Crossroads In Business
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Q: I am a business owner and I've been running my business for 5 years 
now. I am in the embroidery field and have been for 13 years. 

In the last three years I've watched quite a bit of my peers go out of 
business, file chapter 11 and just change professions. I've also 
watched my business go down a great deal and have lost most of my 
customers. It all happened in a blink of an eye. 

When I started my business, I thought I was sure that God wanted me to 
do so. I used to really love what I do. It was like playing a video 
game of some sorts. Now, I still like what I do, but not with the same 
fire that I used to have. 

I am afraid sometimes that my business will not last. Is God steering 
me in a new direction? I just don't know right now. 

I am a creative person (artist). I create a embroider logo designs for 
the apparel industry. I've accounts with Nike, Logo Athletic, Champion 
Products, Stahls, etc. I believe that you should do what you do best. 
If you sell well you should sell. If you are creative then you should 
have job that you can show what God has blessed you with if it is 
positive. 

I am planning on going to take up web design and multimedia. 
Let me tell you what happened. 

I signed up to go to school at the Art Institute last year. I already 
have my Associates Degree from the class of 1985. I took my wife with 
me to my second meeting with them. As we were leaving we asked the 
receptionist if they were hiring, because my wife was trying to find 
something closer to home. 

The receptionist called Human Resources and a lady came out and spoke 
with us for a minute and asked us did we have a minute, so she could 
introduce my wife to some people. I said sure. When my wife came out, 
she had an interview for the next day. They hired her as an assistant 
in the multimedia department. I felt God moving. 

We found out that if my wife stayed there for a year, We could go to 
school for free. Isn't God wonderful? I just want to do God's will 
and I was wondering if all this other stuff with the business was just 
a prelude for what God wants me to do. I know I've said a lot and I 
just want some advise on what I should do. I want the best for my 
children and family.

Thank you

Crossroads


from the Mountain:

Dear Crossroads,

Business decisions should always be tempered with wisdom first. 

I say wisdom first because so many are misled by what they believe is 
divine direction. I am a businessman and am well known as a successful 
businessman. As a result, I have many that come to me for business 
advice with new ideas. Universally they all say that God gave them the 
idea. There has not been one case of where a person didn't feel it was 
God leading them to do that, not one.

I could clearly see that many of the ideas were not wise and most 
likely would not work. Sure enough, they didn't. Many people don't 
have a close enough walk with God where they KNOW His voice without 
question. In the arena of business, God generally directs according to 
wisdom. There are exceptions, but they are rare. God usually directs 
according to wisdom.

"There is safety in the multitude of counselors"
(Prov 11:14 KJV) Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the 
multitude of counsellors there is safety.
(Prov 15:22 NIV) Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many 
advisers they succeed.

Whatever you plan to do, bounce the idea off of a SUCCESSFUL person in 
that area. Ask someone who is already in the place that you want to 
be. Tell them your plans and current situation and ask them for their 
advice and have an open enough mind to accept and follow what they say.

I am not familiar with the business that you are in but business 
principles are the same no matter what the business. You said that 
many of your peers have gone out of business and changed professions 
within the last three years. What does that say about that industry? 

For example, I could have been in the buggy whip business. No matter 
how good I was at making buggy whips. No matter how much I enjoyed 
buggy whips. As the automobile took hold and horse driven carriages 
went down, buggy whip sales were going down. I would have either 
needed to change professions or prepare for a serious drop in sales.

Suppose I once made and sold typewriters? No matter how much I loved 
it, because of computers, typewriter sales are way down and I would 
take a major drop. So I ask the question, what is the general state 
and DIRECTION of the industry? Is it a buggy whip or typewriter? Have 
computers taken the place of embroiders? If so, then you need to 
refocus. You must know the season in business and you can't harvest 
watermelons in the winter.

If embroidering is going down, take the same talent and shift it into 
another area. You are creative. I am answering this on a website. 
You asked the question on a website. Take your creative design ability 
and learn to create websites. You get my point. Instead of making 
buggy whips, make something for cars. The only difference between 
embroidering and computer aided design are the tools of the trade. 
Change with the times and the technology.

Be diligent in your business. Know the season.

Be Blessed

from MountainWings.com

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