Should You Start Your Own Business? How to Know If You’re READY for Entrepreneurship

It’s well into the new year, and many people are taking another look at their long-standing resolutions. For many people, becoming their own boss is at the top of their list of goals. Perhaps that holds true for you. However, not everyone is wired for entrepreneurship.

How can you tell if you should finally pursue your dream or take it off your bucket list once and for all?  Because, let’s be honest: not everyone can run a successful business.

And definitely, not everyone should run a business.

I know this is harsh. But if you aren’t meant for business, I could be saving you years of your time, energy, money, and frustration. (You’re welcome, in advance! :)). 

Below I’ll outline some things to help you tell whether or not you’re meant to start your own business.

You can use this information in the discernment process to help you determine whether entrepreneurship should be on your list of goals for the coming year.

Or even more importantly, what gaps you need to fill prior to taking the plunge to start your own business.  

If you are already in business, then this will serve as a checklist of what you need to improve upon so that you can have a more successful and enjoyable business!

How to Tell if You’re Meant for Business

You might have the desire to start a business if one or more of the following are true:

• You’ve dabbled in an MLM.
• You’ve considered selling real estate (or have).
• You hate having a boss.
• You’re yearning to be your own boss and set your own hours.
• You enjoy reading about or watching our entrepreneurs’ journeys

If you’ve done or thought about those things, you definitely have the DESIRE and yearning to be an entrepreneur. You might even have a sense that you’re called to start a business. The good news is that this means you’ve passed the first test: you’re wired for entrepreneurship! Woohoo!!

Unfortunately, that was the easy part. Here are the real questions:

• Are you capable and ready to start your own business?
• SHOULD you start your own business?

It’s one thing to be wired for and have a deep desire to start a business. However, that still doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be successful in it. One study found that only 33% of businesses last ten years and a staggering 20% don’t even make it a year.

That’s a lot of time invested that comes to nothing!

If You Do These 8 Things, You Should NOT Start a Business

The following are eight signs that you’re not ready to start a business.

1. You don’t have a strong sense of “why.”

As a Christian mompreneur, your first priority is making sure everything you do is anchored to your identity in Christ and His will and direction for your life. You need to have this “why” behind everything you do, even starting a business.

Before you start a business, you need to make sure you’re deeply connected to your “why.” This will sustain you when things get difficult (and trust me, they will).

2. You don’t know what you really want.

If you can’t really articulate what you want, it might be a sign that you’re not ready to start your business. Maybe you carry around a lot of fear and won’t allow yourself to dream big and believe in yourself. These limiting beliefs can prevent you from embracing everything you were meant to be.

Take a step back and consider what it is you truly want, deep down. Once you can articulate your wants, you’re one step closer to going after the things you most desire.

3. You’re disorganized.

Disorganization can be a major obstacle if you’re trying to start or scale your business. You may laugh off your disorganization, especially if everyone around you knows how scattered you can be. The truth is, organization is necessary to stay on top of the many moving pieces and people in your business.

If you aren’t naturally organized (very few are!), take some time to invest in organizational and time management skills. These will help equip you for future success as a mompreneur.

4. You don’t have any systems in place.

Systems and organization are vital to your success as an entrepreneur. If you don’t know how to get things done efficiently and effectively, you’ll be fighting a constant uphill battle with your business.

I write and share a lot about the systems you can implement at work and at home. These systems will allow you to do everything you have to do without sacrificing your sleep or sanity. You can read my tips for building effective systems here.

5. You don’t have leadership skills.

In Acts 6, the disciples noticed that there was a growing need to minister to widows in their midst. Instead of appointing just anyone to take over this task, they looked for individuals who were wise and full of the Spirit to carry out this important work. These were the leadership skills necessary to take on the important task.

Although they aren’t exactly the same skills, you will need both wisdom and the Holy Spirit to do your work as an entrepreneur. With those, you’ll also need leadership skills to lead your company. After all, your company can only grow as far as your leadership skills allow.

6. You don’t know how to work with, get along with, or motivate people.

That leads into our next sign that you might not be ready to start a business. If you’re going to lead people, you need to know how to work with them, get along with them, and motivate them. This is an absolutely essential skill you cannot ignore.

