In the fast-paced world of online business, it’s easy to feel behind. You scroll through your feed and see creators with polished brands, viral posts, and automated funnels. Your instinct might be to wait until things are “perfect” before you really put yourself out there.

But Arthur Ashe’s timeless advice cuts through the noise:

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

This is the mantra every solopreneur, digital product builder, and online creator needs to embrace—especially in the beginning stages or when facing a plateau.

Why Waiting is a Trap

Waiting to have the perfect camera, the ideal website, or the right certification delays your progress. More importantly, it keeps you stuck in planning mode instead of momentum mode.

Every creator you admire started with imperfect tools and uncertain steps. What set them apart was their willingness to move forward anyway. They acted with what they had, not what they wished for.

Start Where You Are

You might not have a large audience. You might still be figuring out your niche. That’s okay.

Starting where you are means accepting your current reality without judgment. You might have 200 followers instead of 2,000. But those 200 are real people. Serve them like they matter (because they do).

It also means leveraging your current skills. Maybe you’re a strong writer but not great on camera—then start a newsletter instead of a YouTube channel. Momentum builds when you play to your current strengths.

Use What You Have

Look around: your laptop, your phone, your voice, your ideas. That’s more than enough.

Too many creators believe they need more gear, more money, more time. But those are excuses dressed up as requirements.

Use free tools. Use templates. Use the 30 minutes you have before work to batch content. Constraints can actually fuel creativity and innovation.

Do What You Can

The final piece of Ashe’s quote is the most empowering: Do what you can.

Not what others are doing. Not what the “experts” say you should do. But what you can do—consistently.

If you can write one piece of content per week, commit to that. If you can reach out to three potential clients this month, do it. If you can record a single tutorial, hit publish.

Action begets clarity. And consistent action—even small—creates results.

Momentum is Greater Than Perfection

When you start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can, you gain one priceless asset: momentum.

Momentum transforms doubt into confidence. It turns strangers into subscribers. It turns messy drafts into profitable products.

Perfection might feel safer, but it keeps you on the sidelines. Progress gets you in the game.

Final Thought

You don’t need a full toolkit to build your business. You need commitment. You need courage. And most of all, you need to start.

So today, look around. What can you do, with what you have, right now?

(This post was created using my ‘Quote To action’ GPT which you can get for free here.)

Then go do it.