top of page
TOOLS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS:
GET HELP FROM THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Getting to learn from people who have walked the path you are starting down, gives you the opportunity to avoid mistakes you are likely to make without their guidance. This holds true for both business do's & don'ts, as well as insights into your personal life & your faith walk. Trial and error is a costly and time consuming teacher; and most people who learned this way will tell you that there are much better ways to learn. Especially if you are on a tight budget, learning from experienced mentors & advisors is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Even if the mentors, advisors etc. you work with don't have direct experience in the same kind of business you are starting or growing, by listening, asking questions, and contextualizing what they are sharing for your market, product, etc. you can develop a map for what to watch for, and what to watch out for. Even more important than the business insights you are likely to gain, you will learn about the risks and opportunities that can effect your family and faith walk as you grow your business.
The men & women that volunteer to serve as mentors and guides do it as a way to serve the body of Christ, give back part of what was given to them, and honor God by sharing the lessons He let them learn on their journeys to business success, and sometimes failure. They volunteer knowing the prices they paid and they want you to have a realistic understanding of what you may be signing up for.
WHAT DOES WINNING AT BUSINESS MEAN TO YOU?
A surprisingly large percentage of Christian entrepreneurs have a hard time defining what it means for them to win at business. Most of the time they find themselves pursuing money, thinking that if they get enough money, they will be able to do and get whatever else they want at that time. Sometimes they split focus between two or three targets, trying to incorporate non-financial priorities, but they still don't have a clearly defined target or picture of what winning looks like; so they spend their energy on whatever seems to be yielding the best results at the time.
​
If that is you, I would submit to you that, if you don't clearly know what your target is, you are rather unlikely to hit it. The target can start as a picture in your head, but before you will be able to reach it, you will need to bring that picture into clear focus. If you don't have a clear picture yet, I offer this target / picture for your consideration as a starting point that you can customize for your situation.
Success at business is: Paying your business expenses & obligations, while brining home enough money to cover all of your family needs and some of your wants, while consistently having time to enjoy your friends, family, and community, without having to ask a boss or a board for permission to spend money or time; and having peace in your heart that you are acting in accordance with God's will and purpose for your life.
​
The elements at play in this definition are:
-
Operating legally & responsibly
-
Profitability
-
Time control
-
Presence of friends/family/community
-
Proper priorities
-
Autonomy
-
Mission
​
As you can see, the amount of money your business makes
isn't on the list, and that there are things on the list that more
revenue cant buy. You don't have to use this definition, but
you do need a definition of success you can fully buy into.
bottom of page