How To Pick A Business Idea - Part One

Courtesy of Faithwalk Photography

 Sixteen year old Lydia has been thinking about how to use her extra time building a cottage industry. She has several options. One is an offer to work with her aunt, who is a full-time house cleaner. Another is tutoring the children of a family from church in piano or finally launch her dream of running “Lydia's Flower Basket”. But Lydia feels frozen. How in the world does she know which opportunity is right? What if she makes the wrong choice?

Have you ever been there? Having a Goliath list of ideas but not knowing which one to pursue? I have. So how do we decide? I don't have the perfect answer (no one does, though I still find myself looking :)) but over the years I've learned it's helpful to take my prospective ideas and filter them through six life circles: God, Worldview, Relationships, Time, Health and Money.* Let's look first at the most important three.

God

It should go without saying, but our first response must be seeking God about any and every entrepreneurial idea. If we have been born again, then we are servants of Christ. Servants exist to do the will of their master. So the first question we must ask is is this something my Master wants me to do? It's a familiar verse, but Proverbs 3:6 is very clear that when we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways He takes personal responsibility to direct us. 
 

Worldview

Worldview is how we  view God and Man in the context of daily life. As Believers, the Bible is THE filter through which we process life, which is why it's so important we know what it says. Not every entrepreneurial enterprise fits a biblical worldview; those that don't should be rejected. Let's put it this way: if your ideas were people would they be judged as hot, cold or lukewarm in their conformance to the Bible?

Relationships

The work we do has an incredible influence on our relationships with family, friends, neighbors and fellow believers. Does your idea give freedom for you to be the daughter, wife or mother God has called you to be? Will it require long hours of working alone? Does it help or hinder your involvement with family and other believers?

Another way relationships help us weigh ideas is by providing counsel. When I left my work as a land title searcher, God worked through conversations with my parents and close friends to lead me. Of course we have to take the ultimate responsibility for what we decide to do, but a wise man seeks out counsel ( Proverbs 12:15). Take time to ask those who know and love you what they think about your ideas.

Next week, we'll peek at time, health and money but from what we've just covered, do any of your ideas stand out as "the one"? How do they look now viewing them through the eyes of Jesus, the Bible and your most precious relationships?

*Blogger Jonathan Milligan is the first person I ever heard point out six major life areas, only his list was spirituality, identity, relationships, time management, health and wealth. While I did not agree with all parts of his article and have used no quotes from it, I did find it very helpful in seeing how these areas affect everyone and want to credit him as the one who identified them.