10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started A Business

When my four sisters and I were in elementary school, mom was the school nurse and dad was a farmer and construction worker. In 2010, mom’s role changed as she and dad made the decision to renovate a building and open the Homestead Buttery and Bakery with our aunt and uncle. We turned a little Remington doctor’s office into a bakery, bulk food store, deli, gift shop, and dine-in…and what fun it was to open! Since then we have been through a lot of change at the Homestead, but it has been an incredible learning experience along the way. I asked mom recently what she wished she had known before undertaking such a task, and here was her reply:

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Business

1. You will never leave work at work- it follows you home!
2. 8 am -5 pm workdays are non-existent…some days you will work from 4 am – 12 pm…on average, your hours range from 7 am – 7 pm daily.
3. You must be willing to do anything you expect your employees to do, and show them that you are not too above them to do it!
4. You must have strong shoulders. There are days that you feel like you are a dart board. There are other days that you are encouraged to roll up your sleeves and carry on with enthusiasm.
5. Your family will earn gold crowns in heaven for their sacrifice, patience through long hours, and continual support when they know you so desperately need them. They are the ‘wind beneath your wings.’
6. The only thing that is predictable is the unpredictable.
7. You can plan your day as precisely as you want, but most days you will leave with only 2 things checked off your list of 20 items. Tomorrow is a new day and you will start over.
8. Starting your own business is the hardest and most grueling thing you will ever do, but it will bring you peace and a humbling sense of accomplishment when you see the joy and beaming appreciation on your customer’s faces for every deed of service that you offer.
9. Your customers must trust you. If they trust you they will be loyal to you.
10. God’s Grace is sufficient, no matter what. You may think you already know that, but when your faith grows dim, the path ahead seems uncertain, and you are exhausted to the bone, He will bless you with little Ebenezer’s along the way that will confirm that He is still with you!