Last time we talked about reasons to start your own business and pitfalls in Starting Your Own Business I. Today, let's talk about character traits of a good businesswoman and choosing what kind of business to start.
Upbeat/Positive Attitude
Starting a business requires faith in God. It is hard, if not impossible to start a business if you are not trusting God, knowing you can trust Him no matter what.
My friend, Brad, lost his job and, a month later, got into a car accident. Both times, he kept his eyes on the Lord, proclaiming to all who would listen, "God allowed this to happen. So He will bring good out of these situations." His faith encouraged others, but more importantly his faith sustained him through the trials. He believed that God keeps His promises even when bad things happen.
If you start a business, bad things will happen sometimes. Customers won't pay, orders will be lost, mistakes will be made, sales might slow down--will you keep your eyes on Jesus when these things happen or give in to worry?
Integrity
My husband, Mike Curtis is the most godly man that I have ever met. He has never told a lie, cheated on someone, taken revenge, or done a dishonest thing in his business. As a result, customers trust him to keep his word and do good work. They know that they get what they pay for because he is trustworthy. Can people trust you? Are you a woman of integrity? Are you tempted to cheat, steal, or lie? Do you give in to temptation in these areas?
Walk uprightly with the Lord and God will bless you in all your ways, including your business. Have a reputation that is above reproach. God will take care of your business if you honor His Name. A good reputation will not only be good for your business, but will bring glory to God!
Hard Work
"What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" I asked my friend, Zack, a young man of eighteen.
"We're going over to my grandparents' house to do some lawn work for them," he answered with a big smile.
"That is so sweet of you!" I commended him. I silently made note that his attitude at serving and working hard was different than other young men his age and I told him so. I was impressed.
"Oh, I enjoy hard work," he grinned.
Wow! Someone who enjoys hard work is miles ahead of the game. Learn to love working hard. Profitable businesses are built by hard work. If you are considering starting your own business, plan to work very hard!
Going the Extra Mile!
Upbeat/Positive Attitude
Starting a business requires faith in God. It is hard, if not impossible to start a business if you are not trusting God, knowing you can trust Him no matter what.
My friend, Brad, lost his job and, a month later, got into a car accident. Both times, he kept his eyes on the Lord, proclaiming to all who would listen, "God allowed this to happen. So He will bring good out of these situations." His faith encouraged others, but more importantly his faith sustained him through the trials. He believed that God keeps His promises even when bad things happen.
If you start a business, bad things will happen sometimes. Customers won't pay, orders will be lost, mistakes will be made, sales might slow down--will you keep your eyes on Jesus when these things happen or give in to worry?
Integrity
My husband, Mike Curtis is the most godly man that I have ever met. He has never told a lie, cheated on someone, taken revenge, or done a dishonest thing in his business. As a result, customers trust him to keep his word and do good work. They know that they get what they pay for because he is trustworthy. Can people trust you? Are you a woman of integrity? Are you tempted to cheat, steal, or lie? Do you give in to temptation in these areas?
Walk uprightly with the Lord and God will bless you in all your ways, including your business. Have a reputation that is above reproach. God will take care of your business if you honor His Name. A good reputation will not only be good for your business, but will bring glory to God!
Hard Work
"What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" I asked my friend, Zack, a young man of eighteen.
"We're going over to my grandparents' house to do some lawn work for them," he answered with a big smile.
"That is so sweet of you!" I commended him. I silently made note that his attitude at serving and working hard was different than other young men his age and I told him so. I was impressed.
"Oh, I enjoy hard work," he grinned.
Wow! Someone who enjoys hard work is miles ahead of the game. Learn to love working hard. Profitable businesses are built by hard work. If you are considering starting your own business, plan to work very hard!
Going the Extra Mile!
I met Coach Chris when he coached son's basketball coach. The next season, I wanted to put my youngest son, Jimmy on the older age team with his sister. To my surprise, Coach offered to meet Jimmy and I at the YMCA and work with him on a few areas so that he would be able to play with the older children. Jimmy caught on quickly and held his own with the older kids' team.
