3 Questions An Entrepreneur Must Answer First 

In my opinion, entrepreneurs are the backbone of our country and the economic system as we know it. Without entrepreneurs, our economy would fall apart. At the same time, being an entrepreneur is not an easy path to take. There are many challenges and hurdles to overcome before an entrepreneur can truly be successful.

Success vs. Fulfillment

Fortunately, there is a plethora of articles, books, and courses out there to help the budding entrepreneur get started and build a viable business (see info on a strong, new resource, Brazzlebox, at the bottom of this post). Unfortunately, I believe there is just as much of a lack of articles written to help the entrepreneur achieve fulfillment.

Success in business is one thing. Fulfillment is something else entirely.

Sure, most small businesses fail in the first year and many more during the first three years. But many succeed. Even for those that succeed for three, five, even 10 or 20 years into the future, the question of fulfillment remains.

For those entrepreneurs that succeed, many become serial entrepreneurs and start multiple businesses over their career. It seems many are trying to scratch an itch that will not go away. While they continue to find success in each endeavor, they also continue to come up empty when it comes to the true fulfillment they seek.

Why No Fulfillment

Why is this true? Why do so many of them succeed in multiple businesses without ever finding the true fulfillment they desire? What is missing?

I think I have the answer. In fact, I think there are 3 questions an entrepreneur must answer first, before doing anything else about starting their new business.

Entrepreneurs often find many challenges when they begin the work that starts once they finally decide, “OK, I’m starting a business.” They have to find funding. They must determine the initial scale of their business based on resources they have and can acquire. There is MUCH work to do.

My advice is to put a hold on all of that work. Before taking the first steps toward overcoming these challenges, I believe the best advice I can give them is to answer the following three questions. It is my experience that they will find future challenges easier to overcome as a result of the clarity they achieve with the answers to these questions.

1. WHY am I doing this?

I believe this is the central question to virtually any endeavor we undertake in our lives. The “Why?” is so critical that I cannot imagine operating without it ever again! When you have operated with it AND without it before, you know EXACTLY what I mean!

Simply put, the answer to this question is whatever is driving you to this point of starting a business. It could be the need for full independence or additional income. It could be the desire to work from wherever you want or the belief that you have a better way of doing things.

Whatever the case, your “Why?” must be a core driver for you. Don’t answer this question quickly or without deep thought and consideration. This answer needs to have staying power.

It will give you the fuel you need to get through the messy parts of starting a business. It will get you up in the morning and put a kick in your step when everything around you says to hit the snooze button. If your answer to “Why?” will not fit this description, you have the wrong answer. Keep looking.

Warning

BEWARE!! Many entrepreneurs before you have tried to answer this question with the stuff of this world and have failed. Maybe they have succeeded in building a business, but they failed to find fulfillment. The ONLY way your “Why?” will not lead you to the same disappointment is if you get it from God.

Bathe this question in prayer. Seek God’s wisdom for your answer here and He will be faithful to lead you to the fulfillment you were created to experience. Any other path is certain to end without it.

2. WHO owns this business?

This is another question that will bring clarity to future decisions and challenges. It could be that you are starting this business with a partner. It could be that you are doing it alone, but your spouse is going to be involved at some level.

Whatever the case, the ownership of this business must be determined at the VERY beginning. Any confusion or doubt here will create serious difficulties in the future. This decision alone could wreck the business at a time when it is beginning to look like it will succeed. Do not rush past this question.

You will likely find plenty of advice about whether or not to have a partner. You will probably hear multiple opinions on how to structure your business in the event you have more than one person involved in the ownership. Do you due diligence here and make a wise choice.

One piece of advice I will give you here – make sure any partners you enlist are in alignment with your answer to the first question of “Why?”. If you have any disagreement here, you are already in trouble.

Warning

BEWARE!! As with the “Why?” question above, this question has caused many entrepreneurs before you to end up empty and unfulfilled – even with a successful business. The reason they end up there is because they did not recognize the true Owner of their business from the start.

God owns your business. In fact, He owns EVERYTHING and is not afraid to say it. To whatever extent you try to act otherwise, you will find trouble.

If you will acknowledge that God owns your business and operate it in a way that aligns with His Word…from the very beginning…then you will put yourself on the path to fulfillment you can only imagine at this point.

3. WHAT is the vision for this business?

When I bring up vision, most business people immediately think about it in the context of a mission statement and core values. While this is somewhat true, your own personal vision for the business may be slightly different.

When I say you must determine your vision for the business, I mean that you need to sketch out a destination. Where do you want to end up? If you imagine this business will exist for 30 years, what will it look like in 30 years?

Almost like Stephen Covey’s funeral exercise, you need to put in writing what you want people to say about that business at the end. What kind of reputation do you want it to have? Who and what do you want it to impact? How?

Without a clear destination in mind, you will waffle over too many decisions during the coming years. If you have clarity here from the very beginning, these decisions will come much more easily to you.

Warning

BEWARE!! You knew this was coming, right? A vision that is centered around temporary results (worldly results) may help you succeed in the business world as an entrepreneur, but you will not find the fulfillment you need.

Pray through this answer. Seek guidance in the Bible for this vision. If you allow God to give you this vision, you cannot imagine the impact it will have on your results. I promise you He is faithful to give it to you when your heart is ready for it.

Encouragement To The Entrepreneur

If you are an entrepreneur (or desire to be one), I want to encourage you! You are a critical part of what God is doing today. You will likely create jobs and improve lives as a result of your work. That is admirable and deserving of praise!

I urge you to take these three questions to heart, answering them before moving on to the work you have ahead of you. You may feel they are slowing you down and keeping you from the real work you need to get done. I get it.

Ignore that “feeling” and plow through them. Take the necessary time to answer them well and you will thank me later. It will make all the difference in the world!

Have you already answered these questions about your business?

What challenges have you faced when these answers helped (or could have)?

Are you prepared to answer these questions now?

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