Avoid These Three Home Business Startup Mistakes
Who likes to make mistakes?
Nobody, but mistakes are a part of life!
It is expected that you will make mistakes when starting something new.
That is true for toddlers learning to walk. It is also true for moms learning to work from home.
However, we would not tell a toddler, "Give up, I guess walking is too hard for you."
It is no different for you! So I am telling you, "Don't give up, starting a business is not too hard for you!"
Let's explore three "don’ts" when it comes to starting your work-from-home journey and how to avoid them.
- Don’t wait to start your business
- Don’t go at business alone
- Don’t let your business determine your worth
Don't Wait to Start Your Business
This article will help you to avoid mistakes that I have made in my own online business. I'm sharing these three don't in business because they are all things that I have done. I am hoping that by sharing these things with you that you will not repeat the same mistakes that I have.
Don't wait for the perfect time to start your business.
There is no perfect time to start your business except for today. I know that I wasted many weeks thinking about my business, what I wanted to do, what I could do, and going over all the ideas that I had in my head. But the best advice that I can give you about starting your business is to start today. Don't wait for the perfect time. Don't wait to have the perfect equipment. I started on a laptop that was like five years old and was less than perfect.
Don't wait for the perfect platform.
You may start with one kind of content and then end up switching to another kind. For example, I started with a blog and then I switched to podcasting. So whatever platform you choose, I just suggest that you go all in and perhaps God will lead you to a different platform further down in your business, but start with what you think you should and go from there.
Don't wait for the perfect product.
As you start your business, you're going to have many ideas of how you can serve your customers. Listen to what your audience is telling you and develop a product. As you get more experience in your business, your product will become something that serves your customers and that people will start paying you money for. Start developing something now.
Don't Go Alone in Your Business.
For many years, I tried to just do things on my own. I would search on the Internet. I would find free information, and I tried to build my business that way. It does not work because you listen to so many voices out there on the internet and you get confused and you try to go too many directions.
My advice to you is if you have the finances to hire a one-on-one coach, it will save you time and money in the long run. I did not see momentum in my business until I hired a coach. She helped me in so many ways. She helped me to develop a product that I could offer to people. She helped me to narrow down my niche.
She helped me with my mindset issues, which is a huge thing. When you're starting a business, you probably don't have the confidence and you're letting things hold you back. Working with a coach can help you find the confidence and develop the mindset that you need to be successful in business.
If you don't have the finances to hire a one-on-one coach, there are groups that you can join. I have joined forces with other coaches and we have developed an affordable mentorship program for women just like you who are trying to start a business, but they keep getting stuck It is called the Unique Calling Mentorship Program. This program gives you steps to build your business to help you find success faster.
If you don't have the finances even to join a group, I suggest that you at least find a business friend. Even though your family and friends love you, they probably do not understand what it is like to build a business online. So if you can find a business bestie who can walk alongside you and give you advice and encouragement as you build your business, I highly suggest that.
Do Not Let Your Business Determine Your Worth.
It is easy to base our self-worth on the success or lack of success of our business. Let's first talk about lack of success because no doubt when you are first starting a business, you will see failures. And when these failures come, whether it's a failed launch or you feel like you're talking to no one, you just hear crickets, when you put content out there, you will start to have thoughts as I'm not smart enough.
I'm not techie enough, my product is not good enough and it makes you want to give up. I have been there. However, as Christians, our worth is not determined by your business.
As Christians, we are called to share the love of Christ, whether that is directly through our business or indirectly through how we run our business. We need to stay grounded in the word of God, where we are taught where our worth comes from.
On the other hand, do not let the success of your business determine your worth either. Not only can your failure make you feel worthless, your success can also make you feel prideful.
And the Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Thinking that your success has come by your own hand can lead to pride. When your success comes in your business, please remember that it has first come through the hand of God, and I encourage you to give gratitude to God for your success and not to yourself.
Whether you are successful or unsuccessful in your business as a Christian, your worth is grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves you so much that he died for you. There is a reason that John 3:16 is the most quoted verse in the Bible. It says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth him should not perish but have everlasting life.
That is how much you are worth to God. He sent His Son to die for you. And I've often heard it said this way, if you were the only person that ever lived on this earth, Jesus Christ still would've gone to the cross to die for your sins. So when you are feeling worthless or you are feeling prideful, remember this, that your worth comes from the Lord Jesus Christ and what he did for on the cross.
And this is why I am such an advocate of scripture writing and developing a scripture writing habit. It will keep you grounded and help you to remember where your worth comes from. Think of it as a teeter-totter or a seesaw that you see in a playground. On one end is your feelings of worthlessness, and on the other end are prideful feelings. But the anchor in the middle is Jesus Christ. He never moves and we do not want to be on one end or the other. We want to be at the feet of Jesus Christ in the middle and to glory in his perfect love for us.
As you build your business, please remember these three don'ts in business.
- Don't wait to start your business.
- Don't go at your business alone.
- Don't base your worth on your business.
If you would like to book a free discovery call and see if we would be a good match to work together to help you in your work-from-home journey. I would love to connect with you.
And until next time, remember to:
- find your uniqueness
- follow the straight and narrow path
- foster financial freedom
- focus on your faith and family.