Nowadays, many people think starting a business or a side hustle is super easy. Just open your laptop and get going. The rise of the hustle culture means people believe that if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.
But successfully running a small business or setting up a side hustle is more than waking up at six to drink a green smoothie before work and then posting inspirational quotes on Instagram. It takes real hard work, dedication, killer organisation and time management skills, and much, much more.
Stats show that only 50% of businesses make it to the five-year mark. At least 20% won’t make it a year.
But if you are serious and dedicated, you need to know how to start a successful business properly. These are the business tips and tricks you need to know to have a successful business.
Serious About Growing Your Business Faster? Building a successful business isn’t just about working harder — it’s about thinking bigger and executing smarter. That’s why serious entrepreneurs often invest in executive coaching early on. Having the proper strategic support can be the difference between years of trial-and-error versus rapid, focused growth.
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Tips for starting a business (or side hustle)
Tip 1: Get organised from day one
There is a lot to think about when you start a business. It’s more than just the day-to-day tasks but also planning for the future, investing, sorting tax and paperwork, and dealing with customers. It’s very easy to lose track and let important things slip past. You may even notice until it’s too late. You need to find a way to stay organised. Some people use a diary, some their phone calendar, others use notes, whiteboards, alarms or even post-its. Whatever works for you, get organised from the beginning to save a lot of hassle later on.
Tip 2: Learn good time management
As a business owner, you will be bombarded with a million things to do. There will never be enough hours in the day, and every time you cross something off your to-do list, you’ll add another three. You need to learn good time management skills and know when to dedicate your full attention to something and what can be delegated. If you don’t have good time management skills, you may feel overwhelmed and fail to meet deadlines. Sometimes, you need to say no for the good of your business.
Tip 3: Understand that sacrifices will need to happen
When you start a new business, even if it’s only a side hustle, you have to put in a lot of work and a lot of hours. This means that to begin with, you might need to make sacrifices. You may have to give up your social life while you work evenings. You may need to sacrifice luxuries so you can save money and invest in your business. If you think starting a business will instantly mean more money and more free time, you’re in for a shock!
The good news is, if you make the sacrifices early on, things get better!
Bonus: Invest Smart, Not Just Hard
Success isn’t just about grinding harder — it’s about moving smarter. That’s why many entrepreneurs invest in high-level coaching early on. Working with an experienced executive coach can help you avoid costly mistakes, make better decisions under pressure, and fast-track your business growth. Sacrifice without strategy is just wasted effort — smart guidance can turn your sacrifices into real results.
When choosing a coach, it’s worth exploring different styles and approaches to find the right fit. If you want to see what working with a top-level executive coach looks like, you can check out my good friend and top executive coach Michael Serwa, who has helped many ambitious professionals sharpen their leadership and grow their businesses faster.
book your free initial consultation session!
Tip 4: Check out the competition
It’s always good to have a healthy interest in your competition. Don’t obsess over everything they do, and certainly don’t copy them. But it is worth knowing what they do well, how you are different, and what things they do could help you.
Do some research on your competition before you start your own business. Get a good idea of prices and the marketplace. It’ll help you carve out a niche for yourself. It’s good to keep an eye on your competition; they may inadvertently teach you a few lessons in what to do and what not to do.
Tip 5: Dedication is key
Business success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and patience and dedication. To run any business, be it your primary source of income or just a side hustle, you need to commit to the long haul. Give yourself at least a year to make it a success. You can do a lot in a year, and it’ll give you a good idea of how it’s going to work out over several years. Maybe your side hustle will become your main job. And you need to work at it every day. Businesses need constant attention.
Tip 6: Be flexible
You’ll probably start with a detailed business plan of what you want to do, how and by when. The chances are that only around half of your plan will actually go how you think it will. Everything else will require a new strategy. It might not even be your fault, but you need to prepare for the unexpected. By all means, have a plan and a backup plan, but you should be flexible enough to change things as needed. Many businesses fail because someone is trying to force something that isn’t right, simply because it was in the original plan. Staying flexible isn’t just good advice — it’s essential. As the Indeed article points out, flexibility is often the difference between businesses that survive tough times and those that fail. Being willing to adapt, pivot, and adjust your strategy when needed keeps you resilient in a fast-changing market.
Tip 7: Find your own success
Think about what business success means to you. You don’t have to be number one right away. What makes a business successful is different for everyone. If you think success is to have a side hustle that you enjoy and tops up your main salary, stop feeling like a failure because someone else earns more. Success is whatever it means to you. If you want to be financially independent or just want to make ends meet in your first year, then that is a success. Many people fail because they set high expectations and then quit when they don’t reach those targets.