Later, when Coach Chris started a business, he offered to do a free class for our church homeschool coop. Coach Chris goes the extra mile. A good businesswoman is willing to go the extra mile, to do a little extra, so that her customers and employees feel valued. This can be as simple as remembering people's names, praying for customers, or serving free fresh hot coffee in your store. Look for ways to serve, going the extra mile for God's glory!
Choosing a Business to Start
What business should you start? Let me tell you about two different business experiences where I was led by the Lord.
The first happened when my husband was attending seminary. He was working part-time and going to school. I was home with babies, watching an extra child to bring in extra money, and making crafts that I sold at craft shows or in local country stores. I also made lots of hair bows for my daughters and myself. (It was the late eighties when hair bows were in!) While I was praying for wisdom, people began asking for me to make hair bows for their girls too and soon I was making hair bows for all my friends. It was very quick to make them. I made a ruffle on the sewing machine, attaching it with fishing wire to a hair clip. The materials were inexpensive. Suddenly, I realized that I had a cost-effective craft that could be made quickly. I made thousands of hair bows, selling them along with my crafts. They outsold everything else!
A few years later, I was reading the food section of the newspaper. They were having a cookie recipe contest. I sensed that the Lord was telling me to enter the contest. So, I did and won! The next urging from the Lord was to write an article for Teaching Home magazine. Though I love to write, I felt nervous, but I had confidence because I had won the contest. I submitted my first article and it was accepted. This led to writing many articles for magazines. The Lord built my confidence first with the recipe contest! Ask Him to build your confidence too!
What business should you start? The possibilities are endless. Here are some things to pray and think about in choosing a business to start. Why not come up with a list of every possible business idea that you might try and then use the following things to narrow your list down to some real possibilities.
Praying for your Success!
Merey (Meredith Ludwig Curtis)
Later, when Coach Chris started a business, he offered to do a free class for our church homeschool coop. Coach Chris goes the extra mile. A good businesswoman is willing to go the extra mile, to do a little extra, so that her customers and employees feel valued. This can be as simple as remembering people's names, praying for customers, or serving free fresh hot coffee in your store. Look for ways to serve, going the extra mile for God's glory!
Choosing a Business to Start
What business should you start? Let me tell you about two different business experiences where I was led by the Lord.
The first happened when my husband was attending seminary. He was working part-time and going to school. I was home with babies, watching an extra child to bring in extra money, and making crafts that I sold at craft shows or in local country stores. I also made lots of hair bows for my daughters and myself. (It was the late eighties when hair bows were in!) While I was praying for wisdom, people began asking for me to make hair bows for their girls too and soon I was making hair bows for all my friends. It was very quick to make them. I made a ruffle on the sewing machine, attaching it with fishing wire to a hair clip. The materials were inexpensive. Suddenly, I realized that I had a cost-effective craft that could be made quickly. I made thousands of hair bows, selling them along with my crafts. They outsold everything else!
A few years later, I was reading the food section of the newspaper. They were having a cookie recipe contest. I sensed that the Lord was telling me to enter the contest. So, I did and won! The next urging from the Lord was to write an article for Teaching Home magazine. Though I love to write, I felt nervous, but I had confidence because I had won the contest. I submitted my first article and it was accepted. This led to writing many articles for magazines. The Lord built my confidence first with the recipe contest! Ask Him to build your confidence too!
What business should you start? The possibilities are endless. Here are some things to pray and think about in choosing a business to start. Why not come up with a list of every possible business idea that you might try and then use the following things to narrow your list down to some real possibilities.
- Personal skills/acquired skills
- Passions
- Asses need in market (Research, target, look at a wide range of services)
- Start-up costs and risk involved
Praying for your Success!
Merey (Meredith Ludwig Curtis)
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