We are not all created the same. God gave us each different gifts and skills for a reason. The problem with being an entrepreneur is that you need all of the different gifts and skills.
You need to be creative and visionary to establish the purpose and long-term plan for your business.
You need to be detailed and diligent to take care of all of the daily, redundant tasks that have to happen to keep the shingle out.
And you also need to be outgoing, personable, and hospitable to gain and keep customers and clients.
What was God thinking when He created the entrepreneur? It is the same daunting feeling I get when I read about the Proverbs 31 woman! You need all of the skills, but we all only get some of them.
Don’t despair if you resonate with these feelings of inadequacy. Entrepreneurs were created for such a time as this.
In today’s business environment, we have (more than ever) available and affordable resources that make us whole.
You can find the skills you lack for your business in a variety of forms:
- Professional Development – if you are inclined to, you can learn almost anything. You can get a degree or learn from a How-To YouTube Video. Information and training are available and accessible.
- Hire Talent – as your business grows, you can hire someone who likes numbers and can handle your accounting; or a marketing expert to help you grow.
- Outsource – many of us start out small and cannot afford full-time resources on our staff. With so many freelance and online businesses available, you can outsource almost all parts of the business management to an expert who is accessible during the hours you need them. And with technology, they don’t have to be in your local area.
- Partner – often times start-ups are partnerships formed by two entrepreneurs with complimentary skills and talents. One person may be the operational guru, the other, the big picture visionary. Although partnerships can have their complexities, the ones that take advantage of the differing gifts have bonus benefits.
If you have started a business, or are in the planning stages, and are concerned with how to cover up your weaknesses, now is the time to consider who needs to be on the team with you.
Questions to Consider as You Determine the Skills Needed on Your Team
What is your highest value as a member of your own team? What can you do better than anything else in your business? Although you will undoubtedly have to do some things that are not in this sweet spot, this is what you are working toward. Hold out the spot for your best use for you.
What are you lacking? What skills do you lack… experience, education, and talent? These are the skills to look for first. Even if you have a small budget, start with outsourced vendors to help you with the basics. Many times this is in the areas of bookkeeping, technology and marketing.
What can you do well, but is not what you really enjoy? Depending on your start-up capital or monthly cash flow, these are areas that you may have to handle for now. You are capable, so you do what you have to do for now. Then, as soon as you have extra funds, invest back into your business and replace yourself in these loveless areas.
It is daunting at first. You feel like a circus act, spinning all of the plates, but if you focus on your vision and set up a solid foundation for it, the time will pass quickly.
Soon you will be living the entrepreneurial dream you began with…working in your gifting, following God’s calling for your life and work, and achieving the vision God gave you for your business!
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