You cannot accomplish anything great by yourself. You’re always going to need others: peers, subordinates to help carry out your vision, and a community that supports and cheers you on. Make sure you learn how to work with and motivate people before you start a business. This will save you from a lot of heartache down the road! 

7. Your home life is chaotic.

If your home life is chaotic, it’s probably not a good time to start a business. If your marriage isn’t solid and stable and there’s underlying resentment for example, you might need to address these issues before beginning your business. Otherwise, it's likely going to get worse.

If your home itself is disorganized and chaotic, you’ll need to get things in order before you launch your business. An unorganized home not only adds stress, but it can lead to financial waste, such as ordering takeout or wasting groceries. You may even find yourself purchasing things over and over because you can’t find them in your home.  When you are launching a new business and trying to get to profitability quickly, you can't afford to have financial waste there. 

Your relationship with your children should also be in a good place before you start a business. If your children already require a lot of your time  and even extra time dealing with tantrums and other challenging behavior, it is probably wise to tend to these needs before you add anything else to your plate.

Your home life is key to your success as a mompreneur, so you need to learn how to manage it well. How you manage your home is also an indication of how you’ll run your business. If you aren’t running your home well, you most likely won’t manage your business well, either. 

How you do one thing is how you do everything. 

In one of his parables, Jesus tells a story of three servants who are entrusted with money while their master is away. Two of them invest the money and make more, while another buries the funds and makes nothing.

This parable teaches us that we’re called to be good stewards of what we’re given. When you manage what you already have (your household) well, you are showing that you can be entrusted with something more (your business). Be faithful with what you have first, knowing that your faithfulness will lead to more.

8. You’re only in it for the money and what the business can do for you.

The truth is that starting a business isn’t about you! Nope, it’s not. Business is about solving a problem for others. They have a problem and exchange their money with you in order to get the value and solution you offer.

If you don’t truly care about your customers or clients, you’re not going to really create a great solution or product for them. You certainly won’t be delivering a high-quality experience for them, which will not lead to your own success.

If you go into business with a greedy and selfish perspective, you’re likely to crash and burn. Truthfully, you most likely cannot achieve all the joy and fulfillment entrepreneurship has to offer when you are going into business with selfish motives.

Business or No Business?

OK, enough with the doom and gloom! Here’s some good news: the eight things listed above CAN be changed if you’re willing to commit yourself to change. If you were reading along and feeling convicted by that list, GREAT! That means there’s still hope for you. 

Once you have the will to change and the knowledge needed to make those changes, you’re ready to address those areas of your life that need to be adjusted. If you still have the desire to start your own business, even after reading all this, you’re most likely wired for business - you just have to be willing to do the work ahead of you to properly prepare.

Conclusion

This year, you can start a business and even succeed in it, especially if:

• You have expertise and experience you can use to solve a problem for others.
• You’re willing to commit and put in the work.
• You’re coachable and willing to learn.

So what are you waiting for? What’s your next step? How are you going to make your mark in the world and create the business you desire?

This is the year to truly commit and take action on your business dreams. Don’t just keep saying you want to start a business without committing to it. Either commit or let the dream go. Walking around with unrealized dreams is stressful. It weighs on you and adds to your hidden mental load. Decide today whether you’re going to do it or let it go.

Will you be starting a business this year? What do you need to do to make that happen? I’m rooting for you and I have opened up TIME in my calendar to help you start or scale your business.

If you want to know what the next best steps are for you to realize your dream of business ownership this year, book a complimentary "Freedom Activation Call" 📲 with me to learn more about my proven framework and process for launching and running a highly profitable business AS A MOM!
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✨​​​​​​​​ I’m so passionate about helping moms create a profitable business while still prioritizing their HOME and their faith.
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Book your complimentary call 📲 with me to chat about your goals and next steps, and how I can help you achieve them faster - and with EASE.​​​​​​​​
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I’m committed to helping busy moms like you make their dreams a reality. To finally get started on the path to entrepreneurship, click here to book your call with me now.