In order to become a successful entrepreneur, you must first learn how to manage money. After all, besides a good idea, the first requirement of an entrepreneur is to have the funds to invest in a new business venture. This can be easier said than done, especially if you’re already sitting on a tight budget. Here are some money management tips to get your business started.

1. Know Your Credit Score

Everyone should know their credit score, regardless of if they are an entrepreneur. If you aren’t in the habit of knowing yours, you can start today. Request your free credit report. Once you know what’s on your credit, you can start working on improving it. Pay off or settle past debt. When you sign up for a free credit monitor, you can also use their tools to look at ways you are utilizing your money and what you can do differently to improve your score.

Your credit score is important because it opens the opportunity to receive funding. Unless you have a substantial savings, and if you did your credit would likely be excellent, then you need to work on your score.

2. Organize Your Finances

To manage your finances well, you need to have all your information in one place in order to track its progress. Prioritize your budget. If you have expenses that are necessary, label them as such. For expenses that aren’t urgent, categorize them as for the future.

3. Save Money

Part of learning how to manage money includes learning how to save money. When you keep a detailed budget, you know where every penny goes. Look at your budget and see where you could cut back. Maybe you’re subscribing to several streaming services each month. Could you drop a couple and save some money there? Could you cut costs buying generic goods rather than name brands? When you start trimming the fat, you might be surprised at how much extra cash you can find.

4. Have Goals

Have goals that are attainable. Have short-term and long-term goals. As you reach your short-term goals, this will give you the drive you need to continue reaching for the longterm goals. Try not to get impatient. Although a goal may seem like the distant future, time can pass surprisingly fast when you keep working hard for something. And if you hadn’t set the goal, once you’ve reached that same amount of time, you would have nothing.

Learning to manage money takes practice and dedication, but it’s something anyone can do. It just takes a little bit of entrepreneurial spirit.