One of the most common pieces of advice you hear from successful business owners is that successful business owners know their roles.
Most often people get into business because they have an idea for a product or service. Believing it to be of value to others, they attempt to sell it with the belief everyone will see its value as clear as you do.
The problem is, not everyone does.
There are actually not two, but three types of businesses. Products, services, and referral.
Products have an item for sale. Services have a solution to a problem. Referrals sell other people’s products and/or services. Take Walmart & Angie’s List for example; two very successful businesses. Walmart sells other people’s products. Angie’s list, refers people to others services.
What many people new to business don’t realize is, you need all three to succeed.
What new business owners find out is, they can’t be all three alone. And many find out the hard way, trying to be all three, until they’re burned out & what many call fail, is actually giving up from exhausting their ability.
Why, because it’s extremely difficult to be & do all three.
You’ve got to know your roll.
Think about your last job. Why did they hire you? To fulfill a need they themselves could do. But, remember, opportunities cost.
If I take the time to do it myself, it cost me other opportunities I for-go which may be of more value then what I’m willing to pay someone else to handle. This is what they mean by saying, successful business owners know their roles. What you discover is a very interesting, underlying Biblical concept that may seem contrary to everything you think & feel about business.
The concept is, you have to give freely to receive. First.
How Can You Know Your Roles & Be Successful?
Above all, specialize in what you’re special in, and give what you are not, to those who are.
1 Peter 4:10 says,” Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
When you try to do it all, you take away from the integrity of your gift in order to spread your abilities into things outside of your role.
Don’t try to be a manager, if your an inventor. Invent, and hire a manager. Don’t try to be a marketer or salesperson if you’re a baker, just bake. Don’t try to be an accountant or lawyer, if your a mechanic. To be successful, know ahead of time, what your role in your business is & what role you’ll need others to handle.
With everyone in place, the business machine with all it’s parts, will work towards the common good. The baker bakes, the salesman sells the bread, the accountant keeps the books, the manager ensures everyone is doing their job.
If you build your team from the onset, you can focus on what you role is & have faith those you’ve brought into your idea will do the same. This is what it means to go into business fulfilling the needs of your customers & those working for you, before you. Seek advise & use discernment to weight decisions.
What Does the Bible Say About How to Know Your Roles?
Two of my favorite Bible verses speak to this concept.
Proverbs 15:22, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed”
Proverbs 26:12, “Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”
You’re not meant to do it all & God has purpose for everyone. Besides, you’re blessed with a business because God wants to use you to help others, to help others. It provides the opportunity for people to use the gifts God has given them to benefit other people.
If you follow this Biblical advice, you, your customers & your employees will be all the better off for it. Don’t quit your business, quit trying to do it all. Remember, successful business owners know their roles.
