Guest Post: By Kiara Chambers
Hi everyone, I'm Kiara, owner of Pretty BOLD Boutique. I've been given the opportunity to share my story with you all. I’m a year in as a business owner, April 27th, 2018 was the launch date. I was influenced and encouraged by my older sister who owns a shoe store. Once I got what I thought was a go ahead from God, I wasted no time putting my plan into action, literally launched within 2 months. I was so determined and committed to the starting process. I was so focused that I didn't take a lot of essential aspects of running a business into consideration. Profit margins, taxes, marketing and my customer demographic are just a few things that I completely overlooked. The realest thing I never wrote:
“It's easy to start a business, but it takes a lot to run a successful business."
Smoke & Mirrors
The first couple of months business was great! I was getting my name out there and was getting good feedback at pop up shops that I participated in. Once the smoke cleared, I slowed down on the events and was relying solely on website traffic; my outlook changed. This wasn't in "my plan" at all. Lord what is going on here? I began to question if I was supposed to start this business. Then the Holy Spirit told me:
"Don't question what God told you, but you missed a vital part."
Prepare For Success
I completely missed the part when He said that I have to prepare for this new role and responsibility before starting. So now while I'm trying to run a business, I'm also trying to learn basic things that would have been extremely helpful to know beforehand. I would have saved myself a lot of money, mistakes and time. Don't misunderstand me, there will always be new things to learn no matter what your job description is because the world is always changing, but some things you may be able to avoid.
My Advice To You
Anyone that may be thinking of starting a business my best advice to you is to seek God first and then do your RESEARCH! He will give you the direction that is best for you, but be sure to listen intently and know that sometimes His route will come with obstacles. The only difference between His obstacles and the obstacles we cause is that He will build our character and prepare us for our purpose. Thank God for being merciful, even though I didn't do exactly what he instructed, He still approved His plan for me. I now know that I may have delayed my success but I'm still holding on to His promise. If you are in a place similar to myself, don't get discouraged. His word is true! I remind myself daily that I can't fall off because I'm not getting the instant gratification that I want. Words to live by as a Spirit-led business owner: Faithful, Grateful, Consistent, Motivated, Committed, Benevolent and Teachable just to name a few. So stay the course because the only way to lose is to quit.
Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”