One thing I’ve learned during the plandemic, is that it’s vital to have a backup source of income. Recently, we received news that the kids would be out of school for the remainder of the year. At the time, I was blessed enough to be an “essential worker”, and was able to return to work. But this announcement meant that I had to figure out how to accommodate my son. There was also a moment when I contracted the virus and had to self quarantine. I ran out of paid time off and had to go without pay for a portion of the time I was out. Unexpected times like these, make it important to make sure that we and our families are prepared. Times like these are small reminders that we need self-sufficiency. I honestly don’t like to rely on self for anything, so for the sake of my conscience, we will call it “God-sufficiency”. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, “You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” To me, in a nutshell tells us that we need to learn a trade, and practice it. In times of recession, or simply times of shortage, we could use our trades as a fail-safe. I have devised some tips that previously helped me when I decided to start my own business. These tips will help shine light of what we should be focusing on in times like these.
DECIDE WHICH BUSINESS YOU WANT TO START
I am blessed to have multiple streams of income. My sales went up during the plandemic. I realized that more people were off and at home. They had more time to shop online and support small businesses. By the grace of God, people stuck together and wanted to help small businesses and spread acts of kindness. I recognized that consumers were slowing down and processing what value they would get from shopping with small businesses. I’m not saying that this is the only reason why you should start your own business, but it is a huge driving factor in making your life God-sufficient. So when you are thinking of where you can provide value, think of what will sustain you rather than what will make you the most money. Sustainability is the key here. You want to think of things that you are passionate about and could enjoy doing whether you had to or not. You have to realize that you will be putting your trade into practice, which means it will not be a one and done thing. This will be something that you build upon until the Lord calls you home. Ask yourself questions like, “What am I passionate about? What can I do that I will enjoy? What can I do for hours and not get tired of it? What are the talents that God given me?” Start here and when you come up with the answers to these questions, your recession-proof business will be clearer. Things can take a turn for the worse in an instant, and it’s times like these that show which businesses will prevail, and which businesses are unprepared.
MAGNIFY THE VALUE
People want to support businesses that have value. So if you find value in the business you want to start, you will be able to convince others of the value too. I recommend that you choose something that intrigues you and that you could take an interest in learning about. I have been into fashion and have followed it since I was little. I also studied it in high school and minored in Fashion Merchandising in college. With this passion, it made perfect sense for me to start my own clothing brand. I also love to journal and write, it’s therapeutic for me. So it also made since for me to start my own blog. I have a few more things that I am passionate about and entertain myself with regardless of what state the world is in. There is no limit to what we can do as a creative people. The more you do, the better your chances are of being God-sufficient and less dependent on the cares of the world.
START SMALL
It is important to learn how to balance life out. Life is challenging enough as it is, so it is important to keep this simple. Use wisdom and take your time with this process. Timing is everything, when it comes to topics like these. The sooner you can start this venture, the better, even if that means simply researching right now. You can take smaller steps at a slower pace. While the world is distracted, you should be laser focused. Take this season to get your plan together. Work on your business plan until you get to a point where you can take on another task, then see what else you can execute to get yourself closer to starting your own business.
THINK OF YOU FIRST
Start your business for YOU. When I started my business, I really wanted something I could call my own and to be able to have another outlet to bring me joy. It’s a bonus that my businesses brings in additional income. If you don’t find joy in what you do to produce an income, explore other things. Use the time you have right now to explore, try, fail, and succeed. When things hit the fan in the world again, because it will, you will need to use discernment. I caution you not to choose anything just for the money you will make. This choice will bring dread and unsustainability. Be smart about this step and make a decision that pushes you to walk in your purpose.
START A LEGACY
Another big reason I started my own business was because I wanted to start a legacy for my family. I wanted something that I could pass on for generations. You can start a positive cycle in your family by being the role model for another member in your family to start their own business. Before you know it, your family will be well off, on it’s own, and it was all because of your obedience of the call. The domino effect could be contagious and rewarding. It brings me so much joy when my own family members tell me how proud of me they are and how my decisions inspired them.
Life is short and the plandemic we went through proves it. So go start those businesses and become “God-sufficient“.