This past week, my family was blessed to welcome another brand new member. His name is Jaxon. He is a sweet little boy, and has already been an incredible blessing to my family. Because of his birth, I have taken the entire last week off to take time with my family and to reflect on the things that matter most.
I want to share with you just 3 things that I have reflected upon this past week that I believe are essential to owning and running a small business.
I have always believed these things, but they are burned in my heart even stronger now after this past week. Not everyone, I’m sure, will agree with what I am about to say.
That’s ok.Â
If you have some alternative essentials you think the world should hear, I encourage you to start a blog for your audience and share them!
I believe the first unlikely small business essential is:
#1. A Relationship with God
Human beings are designed and created to submit to a higher authority. We may or may not like that, but it’s the absolute truth.
If you don’t believe me, walk down main street in your town waving a gun in the air and see if someone of higher authority doesn’t shut you down fast.
Everyday, we consciously submit to a man-made authority, but we also submit to the Authority who made us. God made us in His image, and in order to run your small business successfully, I believe you need a relationship with Him.
The appropriate thing here would be to define success. There are plenty of small business owners who are profitable and yet don’t have a relationship with God. There are plenty of small businesses that have spanned multiple generations and have seen success, and yet God was nowhere in the middle of them.
The problem is that success is being improperly defined. You see, motive is everything. If you want your small business to have a lifelong impact on others, a lifelong impact on your family, and a lifelong impact on you, you have got to have a relationship with God!
When and if you get things right vertically, everything will begin to look right and feel right horizontally. Friend, if you find yourself with a growing business and yet still unfulfilled with the pleasures of this life, it’s because you were made for another world! You don’t fit in here! You need to get it right with the Lord!
Truthfully, I don’t know how I’d make it from one day to the next with Jesus Christ in my corner. I have a Friend with me always who comforts me and takes care of me, and always has my best interests at heart. By the way, He knew a little bit about business too!
God’s business is the most important business in the world. Not to mention, Jesus was a carpenter! Any “success” I have in my business I attribute 100% to Christ, so how could it not be an essential? He is for me. And He is for many other small business owners I know. I believe He is for you too.
#2. A Good Relationship with Family
When the first of this year hit, I made a public commitment to do less. My commitment for this year is to do less of the things that were taking away from time spent with my family.
To add to that, I have made my small business work hours to be limited to the early mornings, unless I have a customer meeting in the evenings. These two small changes have made a giant impact on me, my family, and my business.
See, I think that in order to run your small business effectively, things need to be both right AND good on the home front. Otherwise, it will show in your work, and it will likely show in the day to day operation of your business.
Many get this completely backwards. They assume that they need to spend more time working and more time away from the home in order to be an effective business-person. I believe that the true formula is 100% opposite of that.
Spending time with family (should) rejuvenate and inspire you. When you approach your work rejuvenated and inspired, you can not only be more productive and effective, but you’ll likely do a better job at your work!
You can’t spend each moment giving of yourself, because there is just not enough of that to sustain you for long periods of time. You need to stay energized by the people who love you and are concerned about your well-being.
My relationship with God and with my family are easily the two pillars on which my business stands. It has much more to do with them than it does with me.
This brings me to my third and final essential:
#3. Time for Personal Development
Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and side-hustlers alike often fail to make time for the single person who the business likely relies on the most–themselves!
This is a tragedy.
When people buy from you, they are no doubt expecting the best you have to offer. As I mentioned briefly in the second essential, if you are not being recharged, you can’t possibly output what you need to in order to thrive.
Your family relationship is essential in order to have that rejuvenating, but you need to recharge on a personal level as well. And, believe it or not, this has less to do with sleep than you are probably thinking.
Yes, you need plenty of sleep.
However, many small business owners (myself included) find that they can work and live quite comfortably with around 4-5 hours of sleep each night. Much less than the “recommended” amount.
What many cannot do without, however, is some time made just for them to develop themselves personally. Exercise, prayer, meditation, reading, writing–these are all things that play a part. One thing I love is listening to podcasts of all different types.
The time that you invest in personally recharging yourself will repay itself dividends in your business. If nothing else, you will likely have some of your best new thoughts and ideas to incorporate into your business during this time.
I spend time each day in prayer specifically for my business. Call it silly if you want to, but as I mentioned in my first thought, I believe my relationship with God is directly tied to the success of my business. But the way to call on God is by prayer, which is very much a matter of personal development.
[bctt tweet=”My relationship with God and with my family are easily the two pillars on which my business stands.” username=”northmacsvc”]
Take some time to reflect on your small business. Are things right vertically (with God)? Are things right horizontally (with family)? Are things right inwardly (with yourself)?
If you’ll take the time to settle these matters, your business will reap the rewards.
