Should I Start a Business? Questions to ask to create a business you love.

I can think back to a time of dreaming about being out of a cubicle and into the business ownership space. 

Slowly, in my mind and heart, my cubicle started to seem more like a prison, and my paint deck started to look more like paradise. Standing in the break room one day, I showed a few girls a project I was working on at home: An invitation suite for a friend, complete with gold foil (that I figured out to do with a laminator and a roll of gold foil), handprinted details, and original watercolor. 

“You could totally sell these.”

“I wish something like these were available when I got married.” 

“So unique! I have a friend that needs invites, can I send her to you?”

These statements didn’t just fuel that idea of my cubicle being a prison, it ignited it. 

From my 1000 foot view, it seemed like this had all the sweetest makings of a business booming success. 

 And from the kitchen table of our 800 square foot apartment, I birthed my first entrepreneurial adventure, handpainted wedding invitations. 

What I didn’t realize is, I’d find myself a few years down the road hating the work I was doing. 

Loathing the clients and their (sometimes vicious) demands on my creativity, an intimate part of me that I held dear. 

My time was consumed with client work, bridal meetings, proofs of design, vendor work to ensure the printing was perfect, and proof meetings. 

I had taken what I believed was a specific gift, and commercialized it in a way that made me hate the work, dread the meetings, ignore the requests for more significant, costly events. 

I didn’t realize that I had created a business model that in no way shape or form worked with the lifestyle I wanted to lead. 

My time, my most expensive commodity, was being spent so fast. Twelve, fourteen, sometimes eighteen hours a day, my studio would have my attention. My marriage suffered, my church only saw me pop in and out on Sunday mornings, and my friends were nonexistent. 

I’m here to help you avoid this same mistake. 

Your mind might be slowly beginning the transformation from employer work to entrepreneurship, and that’s okay! We’ll get into exactly how to decide which business you should start, but first, let’s place a hold in this thought and dig deep to find out if you should start a business.

Casually go through the following questions and answer as truthfully as possible.

 “Is this something I want to do because a situation seems unresolvable at my current job?”

“Is this something I want to do to elevate myself or gifts in a way that brings me praise?”

“Is this something I want to do because it seems like quick money?”

“Is this something I want to do because I’m discontent with relationships or tasks at my current job?”

If the answer was “yes” to any of those questions, entrepreneurship might not be the best solution. 

In everything we do, we should seek to live in peace with one another. If a situation, person, or task that you just don’t like is the driving reason behind your consideration of entrepreneurship, I would plead with you – seek out those relationships. Attempt to resolve or communicate your needs and strengths in a way that your leadership will hear and respect. 

And this isn’t easy. It’s going to feel uncomfortable and unnatural. 

 But hear me out, I can guarantee you, only because I’ve been down the same road, that entrepreneurship is not a road you want to take if conflict is something you prefer avoiding. If communicating lovingly and patiently with clients and people you serve is not high on your list. Or if you have a tendency to run from situations when they become uncomfortable or hard. Please, please please, hear me when I say, seek reconciliation first. If that can’t be found, it might be time to begin the search for a new place of employment. 

If there was ever a way to define entrepreneurship, it’s messy. It’s having hard conversations. It’s learning to communicate in a way that serves people and not yourself. It’s above all other things, very difficult and a constant practice of stepping outside of your regular comfort zones. 

If your answers were no to those questions and you believe you have a product or service to offer people. Let’s move on!

Let’s peel apart this business-starting-equation. 

The success of a business is dependent on a few key things – all of which involve you! Here’s a simple practice to figure out which company to start.

 The first question to ask yourself is: Why?
The second part of this business equation is: What can you do? These are your talents.
And third: What gets you fired up? These are your passions.

First up, “The Why Onion”.

Get your toothpicks and glasses ready, friends. We’re about to dive in. 

Kody wrinkled his nose and said, “NO way are going to call it that.” 

But alas, it is what it is. Some metaphors just work.

As funny as it sounds, The Why Onion is a practice I have incorporated into more areas of my life than just entrepreneurship. The Why Onion is your *nonstinky* guide to discovering what motivates you in your pursuit of entrepreneurship. 

• “Why do I want to start a business?”
• “Why do I want to offer this service or product?”
• “Why do I want to serve my potential customers in this way?” 

If there’s one thing I know about The Why Onion, is that when we don’t peel down deep enough and get VERY specific and precise, entrepreneurship often goes off the rails. Sadly, it sometimes even ends in closed businesses, outstanding debts, and unfortunately, feelings of defeat and not wanting to move forward. 

Here’s how it works:

You’re going to write your “Why?” for starting your business. 

Got it? 

Okay, don’t run off into the sunset yet. Ask the question again. “Why?”

Like a 3-year-old questioning all the laws of physics, ask it again. And again. And again.  

Dig as deep as you can possibly dig, ask “Why?” until you are either in tears or your heart is beating so fast you know it would be criminal not to do it. 

There it is.
A “Why?” like that is a perfect motivator when the business will inevitably get hard. 

And like the layers of an onion, your Why Onion came to life.

Next, your gifts.

So next, and don’t make this harder than it has to be.
Sis, what are you good at?

What area, talent, or skill do you have that your friends just rave about? Is it something creative? 
Is it something in mindfulness? 
Is it something unique?

This one tends to be a little harder on us because really, we don’t like talking about our strengths. It feels icky. It feels like we are trying to elevate ourselves. It feels like we are fishing for compliments. 

Throw all of those thoughts out the window. It’s time to toot your horn and decide what you can do.

 And you guessed it, write those things down. I’m serious! Start a list! 

Now, no one is saying you need to go out tomorrow and start a business in that particular thing, so just get creative. Get those brainstorming juices flowing and come up with as many gifts, talents, unique abilities, tricks… anything that you do well – and even better if someone else recognizes it in you!

Next, your passion.

And if you’ll give me a second, let’s discuss a passion side note.

 There is a bit of grumbling around this “passion” idea. It seems more often than ever, people are scoffing at this idea of passion, specifically, passion in the workplace. 

 Understand, this is coming from a girl who has worked a j-o-b before. 

I fully understand and know there are some times in life when we just need a paycheck. Simply put, it pays the bills. 

 And while that is a season that is okay to temporarily be in, on the other side of this topic, God has given you unique quirks, unique thoughts, unique experiences. So instead of burying those, bring them to light.

 I would even go as far as saying you are squandering resources God has given you by not using those passions. 

So what exactly is a passion? These are the things that light you up. The things that you could talk about for hours on end and not get tired of. These are the things that might keep you up at night tossing, turning, planning, and scheming how this or that could work out. 

Ding, ding, ding! You guessed it! 

We’re going to write them down. This time the list is much shorter, but you may have more than one. If so, write each passion down, and let’s dig deep with the one that resonates the deepest. 

Now, the application. We’re bringing out Why Onion, our Talents, and our passions together and like a transparency screen on those overhead projectors from the ’90s, we’re laying them down!

• What consistencies to you see?
• Do two things appear to fit seamlessly?
• Where are the areas of overlap?

 Does what you’re passionate about fall anywhere in the field of what you’re good at?

Once you find the overlap, you have the foundation prepped and planned for your potential booming business.

 So there you have it! 

Your Gifts (+) Your Passions (x) The Why Onion
= Your Best Business Idea

 So tell me below. What 3 business ideas do you have based on your unique gifts and passions?

Go make a mark,