My family has run a number of small businesses over the years as they are the easiest in terms of paperwork and taxes but they have all been rather small in scale. Therefore, we have never spent a lot of time looking into developing business partnerships – and I think that between myself and my husband we have enough fingers in the pie already! We do have an acquaintance that has been in the business of helping to develop partnerships with the purpose of funding various start ups privately, and my husband thinks that it is a pretty interesting process.
I think that as the North American economy continues to struggle and men continue to lose their jobs, many are wondering if perhaps God is now opening the windows to self employment. To the starting of a business that can be run independently of an employer. And perhaps that is the case. A man wiser than myself once said that if you wait until a good time to start something, you’ll forever be waiting. There is never a good time to begin, and only those who start in uncertain times will succeed. I think it was C.S. Lewis actually, but I’m having a hard time hunting down the exact quote! It is a thought that has stuck with me though. So, I’d have to say – don’t rely on business updates to determine when to strike out. Follow God’s leading alone – He won’t steer you wrong.
So, that being said, I’m sure that if you are embarking upon a larger commercial venture, the help of outside investors with a wealth of startup information who can sink a significant amount of start up money into your new enterprise can be helpful. However, it is always prudent to be careful to evaluate whether the Lord is leading you to take on debt or any sort of ‘owing’ to another. Sometimes it IS better to just go it alone.
