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Startups are tough, and they are even tougher when you try to do them while working full time. The talk has circled around for quite some time, that in order to be a successful entrepreneur and invest in your business, you have to quit your day job. I’m here to tell you that is NOT true. Most often people who say this have the means to quit or just leaped out on faith. But there is a way to organize your day and devote specific time blocks to building your brand, and yes that mean giving up time on the weekends.

Here are eight tips to help you balance your passions with responsibilities:

Find your passion

You haven’t decided WHY you actually want to build this business. This may seem like a ‘no brainer’ but people go into business for the wrong reasons (money, trend, influence). The key to long term success is finding what you are passionate about. Any person who starts a business has fears, insecurities, triggers. Having a really straight talk conversation with yourself and writing down what you want to do everyday of your life.

Get your legal ducks in order

Having an idea is one thing but taking the proper steps to execute it is another. Business legal is no joke and it’s much easier and beneficial to get your ish together before it’s too late. For example, register your Tax ID (no cost), apply for an LLC (or whatever fits your company), get a resellers license (if you intend on selling a product online or in-store), and trademark your brand!!! Also, make business calls on your lunch break to save you time after work.

Brand Right, the FIRST time!

Thinking through how you want your brand to look and what it is you want to portray is hugely important. Constantly re-branding will cost you loads of money and time. Do it right the first time and don’t be cheap.

Find a Co-Founder to Match Your Vision

If you’re working a full-time job, it may take longer or be more challenging to get your business started alone. A lot of times we need another person with similar passions to collaborate and make something good great. This is a big leap so chose business partners wisely. However, the benefit of a business partners allows you to divide the work load while still working full-time.

Invest in a planner

I’ve got you covered on this. I have been working on designing my planners for a little over two years. This summer I will be launching my first collection of planners packed with all the personal and professional essentialist to make your life more organized and purpose-filled. In the meantime, write out your to-do lists and goals (1, 3, and 5 year goals). Planners keep me track of my daily and weekly goals for my business. Because honestly, you’re only working with so many hours after the work day.

Commit schedule time to work on your business

You haven’t made your “business time” a priory so results are moving slower than you want. I’ve seen a lot of owners fill their time with busyness- they equate constant movement with progress (this was me before). All that go, go go energy is good for nothing if you’re not also balancing it with accomplishing real work.

Don’t get discouraged, but do know you’ll have to make sacrifices

Whatever the reason is, you may find an excuse to not work on your business today. Digging deep, bringing those fears to the surface and recording what they are, forces you grind harder each day. Once you realize that shopping and eating out everyday isn’t going to bring you closer to your dreams, it’ll be that much easier to cut them out. The adjust is REAL but well worth it.

Set a monetary goal to launch

You haven’t thought about how you’re going to save money — MONEY. You have a business idea. You even know how to market it. You’ve got the network to start spreading the word and you’ve got the messaging and your target audience down pat. But have you thought about how you’re going to pay for expenses and make money? Building that audience is one thing. Investing money is another. Build your business with money and profits on the brain right out the gate. Taking the time to put together a financial plan–even if it’s rough and dirty. I hired a consultant to create my business plan for me and it was the best $800 investment I could have made,