The In-Between Time: What To Do Before Your Business Makes Real Money

So you started a business. Congratulations🎉. The website is live, the ideas are flowing, but the bank account? Yeah, not so much (yet).

Welcome to the in-between time. That stretch between your big launch and the moment the money actually starts to show up. This is where most people get quiet and contemplate giving up (I’ve been there). Here’s what you need to do to not only survive this part but get better because of it.

First, let's be real and clear. You HAVE to change how you think about money. That bi-weekly paycheck mindset? Forget it. You can't spend like you still have one. This is about discipline. It’s not about being cheap; it’s about being smart & frugal. Every dollar you don't waste on something unimportant (I love my ☕latte’s too), is a dollar that keeps your dream alive for another day. Ask yourself, honestly: are you built for that? If the answer is yes, keep 👀reading.

If you haven’t quit your job yet, keep it for now. I know, I know, you hate it, but bills are real. I don’t recommend leaving until your business is generating enough income to cover both business and personal expenses. If you’ve already said goodbye to the 9-to-5, don’t panic. Consider finding a temporary side gig, ideally something remote 💻, to help keep the lights on. There are plenty of opportunities to cover expenses until your business starts making money, such as Uber, Fiverr, consulting, and more.

So what should you actually be doing while you're waiting?

Learn everything. You finally have time, so use it. Read the books. Take the free online courses. Know your industry better than anyone else. When you talk to a client, you should sound like the only logical choice.

Talk to people. Not just to sell them something, but to connect. Go on LinkedIn. Comment on posts. Offer real help without expecting anything back. Build a community around you and your work before you even ask for a sale. It matters.

Get your house in order. Build your email list. Write templates for proposals and invoices. Set up your systems. Do the boring work now so you can move fast later when you’re too busy to think.

This is also the perfect time to ask yourself the hard questions. The ones you should have asked before you started, but it’s not too late.

1. How long can you keep going?
How long can you actually go without a steady income? Get a real number. Know it. It stops you from panicking.This means sitting down and doing a quick budget. Look at everything coming in and going out, and make adult decisions about what is a need versus what is just frivolous spending because you were used to a steady paycheck.

2. Who is your customer, specifically?
“Anyone” is not a customer. Get a clear picture of the exact person you serve. What do they care about? What do they read or watch? What problems keep them up at night? If you don’t know who they are, you won’t know how to help them.

3. What makes you different?
Why should someone hire you over the thousands of other options? If you can’t answer that in one clear sentence, figure it out.

4. How will you find clients?
A website is not a strategy. You need a real plan for how people will find you. Is it through networking? Social media? Referrals? Have a plan.

5. What does year-one success look like?
Is it a dollar 💵amount? Is it landing ten clients? Define what winning means so you know when you’re getting closer. This is also where having a business plan helps, but that’s a topic for another time.

The in-between time isn’t a break or downtime. It’s your workshop. This is where you build the strength and skills that will hold you up when business gets heavy, and trust me it will. Use it well. If you need help getting focused, grab my Business Idea Reality Check PDF to make sure you’re building on a solid foundation.