The other day, I found myself standing in the grass, barefoot, with an old cooler and a handmade sign made with leftovers from my kids’ craft box. My hair was pulled back in a messy bun that had definitely seen better days, and nothing about the moment looked like the dreamy farmstand I’d once pinned on Pinterest. No cedar planks. No pretty branding. Just me, a few dozen eggs, and this little whisper in my chest that said, this is the beginning.
That moment reminded me of every other beginning in my life. Every business I’ve ever built didn’t begin with a perfect setup. It started with what I had. With what I knew. With whatever was within reach, and a deep desire to make it work anyway.
Is It Really Enough to Just Start Small?
Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’d do it if I had more money… more time… better tools…?”
Have you been waiting for the stars to align before giving yourself permission to begin?
Does it ever feel like everyone else is running miles ahead, while you’re still stuck at the starting line without the “right” gear?
I know that feeling. I’ve lived it, more than once.
But I also know something else now, and it’s this: the secret isn’t in having more, it’s in using what’s already in your hands.
Today I want to share the truth behind starting small, why it works, and how my most successful businesses all began with a whole lot of heart and very little budget. You’ll walk away knowing how to take your next step, even if it’s a tiny one—and why that’s the most powerful thing you can do.
An Old Cooler and a Dream
We recently started a little farm here in New England. It’s been a long-time dream of ours. Growing our own food, raising animals, and selling fresh produce and eggs from a beautiful, welcoming farmstand someday.
But you know what I didn’t have?
I didn’t have the gorgeous wooden structure.
I didn’t have a branded setup with chalkboard signs or vintage baskets.
I didn’t have a custom-built fridge or cute labels.
What I did have was an cooler, a surplus of fresh eggs, and a handmade sign created with leftover supplies from my kids arts-and-crafts bin.
And so… that’s what I used.
I set it out by the road, and trusted that starting small was still starting.
It reminded me of the first time I ever sold Lightroom presets. I didn’t have a team. I didn’t even have a fancy shop or logo. I uploaded a few .zip files, made a simple landing page, and sent an email to my tiny list. That was it.
But it made money.
And then I reinvested it.
And then it grew.
Over and over, this has been my rhythm: use what you have, make it work, and let that be enough to get going.
Resourcefulness Is the Real Superpower
The world will tell you that you need more. More tools, more gear, more money, more experience. Before you’re allowed to begin.
But after building multiple businesses from scratch, I’ve learned something different: resourcefulness beats resources every single time.
If you’re scrappy, willing, and ready to learn as you go, you are already equipped.
That business you’re dreaming about?
That offer you’ve been sitting on?
That side hustle idea you’ve been swirling around in your brain for months?
It doesn’t need to start big.
It just needs to start.
And once it does, even if it’s messy, imperfect, or patched together with duct tape and hope, you’ll begin to build momentum. And that? That changes everything.
Here’s What Helped Me Build from the Ground Up
1. Define Success by Action, Not Appearance
Your first step doesn’t have to look good.
It just has to move you forward.
I know it’s tempting to wait until it all looks put together, but the truth is, most successful businesses had a humble, even awkward beginning. Focus on progress. Not perfection.
Want to sell art? Sell prints before you build a full website.
Want to coach others? Offer free sessions in exchange for testimonials.
Want to grow a product-based business? Start by selling to your circle before worrying about paid ads.
What matters most is that you start doing the thing. Not waiting for it to be perfect.
2. Reinvest Before You Reward
This is how I’ve always scaled my businesses:
Make a little income → reinvest it → make a little more → reinvest again → repeat until sustainable.
I didn’t pay myself right away. I let the business pay for itself, first. That’s how you build something that doesn’t just survive. It thrives.
If you make $100? Don’t spend it. Put it toward the next thing you need. A better tool, a basic ad, a website tweak. Let your hustle fund its own growth.
3. Start With Tools You Already Know or Own
I can’t count how many times I’ve wanted to “upgrade” before I was ready. A new camera, a fresh app, a fancy platform.
But more often than not, what you already know how to use is more than enough to begin.
Use Google Docs instead of a $50/month content planner.
Use your phone camera instead of waiting to hire a professional photographer.
Use free tools until the paid ones actually make sense.
Starting with what you have builds confidence.
Confidence builds clarity.
Clarity builds consistency.
4. Embrace the Messy Middle
There’s always a stretch where things feel half-done.
The branding isn’t quite right.
The email list is tiny.
The sales are slow.
This middle part? It’s where most people quit.
Don’t be one of them.
Remind yourself: this is just the beginning.
Your future business will thank you for sticking it out, even when it didn’t feel shiny or Instagram-worthy.
5. Celebrate Tiny Wins
Your first $10 matters.
Your first customer matters.
Celebrate them. They are proof that what you’re building is working. Even if it’s still small.
Those tiny wins add up. One day, you’ll look back and realize they were the foundation of something much, much bigger.
Making Our First Dollar As a Farm
My first day, I sold four dozen eggs and made $28.
And while that number might not turn heads, it felt just as thrilling as the day I crossed a million in passive income.
Because that $28?
It cracked the door open to possibility.
It whispered, maybe this can become something real.
That first dollar, earned from a hand-painted sign, a used cooler, and a wild idea, was proof that even the scrappiest beginning holds power.
Even if it’s not perfect. Even if it’s not polished.
It reminded me of something I’ve learned over and over again: you don’t need to have it all together—you just need to begin.
You’re Already More Ready Than You Think
Starting where you are and using what you have isn’t about settling.
It’s about believing in small beginnings.
It’s about saying yes without needing all the answers.
It’s about trusting that with every little step, you’re building something bigger than you can see right now.
If I’ve learned anything from building businesses, it’s this:
You don’t need everything—just enough to begin.
