If you’ve read Get Your $hit Together, then you know our 4 archetypes of working moms: The Bo$$, The Hu$tler, The $cholar and The $AHM.

“The Hu$tler” is an umbrella we use for everyone from mobile dog groomers to yoga instructors to store owners and media moguls that simply means self-employed. Since we ourselves fall into this category, we have some real-world advice to share. Here are 10 things we either knew or would have really benefited from knowing when we were starting out.

1. Brand equity is everything. Protect it at all costs. You need a crystal clear mission. Write yourself a company manifesto (feel free to NOT share it with the public), decide on your brand’s voice and values and stick to your guns. This is how you gain industry clout and customer trust.

2. The party who provides the contract has the most protection. Get used to handing those things out like candy. The easiest way to get your hands on contracts for all occasions (and for all vocations) is with a contract kit from AWE contracts. They provide the day-to-day protection of a lawyer without the insane hourly rate. Instead AWE Contracts lets you quickly download and customize a Single Contract Template or a Contract Kit composed of several essential templates, all tailored to unique industries. It’s a favourite amongst athletes, artists, wellness professionals and entrepreneurs. PS: Rebel Mamas get 10% off the entire site when they sign up for the newsletter. 

3. The power of “no” – saying yes to every opportunity that comes your way may instinctively feel like the right thing to do when you’re just starting out in business, but this is where brand equity comes back into play. You have to ask yourself if every partnership and every opportunity is aligned with your brand’s mission, values, and voice. Here’s a quick way to decide: If it isn’t a hell yes, it’s a no.

4. Get social. Marketing and advertising are happening mostly on the web now so it’s time to either get comfortable with social media or hire someone who is. Ads and promotions work differently and an actual ad strategy requires accounts across several platforms. Learn how the system works early and it will pay in dividends.

5. Sign up for an invoicing service this will help you keep track of inbound funds and ensure you’re getting paid in time for your work.

6. Include late fees on invoices. As a rule of thumb, the larger the company, the longer they take to pay out. It’s brutal but you can fight against it by outlining payment due dates in your contracts, invoices and email correspondence. If you need to hound people for money, do it from a “dummy” email account and not your personal one. This will help preserve the relationship.

7. Hire an accountant. Befriend said accountant. Do it within your first year of business so that you can make sure you’re documenting and filing things correctly. Your goal should be to learn from your accountant year-round and not just hand things off to them at tax time. And if for any reason it doesn’t feel like the right fit, hire a new one.

8. Have a plan. Like, an actual business plan. Ask yourself questions about profitability and how you’re covering start-up costs. Are you going to bootstrap this operation (ie. pay for everything out of pocket, then keep all future profits for yourself)? Or will you need to set up the company for shareholders and raise funds (and share future profits)? How will you scale the company? Do you want to build it to sell? Every plan requires a series of goals, so make sure yours are clearly defined before taking the plunge.

9. Choose your mentors wisely. Only take advice from people who have been where you’re going. There will be doubters. There will be people who don’t “get it” – these are not the people you want to listen to.

10. Work your ass off. Entrepreneurship requires a level of commitment that you won’t be accustomed to if you’re coming off the 9 to 5 grind. It takes a lot of self-discipline, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of failure. But if you can reframe how you look at your failures and think of each one as a stepping stone leading you to future success, then you’ll develop the mental fortitude required to slay the Hu$tler game. The struggle is most certainly real, but the struggle makes you strong. Embrace it.