It is easy to think that your entrepreneurial adventure isn’t God’s plan for you when you built it and they didn’t come.
But before you decide to give up, thinking there is some other ordained path for you, let’s be sure it isn’t just a skill deficit, rather than a true crossroads.
I got a call from someone about a year ago in response to a blog post I wrote about knowing God’s will. It’s always a challenge when we embark on something that is good. We know it isn’t one of those black and white, against the ten commandment type of paths, but is it God’s plan for me?
The call I received was one of those. Jane had started a business the year before, but it hadn’t really grown. She felt like she spent a lot of time and energy on the business and it wasn’t working. Could it be that it just wasn’t God’s plan for her to be a life coach?
Through our discussion, I learned that Jane had wonderful experience in counseling and ministry. She had a true heart for God and had helped many people in the church and her community. “I guess God doesn’t want me to make money from these skills.”
You Need Skills To Work On Your Business As Well As In Your Business
When I asked her about her business skills, she was a little confused. Her question was whether or not she was in God’s will, not whether she understood business basics.
I tried to explain that the reason people may not be purchasing her services may be more about her “running the business” than God’s will. How can you sell your services if you don’t:
- Have a strategy to achieve your God-given vision.
- Have the right team with the skills you need to help you get clients and grow.
- Have the systems in place to get things done efficiently so you can spend more time helping people.
- Have a point of difference in your coaching that is identified and properly communicated.
- Know how to reach the people you want to help and you aren’t even really sure who exactly you should be helping.
- Know how to price and sell your services.
- Make yourself do the things you need to do to sell your services even though you are a life coach, not a sales person?
Learn To Manage Your Business To Success
What if you just don’t have the business skills to build your business, but you are a wonderful coach, carpenter, attorney, etc.?
Or, what if God is waiting on you to study, get help, outsource, or partner with someone else to help you to achieve the vision?
Every case is different, and I have to work on my own discernment of God’s will in my life, however, I think it might be a point to consider…
Do you have the business skills to achieve your vision?
Before you give up on the path that you really believed was God’s plan when you started, think about getting business help first. To discuss how we may be able to help through coaching, consulting, or outsourcing, email me at [email protected].
Sue, what a great post. Often it comes down to the business knowledge gap rather than God’s will gap. Even with tremendous faith, we still need the right business structures and strategies to make it flourish. I’m glad you’re sharing this side of the coin!
Alex