Some Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Business
Many of us have big dreams that we’re determined to fulfill in 2012. I have owned a small business for a little over a year now, and there are a few things that I wish people had told me before I started out. I would have been more prepared had I known these simple but crucial facts.
For those of you who desire to venture into entrepreneurship this year, here are a few tips…
1. It sounds SO much easier in the Mavuno sermon or when Zig Ziglar describes it.
2. People will let you down on a grander scale than you imagine. Unenthusiastic workers, relatives and friends who say you can’t do it, teammates who ditch the vision, clients who refuse to pay or “get to it when they get to it,” or the friend who gets offended because you refused to offer a service for free. A Max Lucado quote that really helped me went something like “Don’t expect perfection in an imperfect world.” Jeremiah 17:5.
3. With this in mind, then, we can conclude that it had better not JUST be about the money or a desire to impress. It’s easier to pick up and keep going after a letdown if you’re doing something you love – and something you know well. You don’t even need a ton of money to get started. You just need faith and diligence. You need to get your mind out of thinking that the client is your provider or you need affirmation from here or there. God is your Boss and His provision is not about money. Proverbs 22:29, Philippians 4:13.
4. But don’t be afraid to charge your work’s worth. Your business plan needs to have that crucial point where you get to invoice. “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8) – but “If a man shall not work, let him also not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). We need to know what verse refers to what. The first speaks about preaching the gospel, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and casting out devils – these we should never do for pay or for hire. The second speaks about a living, and about work – something that God commends.
5. The best employees will always be a) the first to contribute and hand in work, and b) the first to QUIT. They are in high demand. Many people who have great resumes are ‘bad’ employees. I still have not figured out which is better between a high turnover rate or being stuck with a ‘bad’/unmotivated/complacent employee for eons (and it will feel like eons, by the way, because if they‘re unmotivated to work, they will not be motivated to progress to a better position).
6. It’s not going to be 9-5 for a while. If you’re not a night person, don’t do it. The first few months, maybe years, will involve a lot of sleepless nights. God works with humble beginnings. Human beings begin as small as a dot. Huge trees begin as tiny seeds. The Lord told the Israelites, By little and little I will drive them out before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land (Exodus 23:30). Your business, my business, if started by God, will not be an exception to this rule.
7. The flexibility is to be enjoyed. It’s part of the reason you quit the ratrace, anyway. Sure, there is the occasional day when you go a hectic, productive ten hours straight, no break. Yay for those days. There’ll also be days when after two hours, you’re just not getting anything done and you catch yourself doodling, signing in to chat, or checking texts. On those days, it’s okay to take a break. Take a walk. Read a verse. Check on someone. Getting away from work at a random hour for a while is something you cannot do at a regular job. If you want to, you can give yourself Mondays off (I do!). Enjoy it. Live life abundantly, even in business – John 10:10.
8.Mistakes will happen. Not everything will be a resounding success. The earlier they happen, the better. For one, like someone said, failure teaches you what absolutely doesn’t work. For two, it therefore gets you one trial closer to what does. If you fall seven times in your business, get back up… Proverbs 24:16 is about our walk, but it can be applied to our businesses, too.
9. Clients are used to waiting. It’s better to have them wait, give them quality, and have them return or recommend a new client than it is to rush for quantity and give poor work. Let ‘em wait. They’ll live. Don’t rip them off just to finish quickly and get another project (Leviticus 19:36).
10. Be very picky about your clients. Listen to the Holy Spirit. I could not believe it when something I’ve said over and over to women came back to bite me in the middle of a crisis: Know Your Price. No matter how many bills we have to pay or how lucrative a contract is, not every potential client has to become a client, and not every client has to remain on the client list. Of course life happens, and a good business owner is an understanding one. However, if a client views you as disposable, has unrealistic expectations, makes unrealistic demands, is reluctant to pay your work’s worth, becomes abusive, or is consistently late in making payments (especially if you’re meeting your end of the bargain and consistently delivering quality on time), I think it’s okay to decisively and professionally tell them it’s been real and release them from their contract to save your and their time (and sanity – lol). Ya win some, ya lose some. “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.” – Proverbs 17:1.
Some clients just want to get an idea how you do stuff, so that they can try to cut corners and do it for themselves, or simply because they’re nosy. It’s not difficult to tell who’s window-shopping, story-shopping, or shopping, shopping. Know how to divide your time between each person and how to detect who is serious. But be very careful – it’s not wise to dismiss a “shopping, shopping” client as a “story-shopping” one.
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