How to build your dream business even when you’re short on time

I don’t know about you, but I was born with an entrepreneurial spirit.

I can’t shake it.

I think I got it from my dad. He’s always talking about his next big idea and how it’s going to change the world. And I find myself doing the same thing: turning every stubbed toe or broken stick into a problem that needs to be solved by a company I could start.

And even though I have another full-time job currently, I still run my blogging, design, and consulting business on the side.

I can’t not work on my own business.

And there are millions of people like me. You might be one of them.

I’m lucky because I was able to start a successful business on the side. But many entrepreneurs trapped in the bodies of corporate cubicle-dwellers never make it.

So what keeps many of these “corporate entrepreneurs” from actually starting a business?

For many of them, it’s that “there’s not enough time.”

According to them, there’s not enough time in the day to work a full-time job, have a family, volunteer in the community, and start a successful company.

They say there’s not enough time to build a business to the point that it could support them 100% in the event of layoffs or other unexpected emergencies.

It’s time to bust that excuse.

Why you don’t need tons of free time to start a business

Here’s why starting a business may not be as time consuming as you think it is (and definitely isn’t as time-consuming as it used to be.)

1. The internet makes starting a business so much faster and easier.
It used to be that if you wanted to start a business, you had to quit your job, find someone to loan you a big chunk of money, and dedicate 40 hours a week plus nights, weekends, and holidays to making your dream come true.

While starting (and running) a business is no walk in the park, it’s definitely much easier than it used to be: primarily thanks to the Internet.

In literally minutes or hours, you can have a web site set up, put a paypal button on the page and start selling something.

In literally hours you can put up a website & start selling something.

Let me be clear, building a website doesn’t mean you’re building a business. But it’s definitely a great way to start if you’re really serious about it.

Does it take time? Sure.

But it’s faster than finding an investor, building a store, stocking it with inventory, and finding customers.

Use the web to your advantage and you’ll find you can get more done in less time.

2. Low startup costs mean you can make a profit faster
A lot of people sit on brilliant business ideas while they work a dead-end job hoping to build up the capital they need to start living how they want to.

The truth is, you don’t need near as much money as you used to in order to get started building a business.

That means, instead of saving for a decade before you can build a business, you can whittle that time to less-than one year.

Less startup costs means less time before you can start the business you’ve been dreaming about.

3. There’s always more time in the day
Most importantly, always remember that there’s more time in your day than you’re giving yourself.

Try taking Jon Acuff’s advice from his book START and “be selfish at 5am.” Wake up 2 hours earlier than your family to work on your dream business. You’ll find there’s very little resistance from spouses, kids, friends, etc. at 5am.

Too many demands? Try waking up at 5 a.m. You'll be surprised how little resistance you get.

Think you don’t have time to pursue a business? Set your alarm for 5am and you’ll be amazed at how much extra time.

If you can’t quite bring yourself to follow the 5am rule, at least take an inventory of all the time you spend watching TV or playing games on your device. There's surely an hour or two per day there.

Start cutting out the things in life that don’t really matter and adding the things you’re most passionate about.