Archive for the ‘Business Inspiration’ Category

As a Christian and a family focused entrepreneur, I believe that faith is a key ingredient in small business success.  In this current economy, the people of God must remember that if you honor God through your business he will direct your path.

Each year, I pick a bible verse as my theme for the New Year.  As I considered which bible verse would guide me in 2010, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorites. Use these bible verses in the good and tough times in your small business.

1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Learn something every day.  If you only lean on your own knowledge in your business, you will not be able to grow.  You must grow yourself to grow your business

2. “Behold, I am doing something new! It’s already happening; don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.”  Isaiah 43:19 (GOD’S WORD® Translation) Sometimes your business will need to move as the market pulls you in a different direction. You might need to reinvent your business, and you should not be afraid. God’s always got your back.

3.”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV) One of the most important things you can do for your business is to pray every day.

4. “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26 (KJV) You can’t just pray for success. Develop a plan and work your plan. If you can do something about your situation, then do it. Stop making excuses, stop procrastinating, and do it!

5. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV) There will be contracts that you really need that you will not win. There will be days when you drop the ball on your customer service, but you can not let that define you or your business. You will get another opportunity and even if you don’t, God is with you always.

6. “As I think in my heart, so am I.” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) Your thoughts can be your number #1 asset or your biggest liability. When you are alone in your office or back bedroom, your thoughts can easily turn on you. Your ability to stay positive, learn from all experiences and shake off mistakes quickly will be a big asset to you and your business.

7. “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) Making decisions in your small business based on fear is never helpful. For that matter making decisions in anger is not good either. Try hard not to be reactionary with clients, vendors or employees. Use factual information and up-to date financials to make sound business decisions.

8. “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day.” Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB) You need to understand that God’s time is not your time. There may come a time in your business when you just know you have a contract, one that you really need and things fall through. Those are the times when you need to trust in the Lord the most. When we accept God’s timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems.

9. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding;” Proverbs 3:13 (NIV) You need to be a life long learner in order to be successful in business.  You should constantly seek to improve yourself and increase your knowledge about the business of running a business.

10. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) This is my new bible verse for 2010. It came to me watching a college football game. I believe I was only watching the game to see it.

Remember, whether you are religious or not you can always pray about your business.

Special Shout out to Joyce Meyer Ministries for her book The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word which gave me guidance for this post and to Pastor F.L. Anderson who gave me some biblical wisdom for this article. Read his blog http://www.FLAnderson.com.

Do you have a special bible verse that has helped you in your business? Please leave a comment and tell me about it.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady“, is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months. A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

For more tips on how to start or grow your small business visit http://succeedasyourowboss.com and subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog.

The following is excerpted from my forthcoming book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide To a Business That Works! which is being published by Adams Media, March 2010.

Are you tired of your boss nagging you throughout the day? Are you fed up with the small amount of pay you get as compensation at the end of the month to put up with his repeated verbal attacks? If this is the case, it is high time that you chucked your 9 to 5 job and started your own business. The best way to do this is to develop a plan for success.

Life is too short, and jobs are no longer secure anyway. When you are your own boss, you can work how and when you like in your own business. The key to launching a successful small business is to developing a firm plan, saving enough money before you quit your job, and learning the business of running a business.  Below is a list of the Top 10 Things to Do before Going into Business.

1. Plan Your Departure 12 Months Before You Quit Your Job. Create a 12 month countdown to accomplish all the things that you need to get in order personally prior to starting your business e.g., financial resources, upgrading your technology skills, building marketing platform, business planning, office space/inventory needs, etc.
2. Develop A Life Plan. Decide what kind of entrepreneurial lifestyle you will lead.  Do you have the energy to start a business?  How many days a week will you work.  Will you work 6 days a week or be off every Friday?  Will you work weekends, every weekend? You should design your life plan around what your best day looks like 5 years from now.
3. Calculate Your Net Worth. List all of your fixed and liquid assets, such as real estate and cars, cash, stocks, and bank accounts at their current value.  List all jewelry, furniture and household items at their current value.  These are your total assets.  Subtract all of your debts, such as your mortgage, car loan and credit card balances, from your total assets. The result is your net worth.  Remember: Pay off all credit card debt! Carrying large amounts of credit card debt will strangle you financially as you start your business.
4. Save As Much Money As Possible. Time to tighten your belt.  All too often, people go into business without any personal savings, exclusively using loan money from friends and family, home equity and credit cards.  You may expect to pay the loans back right away with the profits from your business; however, it typically takes 12-18 months to generate revenue and an average of three years to break even.  Please note: You will also need a separate emergency savings account just for your household.
5. Upgrade Your Technology Skills. 80 percent of the people know less than 20 percent of their software’s capabilities.  Invest in online training or video professor to learn any software and social media marketing skills essential to your business operations.  Quickbooks is a very common small business accounting software program that will be helpful to learn even if you hire a bookkeeper.  Learning how to maximize your technology resources will give you skills that make you more valuable in your business.
6. Determine How You Will Cover Your Health Insurance.   The ideal scenario is when your health insurance is covered by your spouse, but for those that are divorced or single parents, health insurance is serious business.  There is COBRA, which is offered by your most recent employer, but it is only available for 18 months after your quit your job and is very expensive.  You may also obtain health insurance through the National Association for the Self Employed (NASE), local Chambers of Commerce, and trade organizations.
7. Expand Your Network. Evaluate your network.  Are you known internally or externally at your job? Make a real effort to join organizations and attend networking functions to build and reinforce relationships.  When you first start out in business, many of your customers typically come from your personal network.
8. Get Yourself a “Kitchen Cabinet” of Advisors. Find four supportive mentors or friends who you can safely bounce ideas and concerns off of.  It is helpful if at least one of these people is already an entrepreneur or a potential client.
9. Get Yourself a Personal Theme Song. Pick a song that always makes you feel good!  Play it everyday to energize you.  The journey you are about to start is hard and lonely, and your theme song  will help lift you up and keep you focused on your goal – especially when you need extra motivation.
10. Stay Positive and Encouraged. You are the power source that will make your business a success!  Find ways to keep your battery charged and sustain your optimism.  Make a list of your accomplishments every day – it will keep you from dwelling on your never ending to-do list.

There are many different types of opportunities available for you in the form of a small business.  If you are experienced in any field, you can make money working for yourself.  Start realizing your real potential and make money for yourself by selecting the right business opportunity.

Good Luck! An expanded version of this article titled; 44 Things You Need To Do Before You Go Into Business is available as a free download on my website at www.melindaemerson.com.

This is insight into starting – and more importantly, staying – in business.  I love to get feedback. Tell me if you have any other good tips to add to the list.

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady”is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 month! A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works! will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

For more tips on how to start or grow your small business visit http://succeedasyourowboss.com and subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog