We all know the story of creation. Or the gist of how the earth and everything was formed day by day in the Bible.
Or at the very least know how it starts…
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
For a lot of us, that is a defining moment in time when all was created, from the heavens and earth to mankind on the 6th day. But the God that we serve is a God of order. He never does anything that is just a one-time occurrence or never repeated. Everything that he has done sets a principle for us to follow. Afterall he made us in his own image.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;
Genesis 1:26-28
Everything He has created has a set principle, the creation of the universe is no different. And we can take the first creation of God and use it as a guideline to create our own universe, in this case, a business model.
That’s right, God made the entire universe and the principle can be translated to building and starting a business. We aren’t God so it will take more than 6 days, but here is a basic structure.
Here are the 6 Steps for building a successful business as God created the universe.
1. Vision (Day 1)
The Earth was formless, an empty Darkness covered the Deep Waters then God said let there be light. Genesis 1:2
Before we can start any venture the one thing we need is a vision. A vision of what is to come and where we want it to go. This is where the painstaking business plan takes place. You need a vision of your overall goal or destination. Having a clear picture of where we want to go sets the bar. It also allows us to create a plan for what to do.
2. Separation (Day 2)
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” Genesis 1:6
This is probably one of the steps that most of us skip in the midst of all the excitement. But it is probably one of, if not most important steps in the entire process. If you don’t do this one early enough it can cause a lot of strain on you, your family and friends.
Separation and balance of work and family. Ground rules need to be established between everyone. You need to make a clear line in the sand where work ends and where friends/family begin.
There is a way to have everything co-exist but it is going to take careful planning and consideration of all parties involved. You never want to ignore your wife or kids, just because you are too busy trying to build a business. Or vice versa, you are trying to build something that will take work after all.
One of the best things that I have found to work is allowing your wife and kids to be involved in what you are doing. This may not work for everyone but open communication is still key.
3. Foundation (Day 3)
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” Genesis 1:11
This is where we start the structure of the whole business. From the type (Sole-prop, LLC, S-Crop or C-Corp) all the way to what and how.
What will be your product or service be to how will you get it to grow (marketing)? What you will be monetizing and how. Your website, your social media accounts, and the backbone of the company from accounting to human resources. The foundation is where everything will be built on.
4. Management 24/7 (Day 4)
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. Genesis 1:16
Warren Buffet says “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.”
Now in days if you don’t have a website or a social media account you are leaving money on the table. If you have a brick and mortar you need something that will stay open 24 hours generating business, providing information and generating leads. If you don’t know how to do that there are plenty of agencies that can help you. You can also reach out to me and I can help you find someone or help you.
Now in days if you don’t have a website or a social media account you are leaving money on the table. If you have a brick and mortar you need something that will stay open 24 hours generating business, providing information and generating leads. If you don’t know how to do that there are plenty of agencies that can help you. You can also reach out to me and I can help you find someone or help you. This will be all of the groundwork needed to successfully run a business. Marketing is essential for all businesses. Can you do it by word of mouth alone? Sure but it will be a lot more time-consuming. Having a well laid out marketing plan will save you the trouble. And now with social media in the mix, you can not ignore Facebook and Google advertising. Make sure you implement that in your marketing, make it a priority before flyers and billboards.
Advertising is a key component that your business needs in order to grow and be profitable. Don’t wait until the last minute to start marketing.
“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”
Henry Ford
5. Systems (Day 5)
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” Genesis 1:20
One of my favorite books is The E-Myth (highly recommended read) which describes the process to do this perfectly. In a nutshell, it illustrates that any and every business should be started with a franchise mentality even if you are not planning to franchise it.
You need to consider every process of the business from the time you have a client/customer/patient walk through the door (or visits your website) all the way until they have been fulfilled and then thereafter. Every step needs to be set up in a way that can be easily replicated. A lot like McDonald’s hiring a new employee and training them.
6. Build a team and delegate (Day 6)
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and overall the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26
One of my favorite books on this is The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris. If you haven’t read it, it will change your life! Delegation is key to building, running and scaling any business. God created the universe to be self-sustaining and perpetual. Our business should be no different. As entrepreneurs, we want to do everything but the main thing we need to do is work ON the business, not IN IT.
7. And on the seventh day, God rested
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Genesis 2:2
I know I have been there, we all want to be Gary Vaynerchuk in the beginning but we will burn out. It’s happened to me several times and it’s best to make sure we have one day of rest. As entrepreneurs, we live to work but there is also a time to stop and reflect. This can be any day but taking a day to enjoy family, friends or a good book can get you right back on track for the rest of the week.
I hope you all enjoyed this read please share and comment your thoughts. And as always Stay Blessed.