Owning your own business is a career goal that's becoming more and more attractive to women in particular.

The flexibility! Being your own boss! No cap on your potential earning! Turning your passion into a paycheck! Tick, tick, tick, tick.

But becoming a small business owner is damn hard, and for those seriously thinking about venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, it can be kind of intimidating. It's particularly tricky to crystal ball how much you're going to have to pour into your side-hustle to start profiting from it.

The Lady Startup Activation Plan can help with that. Mia Freedman, founder of the Lady Startup movement and co-founder ofMamamia,(which she started in her lounge room, just FYI), has been guiding women from idea to launch since 2018 via a 6 step guide.

By the end of this self-paced course you'll have:

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BUSINESS COSTS?! I hear you ask.

Well, firstly, some ideas cost absolutely nothing. But for those that do, we've popped together a little inspiration.

In the spirit of helping their past selves (aka you, dear reader) build up the courage to take that first step, 6 women in business have kindly given us a peek behind the curtain into what it truly cost to get their startup off the ground.

Tamara Khan: $9,894

MAINE+MARA is an edgy and unique accessories brand hand crafted in Sydney. It's colourful, contemporary, and each piece is intended to uplift its wearer and influence the celebration of individuality and strength.

How much did you think it would cost to start your business?

$10,000.

The real startup costs:

$2,000 - materials for product design.

$1,450 - product photography.

$2,500 - video and photography shoot with models.

$39/monthly - website set up and fees.

$796 (now $567) - Completing the Lady Startup course, as well as setting up my domain name and some digital resources.

$2,000 - Facebook advertising.

$189 - Public Liability Insurance.

$800 - marquee/tables/displays/branding.

$120/per event - market stall rent.

Where did the funds come from?

Personal Savings.

Thoughts/feelings/lessons:

"I had a clear vision having worked in branding and advertising for almost twenty years. This meant that all design/branding and making I could do in house but this investment allowed me to get off the ground at a level I was happy to promote. I knew I couldn't just build it and wait for people to come so I was prepared for marketing spend.

"I learnt to make a very small batch of a design, test it at markets and refine it before investing in it further or adding it to my online store.

"Having always worked in agencies, surrounded by teams of specialists I found trying to be everything in my biz was a lot to juggle. In the beginning I thought that's just what I needed to do, and I learnt loads, but I also learnt that I could tap into small biz support networks like Lady Startups (and I found many of them through the official Lady Startup Lounge Facebook Group), full of people with different experience to shortcut the things I didn't know. It's like having that team of specialists again.

"Two years on, MAINE+MARA has evolved so much. I feel like it's moved from being an experiment to an established brand. I definitely underestimated how much I needed to learn and how many aspects were involved in having your own business. I am still loving learning, and growing."

Jen McKee: $62,552

Passionate about the agriculture industry, Jen realised farmers needed help in reducing time spent on paperwork and record keeping, so she decided to build an app which she called Grower Support. It streamlines record creation and audit preparation for everything from government regulation to food safety to help farmers "get back into the paddock."

How much did you think it would cost to start your business?

"A few thousand. But I pivoted my business to offer software as opposed to the original plan which was to be service-based. I got a few shocks with that, but by that stage I was pretty passionate about the problem that I was solving so I forged ahead."

The real startup costs:

$700 - app build discovery call.

$99 - ABN registration.

$199 - ASIC business name registration.

$50 - domain registration.

$20 - DIY logo package.

$24 - business cards.

$800 (now, $567) - Completing the Lady Startup Activation Plan course and purchasing digital templates.

$660/annually - Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance.

$60,000 - app build.

Where did the funds come from?

"12 months ago I decided to resign from my full-time government job after 13 years to work on my side hustle. I was lucky to have some leave owning to me as well as long service leave, so I used that money and a lot support from my husband."

Thoughts/feelings/lessons:

"The app build is finished and I think it was worth every cent. Even if I fail in business, I have learnt so many new skills along the way, it's been invaluable.

"In doing the Lady Startup course taught by Mia, I learnt so much. I have started my business with a DIY approach as I had the time to invest in learning and upskilling. I listen to nothing but business and tech podcasts, watch tutorials and ask questions in the Lady Startup Facebook Group.

"My advic