5 things you need to know before starting your own business

Miki Agrawal is on a mission to change the world, again. The 36-year-old former soccer pro worked in finance and TV production before striking out on her own to launch WILD, a restaurant that specializes in healthy, farm-to-table pizzas. Since then, the serial entrepreneur has started a business aimed at removing the stigma of menstruation (THINX), partnered with a children’s media company (Super Sprowtz) and written a book called “Do Cool Sh*t,” in which she dishes out quirky advice like, “Ask yourself WWMGD? (What would MacGyver do?)”

Agrawal tells us the five most important lessons she learned about starting her own businesses.

Know your financial situation
“You need a clear understanding of your personal finances, where your [financial] comfort zone is and where it starts to get a little uncomfortable. Generally, three to six months’ savings allows you not to give anything up.”

Find your cause
“When coming up with your idea, ask yourself three questions: What sucks in my world? Does it suck for a lot of people? Can I be passionate about this topic for a really long time? For example, I started WILD because I kept coming home with stomach cramps every day, and I wanted to still be able to eat pizza and make it healthy.”

Eliminate negativity
“Anyone who makes you feel bad about your dreams or stifles you and doesn’t make you feel fully energized — get rid of them. Once you do that, you can create room for the positive.”

Do what you’re best at and then find others to do the rest
“The biggest lesson I learned was to not do something you’re not good at. I’m not a restaurant operator; I never will be. I tried to run WILD by myself for a number of years, and I was doing a bad job. But the minute I found the right operator, my current business partner, it turned around. It let me focus on the things I really love doing, like marketing.”

Be patient
“So many people think that they’re going to get rich in two or three years [after starting a business]. It takes 10. If you’re not prepared to put 10 years in, you’re not going to succeed.”