Starting a business is one of the most exciting yet terrifying journeys anyone can go through—the idea of being your own boss, having financial freedom, and creating something from nothing. The outcome of it all sounds good, right? The start of it is another story in itself. The road to success comes with fears. Here’s a list of what might be stopping you from starting.

1. Lack of Financial Security

Lacking financial security affects your decision to start a business or not. Unlike having a steady paycheck, entrepreneurship requires you to spend more money before making it. This can cause so many people to stop before they start.

2. Being Clueless on How to Start

Have no idea how to start? I had this same problem- I was stuck in this phase for a few months, almost a year. I had all these ideas and goals but had no idea where to start. The key is to just start. It could be as simple as posting on social media to boost your business, creating a business card and handing it out to people in the same industry, leaving flyers all over town, etc. A step that made it easy for me to start was to create social media accounts for my business. Something as small as that can be the push you need to just start. From there take baby steps on what else you need to get the ball rolling.

3. Not Knowing What You Want Your Business to Be In

If you know you want to start a business but have no idea in which industry, try thinking of something you have a likeness in- it could range anywhere from designing custom t-shirts, creating stickers, detailing cars, to owning your own coffee shop. Now is the time to explore and see what you can use your skills in.

4. Fear of Failing

The fear of failing is probably the number 1 reason I was so hesitant to start my business- I’m sure it’s also a number 1 fear for other entrepreneurs as well. What we all have to remember is that without fear there is no learning and no success. You can’t have the good without the bad, in fact, you need to fail in order to succeed. Failure is not a bad thing, failure is a stepping stone to success. To fear failure is to fear success. There are so many successful people who have failed and their life didn’t crumble. Remind yourself that not trying is worse than failing.

5. Imposter Syndrome

Many entrepreneurs struggle with imposter syndrome, the feeling that you aren’t qualified or the feeling of not being good enough, it’s the little voice in the back of your mind telling you “What if I’m not good enough?”,or thoughts like “Who am I to think I can start a business?”. These thoughts poison your dreams from becoming reality. If you struggle with imposter syndrome you can check out another article I wrote called Imposter Syndrome - How to Overcome it.

6. Fear of Judgement

Putting yourself out there is scary. When you start a business you open yourself up to opinions, for others to doubt you, & for criticism. You also open yourself up to more opportunities and a pathway to success. Fearing judgment shouldn’t stop you from chasing your dreams. So what if people judge you, it only matters if you let it stop you. The only opinions that are 100% valid are opinions from yourself. You are the only person who knows exactly what you are doing- even if you don’t know what you're doing. You have front-row seats to your own life and no one else does. Remember to not let others question your own decisions.

Pushing Through the Fears

I, too, have felt all 6 of these fears. So have so many successful entrepreneurs. However, while starting a business is scary, it’s also an opportunity for growth, success, and independence. The key to overcoming these fears is preparation, a solid support system (even within yourself), and resilience. Embrace the challenges, learn from the failures, and stay committed to your goals. Fear is a natural thing to experience, especially when you are pushing yourself to strive for greatness. Don’t allow fear to stop you.