I talk to many people who have big, audacious dreams for opening a business. I’m amazed at how many great ideas I hear about that sadly, haven’t yet come to fruition. If you’re in this situation you may be wondering how to get out of it so you can finally start this thing. A great place to start is to define the real reasons you’re still waiting for that “right moment”.

You Don’t Have the Money

If you don’t have the extra cash to fund your business now, then you have a few options. You can apply for a bank loan or a line of credit, fund the business with your credit card, ask friends & family for investment, or make a plan to save enough money to financing the company yourself.

Banks will usually want to see a business plan, so if you’re seeking lending, you need to set aside time to write one. If you fund the company on a credit card, be extremely careful (I can’t emphasize this enough); credit card interest rates are really high, and you want to be able to pay this money back quickly. Friends & family can be very supportive – just make sure you’ve agreed to the terms in writing.

For a lot of start-ups that don’t need much seed capital, I recommend saving up to get over the financial hurdle. Decide how much money you’ll need, then set aside an affordable amount every month until you reach your goal. It’s a less risky way to fund your business – plus you’ll feel great knowing you were able to pay for it yourself.

You’re Afraid to Fail

Running your own business is risky; there’s just no getting around that. However, it’s also fun, exhilarating, rewarding and satisfying (most of the time). Part of getting mentally prepared to start your own business is believing and knowing that the experience you’ll have is worth the risk (even if the business fails). You’ll never know what could have been if you don’t try; and if you fail, the lessons you’ll learn are invaluable and will prepare you to try again.

Other People Need You Right Now

You have responsibilities to your family and loved ones, and those won’t go away when you start your business. When other people depend on you, it can be extremely hard to tear yourself away and do something for yourself – especially something this big. You can find inspiration from others who have found a balance: single mothers who became wildly successful entrepreneurs, or people who built a company to get their families out of poverty – there are thousands of amazing stories out there, and yours can become one of them.