Entrepreneurship entices a number of people. There’s a lot of appeal to being your own boss. Aspects like setting your own hours, building your own schedule, and developing your own marketing messages can have a lot of upsides. Last year even forced several people towards this career path. It’s a good idea to have a plan when it comes to building your own business, however. If you’re looking to join the ranks of self-employed workers, you’ll want to consider these three tips before leaving your day job.

1. Prioritize your finances.

The 21st century feels like it’s full of cyber-attacks. U.S. news is littered with scammers orchestrating phishing attacks one week and a hacker causing a data breach another. It’s hard work to keep your personal information protected, especially your finances. Just look at the Ledger hack of July 2020. The vulnerability of phone numbers and postal addresses was exposed, creating a potential disaster for many ledger users. While the cryptocurrency wallets remained secure, the threat of future attacks is more tangible than ever before.

Don’t wait for your personal data to become exposed before you prioritize your money when starting a small business. Act on this first. Find a reliable source, such as CryptoVantage, that specializes in cryptocurrency and finance. Their expertise can help you better understand how to organize your finances in a manner that is both safe and fiscally responsible. If you can approach your new business with a money-savvy mindset, you’ll be well ahead of millions of other entrepreneurs in the United States.

2. Build a network.

In addition to seeking help with your money, you need to build out your network in general. The world of self-employed individuals is vast, and the jobs where you can be your own boss are just as numerous. People often think of real estate, or rather a real estate broker, when they think of the self-employed. However, tutors, caterers, and bloggers are just a few of the other well-known occupations. The world of independent contractors is indeed vast, and you don’t have to want to be a life coach to learn something about the way they grow their business.

Spend some time building your contacts before you take the plunge into your new business. The old adage is true: it’s not what you know, but who you know. Other self-employed individuals can help you figure out the best way to write your business plan, give you insights into their strategies, and even introduce you to potential clients. There are few cons to building your network, and they’re vastly fewer than the pros. Don’t let new avenues and resources escape your grasp and never shun meeting someone knew.

3. Schedule time to work.

Now that you have a better idea of the prework you need to do, it’s time to start planning. Most successful people who own their own business had to initially split time between their existing job for someone else and their passion. If you want to succeed at being your own boss, you have to treat it like a job. A great way to do this is to view yourself as both employee and employer and schedule your time accordingly. This means you’ll need to schedule time away from the new endeavor.

This also means you won’t have a lot of time for other pastimes while you are making the transition. If you have the money, you can hire a virtual assistant or third party to help you schedule your time. However you chose to go about it, make sure that you schedule time for all the things that are important to you and prioritize the areas of your life that you want to succeed in.