This post may contain affiliate links for the companies that I partner with. I may receive a commission if you purchase anything from these links. This is at no additional cost to you and I only recommend great companies that I personally use or have used. More info here.
Starting your own business from scratch can be a really daunting and overwhelming process.
You would think that the biggest place people get hung up on is trying to earn money but believe it or not, just getting started is often the hardest part.
I’ve seen it over and over again with my students over the years. It really boils down to this.
No one I’ve ever come across that had the mindset of “just dive in” has ever had any regrets about it.
Because here’s what happens when you go all in… You make mistakes, sure, but while you may fail often and fail fast – you learn even faster.
My first website flopped pretty hard because I didn’t know what I was doing at first, but I’m proud of myself for just diving in and trying strategy after strategy until I found something that did work.
Those early failures turned into huge successes – all within the span of one year.
I went from making nothing for the first 5 months to earning over $100,000 with my website in the first year.
That’s why, in this article, I want to discuss the biggest 5 blockers holding you back from starting an online business, your first website, or wherever your ideas take you.
Shortcut: Dive right into my step-by-step guide on how to start your first website.
1. Imposter Syndrome and Limiting Beliefs
Let’s start off this list with the #1 biggest factor that I see holding people back. And guess what – I’m not immune to this one either.
Limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome have held me back from starting a podcast before I was “ready,” starting an email list, and starting many other big projects in my business.
Limiting beliefs are simply small, innocent statements that we tell ourselves, usually starting with “I can’t…” that over time when believed enough, become truths.
Imposter syndrome is just another way to put a label on the collection of those beliefs.
When I was starting my first website for my business, my biggest limiting beliefs and thoughts fueled by imposter syndrome were:
- “I can’t write.”
- “I’m not creative.”
- “Why would anyone listen to me?”
- “What makes me qualified to do this?”
- “Who would buy any products from me?”
- “Do I really have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?”
Entrepreneur, in particular, is one of those words that I’ve personally never identified with and never used to describe myself.
I’ve used all of the following: Content Creator, Digital Creator, Blogger, Website Owner, Business Owner
How to Beat Imposter Syndrome
Getting rid of imposter syndrome and changing your limiting beliefs is hard and often easier said than done. I’m not going to sit here and tell you to “just be positive.”
But what I will tell you is that you need to figure out how to find your confidence.
For me, it wasn’t telling myself I was an entrepreneur until I believed it. It was finding the label of “blogger” and feeling like it was something I personally identified with.
It was learning how to write and send emails to my audience and having them thank me in return.
It was having the courage to acknowledge that I don’t have all of the answers but that I believe in myself enough to try, learn, and succeed.
I don’t love the phrase “Fake it til you make it,” because I think it has a negative connotation. An association with lying and deceit.
But in a sense, it’s true. It’s not about faking anything.
It’s about having the confidence to know that you will do what it takes to succeed.
That is your new truth and belief and if all else fails, remember that anyone can do this.
Hell, I used to be a tax accountant. But my online businesses have changed me and helped me realize a new potential that I never thought was possible.
2. Not Knowing Where and How to Start (Topic First)
I know the confidence thing is easier said than done, so another trick is simply to create a solid plan to get started.
And I don’t mean overthinking and never actually getting started. I mean taking this step-by-step and taking action every step of the way.
You’ll find that you have more confidence when you have a plan in place and you know exactly what step you need to take (and the next 5 after that).
The first step to getting started is to decide what you want to start your business about. You need to choose a topic for your blog or business.
I won’t dive into the specifics of that right here because I have an entire article on this subject, including the 5 questions to ask yourself to narrow this idea down.
But know that this doesn’t require any deep soul-searching for your true passion – that’s another path that people go down and get stuck on.
You need to tackle this practically and it should be a natural, gut-feeling thing. So check out that article to decide on your topic, if you don’t already know.
3. Not Knowing What Kind of Business You Want to Run
This is another big blocker to starting your own business. What kind of business do you want to start?
Do you want to be a blogger? A YouTube star? An Instagram influencer? An online shop owner? All of the above?
There are a lot of potential paths to choose when starting an online business and it’s important that you think about your options and choose what’s right for you.
Remember that you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do. If TikTok isn’t your thing (it certainly isn’t mine). You don’t have to do it.
You can choose to be on camera (YouTube, TikTok, IG) or choose to be completely behind the scenes (Pinterest, Google SEO, eCommerce). You can also choose something in between (IG, Podcasting).
I show up on camera for my online courses because it’s important and necessary for my student’s success and I’ve also come to enjoy it.
But you won’t see me on TikTok anytime soon because it’s just not my jam. I’m not cut out for the influencer route and it’s not how I want to run my business.
Think about this and choose a platform that suits your needs and allows you to reach your target audience in the way that you need to.
4. Not Knowing What It Might Cost to Get Started and Succeed
This reason makes a lot of sense. You don’t want to start a new project or business without the right expectations of the costs associated with it.
The good news is, there are SO many free software options available now that you can start your own business for honestly just $33.
That’s a pretty specific number, right? That’s because I think the first cost you will incur is also the most important.
It only costs about $33/year (that’s just $2.75/month) to get a hosting plan for your website with Bluehost.
You can technically start a website for free, but you won’t be able to own your own domain. For example:
- Jessicasmith.blogspot.com (free blog)
- Jessicasmith.wordpress.com (free blog)
- Jessicasmith.com (paid, self-hosted plan)
You can read more about why I use and recommend Bluehost along with a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up your website with Bluehost here.
Other than that, these are the next two most important costs that also have FREE plans:
- Website Theme: Free Astra Theme + Free Elementor Builder
- Email marketing and Opt-in Forms: Free ConvertKit Plan
- Website Design, Social Media, and Other Images: Free Canva Plan
- Free Keyword Research Tool: Ubersuggest
- Free SEO Plugin: RankMath
You can even create an eBook for free (see my course on creating an eBook) and sell it on Amazon.
You can also create courses and sell them on Udemy, Skillshare, and SkillSuccess (like I do) without even building your own audience.
Lastly, you can also use affiliate marketing strategies to sell other people’s products and earn a commission.
As your business grows, you’ll need to invest in some paid plans for software but you don’t have to spend much before you start earning money if you set it up the right way!
One thing I highly recommend is investing in a couple of good online courses to learn what steps to take and at what time. It will make a huge difference in your success.
You can check out my courses and even watch all of them on one Skillshare subscription (along with all other courses on the platform) or buy them individually on Udemy.
Skillshare also has a free trial you can start with!
5. Not Getting Your Website Started Right Away
Circling back to what I started out with… The only approach is to dive in. Definitely create a plan first. You don’t have to start a website with absolutely no idea what you’ll do with it.
Give it some thought and ask yourself the right questions. Tell yourself that you CAN do this and you will – no matter what it takes. And then do it.
Creating a website is building a tangible home for your business. It’s the first step and you’ll find that it’s actually a pretty fun process.
I’ll show you how to choose a domain name, set up your first website, and design it with a theme in my step-by-step guide.