Ready to ditch the stress? Why mastering your money mindset is the first step to business success

“Money, like emotions, is something you must control to keep your life on the right track.”  ― Natasha Munson, Finance author and speaker  

Be honest: When someone mentions the words “cash flow,” do you cringe a little?  

Whenever I run a cash flow workshop, the first response I get is often nervous laughter. You can practically feel the collective resistance. When I ask why, I hear the classics:  

“I’m not good with numbers.”

“It feels like I’m predicting the future.”

“Can’t I just hire someone to do it?”  

For new entrepreneurs, the term “cash flow” sounds clinical, maybe even cold. But here’s the secret: you aren’t doing complex math equations. You’re simply budgeting. That’s all a cash flow really is. And with the Futurpreneur cash flow template, the formulas are already there—you just plug in your numbers.  

Still, the hesitation isn’t really about spreadsheets. It’s about something deeper and more challenging: our relationship with money itself.  

Why your money story matters  

Each of us carries a “money story”—a set of beliefs formed by our upbringing, experiences, and what we’ve seen others model. These stories often make us resist looking at our finances in the first place.  

Some of these beliefs might sound familiar:  

“If you’re rich, you must be ruthless.”  

“You can’t make money doing something creative.”  

“I don’t care about money; it’s not important to me.”  

Most of us have 20 to 30 of these beliefs silently looping in our heads, and they often trap us in a cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies. Your first step to financial resilience is recognizing these stories.  

Our on-demand spending culture  

To make matters more complicated, we now live in an emotionally cashless world.  

When was the last time you paid for something with actual paper money? We live in an “on-demand tap” culture, where instant gratification takes less effort than thinking twice. When you hand over cash, you feel the exchange. When you tap, it’s invisible.  

And invisible spending adds up fast.  

According to Equifax Canada, missed payment rates for consumers aged 26 to 35 are now the highest of any age group, up over 21 per cent year-over-year (Q2 2024). We’re literally tapping our way into debt.  

So, if our world makes it easier to spend without thinking, how do we bring that crucial awareness back into how we manage our money?  

Awareness before abundance  

You’ve probably heard the advice: “Just develop an abundant mindset.”  

That’s nice in theory, but abundance without awareness is like driving with your eyes closed and calling it visualization. Before you can shift your mindset, you need to see your numbers clearly. Awareness has to come first.  

Schedule your weekly money check-in  

Here’s a simple, low-stress way to start building awareness: schedule a weekly money check-in.  

Pick a consistent time—say, Sunday morning with coffee or Monday afternoon before the week kicks in. Spend 20 minutes looking at your money:  

• Open your online banking.  

• Review your debit and credit card transactions.  

• Check for any outstanding loans or unused subscriptions.  

Then ask yourself, “What patterns am I noticing? Where could I make the biggest impact by cutting back?”  

Just observe for now. Don’t judge—this is about noticing. This simple, regular check-in builds a habit of financial attention, and that habit is what will change your financial life over time.  

Small actions lead to big change  

No matter your current situation, the key to success is starting with tiny, consistent actions:  

• Notice your impulse buys and eliminate one that doesn’t add real value.  

• Pay your credit card on time (every time).  

• Celebrate the small wins—they truly matter.  

Each small action sends a clear signal to your brain: “I’m in control of my money.” And that shift—from avoidance to ownership—is where your entrepreneurial confidence begins.  

Your personal finances are business training  

Here’s the reality for every founder: if you can’t manage your personal finances, you won’t be able to manage your business finances.  

There’s a reason why your personal credit score affects whether you can borrow money for your business. Your score tells a story about your habits, your consistency, and your reliability.  

Think of your personal money management as the most valuable training you can get for your entrepreneurial future. You don’t need to become a chartered accountant. You just need to understand that money management is a skill that is essential to your life and your business.  

Master your money mindset now, and your future business self will thank you.  

Dominik Loncar is an entrepreneurship coach at Futurpreneur. Over the last decade, he has dedicated his practical skills and expertise from building three businesses and running his own social purpose business to guide young entrepreneurs. Dominik believes that becoming an entrepreneur is a transformative identity shift and has worked with over 200 young entrepreneurs to launch social purpose ventures and both traditional and innovation-based businesses in a multitude of industries.  

Ready to launch your business with confidence? Futurpreneur offers flexible loan financing, expert mentorship, and resources to empower you to reach your entrepreneurial goals. Learn more and get started today.