Many people have been dreaming of launching their own business for years, so if you’ve finally decided that you’ll commit to your goals and get your new business started, good on you! You’ve taken the first step.

The first few years of launching your new business will mean working harder than you’ve ever worked in your life. But being your own boss and starting something you can be proud of is worth it, as long as you remember these simple tips:

Ditch the Procrastination

While it’s great to have high standards for yourself and your business, one of the best things you can do is realise that it’s never going to be perfect. You may be a little annoyed that the counter isn’t quite the colour you anticipated, your website could improve, or your product still needs some refinement, but getting it as close to perfection as you can before you turn to procrastination is key.

Each day that you spend chasing perfection and procrastinating is a day in the future when you could have been making a profit and serving you customers. Let’s say you want to start a construction company and you’re searching for yard ramps for sale. If you find one that’s a good deal, it’s probably a better idea to go ahead and purchase it rather than spend months agonizing over a few dollars as you research 100 different companies.

One good idea is to choose a date that you’ll be launching, announce your launch day to friends and family, put it on your business’ Facebook page, get a giant sign for the front door, and work backwards from that date. Ask yourself what tasks you need to get completed before you launch and commit to working towards that goal every day.

Create the Best Environment

Launching a business where your employees want to work and your customers want to visit takes skill and investment. This means office supplies if you’re working from home, coffee machines and cafe barriers if you’re opening a cafe, and the best software systems if you’re selling products from a store.

Hire Wisely

Your business is only as good as the people you hire, which is why it’s so important that everyone in your boat is rowing and not drilling holes when you’re not looking. What this means is you need to ensure that you hire people who are personable, motivated, good with customers, and invested in seeing your business succeed. Often these people will be found through your ‘weak ties’ and you’ll know someone who has a great friend who’s looking for work or a cousin with management experience.

Think Positively

Often we can get so wrapped up in wondering what will go wrong and convincing ourselves that we’re unlikely to succeed that we actually attract this negative energy. It’s not healthy for you, your employees or your business for you to be thinking this way, so focus on thinking positive thoughts about you, your business, and how your business will succeed.

One way to do this is to try affirmations or meditation so you can slow down your brain and take some time to think about all the reasons why your business will succeed and not the few reasons why it may fail.