, of course, start part time businesses on the side and work on it during the evenings and weekends. Still, eventually you’re going to want to take that business full time and it’s important to have a cushion ready to catch you when you “go pro.â€
Another reason that having money saved up and on hand is important is that it gives you collateral if you need extra funding to get your idea up and off the ground. Remember—a new business has no credit of its own. If you want to get a loan or a business credit card to help fund company expenses, you’ll have to put your own money and credit rating up for approval and collateral.
Finally, having money on hand and, by extension, proving that you know how to save and handle money wisely makes you look more attractive to investors. There is not one single investor out there who is going to dump a bunch of money into a business idea held by someone who is staring bankruptcy in the face or whose credit history is questionable.
So! Before you tell your boss where he can put those TPS reports, spend some time fixing your credit and saving some money. Here are some practical things that you can do to fix your credit and get your finances back on track.
- Don’t Go It Alone
Not only is there no shame in asking someone to help you, asking for help proves that you are committed to your future financial health. Consider Kevin, from California. Kevin is a real estate broker and chose to work with a credit repair agency called Lexington Law. According to Kevin, “yes, I could have done a lot of this work myself but that could have taken years…they accomplished my goals in six months.†You can read the rest of his review on the Lexington Law Yelp page.
- Get Your Spending Under Control
This is tricky because of something called Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. What you need to do is pay attention to and track every penny you spend over the next month or two while working hard not to change your behavior for the better. You need a clear picture of where your money is actually going before you can figure out where to make adjustments. Once you know where the money is going, cut that spending by at least 20% (though 30-50% would be better).
The great thing about attending to your personal money matters is that you’re setting yourself up for better business money habits. Good habits are essential to building a successful company that is all your own.