08/07/2025
Before You Start a Business, Swallow These 5 Pills
So you want to start a business? Good. But before you post your resignation letter on social media with a “new chapter” caption, you need to hear this:
Business is not a soft landing; it’s a battlefield.
It’s not about freedom in the beginning; it’s about fighting for freedom. And chances of winning that battle are close to zero.
Many people jump in hoping to escape a bad job or chase a passion - only to realize they’ve walked into something that has demands much more than the job. It’s not that business isn’t worth it. It’s that you have to earn your place in the arena before it starts rewarding you.
Here are 5 bitter pills you must swallow before you take that leap:
1. No One Owes You Support; Not Even Family
Don’t expect your friends to buy from you just because they know you. Don’t expect family to cheer you on or promote your hustle. You’ll be lucky if they even take you seriously.
Most of your early customers will be strangers. Why? Because strangers don’t care about your past. They care about the value you offer.
Build something so good they can’t ignore you; even if your cousins do. I'm short be prepared to go the full length alone. Family and friends only show up when there is something to chop.
2. You Will Work Harder Than a 9–5; For Free (at First)
Many dream of quitting their jobs to “be their own boss.” But they don’t realize the boss never sleeps. In your 9 - 5, you had one role which pays no matter what. If they don't pay you - it's a debt. In business, you wear all the hats, so you’ll work longer hours, face more stress, and sometimes earn less than the office cleaner - until the business stabilizes. Freedom isn’t free. You pay in sweat first.
3. Money Problems Don’t Disappear - They Multiply
If you were reckless with personal finances, expect 10x the consequences in business. You’ll need to learn cash flow management, budgeting, saving for taxes, and resisting the urge to treat profits like a salary. There will be dry months, late payments from clients, emergency costs, and temptations to rob Peter to pay Paul. Business doesn’t fix your money habits - it exposes them.
4. Talent Isn’t Enough; Systems Win
You might be gifted. You might have great ideas. But talent without systems will burn you out.
You need repeatable processes, automation, checklists, scheduling tools, and delegation. Without them, your business will collapse the day you fall sick or go on leave.
The best businesses don’t run on genius; they run on structure.
5. You’ll Be Forced to Grow Or You’ll Quit
Business will challenge every part of who you are.
You’ll deal with rude clients, copycats, cash shortages, useless and wicked employees, broken partnerships, tough decisions, and crushing doubts. The version of you that starts the business will not survive unless it evolves. You’ll need to become more resilient, emotionally intelligent, disciplined, focused, and strategic. If you don’t grow - you’ll quit. After 12 years in the trenches, I can now say that I thought I was building a business, only to find out that the business was building me.
Starting a business is one of the most rewarding paths in life but it’s not a shortcut. It’s a grind. It will stretch you, break you, remake you, and test your faith.
But if you can swallow these 5 pills and still say “I’m in” - then welcome to the real economy.