Tip 8: Treat Marketing Like a Serious Investment
Too many entrepreneurs treat marketing like an afterthought — something to throw a few posts at on social media and hope for the best. That mindset is one of the fastest ways to stay small.
Serious marketing is about creating leverage — not just visibility. It’s what separates brands that constantly hustle for new customers from those that attract them automatically. Good marketing isn’t just louder; it’s smarter. It’s about understanding your ideal client, crafting a real message that resonates, and building long-term trust before you even start the sales conversation.
If you’re serious about scaling, you have to treat marketing as a strategic, non-negotiable part of your business growth — not just a “nice to have.” It’s how you position yourself in the market, create trust with your audience, and build long-term brand value.
As Medium points out, one of the biggest reasons businesses fail to grow is because they never take marketing seriously enough to integrate it into their core operations. Real marketing isn’t about being loud — it’s about being strategic, intentional, and consistent over time.
Anyone can post a few ads or run a quick campaign. But building a serious marketing machine takes discipline, consistency, and long-term thinking. It’s about showing up day after day with the same energy and focus, even when the results aren’t instant. That’s where most businesses lose the game — they quit too early, or they never had a real plan to begin with.
If you wouldn’t treat your finances or your leadership decisions casually, why would you treat your marketing any differently? Smart entrepreneurs invest real time, real energy, and real money into building marketing machines that can scale with them.
Tip 9: Have some breathing room
If possible, it’s good to give yourself some breathing room, both with deadlines and finances. If you can save up, so you have some extra cash before you quit your job, you’ll feel much less pressure and have the extra money when you need it. Same with deadlines. It’s good to be ambitious and get started, but if your deadlines are too short, you’ll feel really pressured to not make mistakes. Usually, this means you’ll end up making more mistakes!
Tip 10: Find the right people
It doesn’t matter if it’s employees or just friends and family supporting you; being surrounded by the right people makes a huge difference. Running a business isn’t always easy. There will be setbacks, and you will have bad days, so making sure you are surrounded by people who will work hard, boost you up, and get you back on track is crucial for long-term success.
But it’s not just about avoiding negativity — it’s about actively surrounding yourself with winners. Your environment either pulls you up or drags you down. If you want to move fast and stay consistent, you need people who challenge your excuses, call out your blind spots, and push you harder than you would push yourself.
Not everyone has that kind of network naturally — and that’s where working with a productivity coach can make a huge difference. A great coach isn’t just a cheerleader; they hold you to a higher standard when things get tough. Success isn’t just about mindset — it’s about accountability to the right people.
book your free initial consultation session!
Tip 11: Keep your goal in mind
Sometimes, when you are stressed, have no social life, and everything is going wrong, it can be hard to remember why you signed up for this in the first place. In these moments, it’s more important than ever to remember why you wanted your own business. Perhaps your goal is financial independence. Or you want flexible working hours. Whatever your goal is, make sure you can visualise it and focus it, so you don’t give up.
Tip 12: Learn from your mistakes (and laugh at them)
Every new business owner makes mistakes. Perhaps you price yourself out of the market. Maybe you go too low. Perhaps you forgot a major part of your product or failed to consider the competition. Whatever mistake you make, learn from it. Turn your error into a lesson that helps you do better in the future. If possible, it’s always best to laugh at your mistake too (once you’ve fixed it)! It makes life much more enjoyable.
Tip 13: Keep going
Don’t give up. You’ll want to at some point. Running a business isn’t easy, and sometimes it can feel like an uphill battle. Often, the businesses that make it, in the long run, aren’t the best idea of the best product; they are just the businesses where someone didn’t give up.
Surround yourself with mentors and coaches who will help you go through thick and thin and keep you accountable.
Even if you have to take a step back, keep going, keep trying, and keep failing. Eventually, you will successfully run your own business.
Final Thoughts: Thinking Bigger, Winning Bigger!
If you want a bigger life, you have to think bigger — no shortcuts, no excuses. Success demands not just hard work but a constant expansion of your mindset, your strategy, and your vision.
The good news? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you’re working on your personal growth or building an empire, surrounding yourself with the right support system makes all the difference. Working with a professional life coach or investing in business coaching services could be the most brilliant move you ever make.
Big dreams aren’t for the lucky — they’re for the bold. Start thinking bigger today, and watch how your results follow.
Let’s do it!
