Entrepreneurial activities require both sacrifice and risk-taking. Foremost in the business person’s mind will be the question of how much he is willing to sacrifice and the amount of risk-taking both now and in the future? Another relevant consideration is the subject of time. Every business requires tons of it in each part and phase of the venture.
Counting the Cost
Sitting down to count the cost in all that we do is essential. There must be a plan, benchmarks and budget for resources needed. These will act as a spearhead for one’s efforts to succeed and will certainly also reveal the hard truth if the venture has come short.
‘For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ (Luke 14:29,30)
Counting the cost is a sign of confidence in one’s ability and in making the right choice of investment. In succeeding, we get wiser and not wilder. On the other hand, it is in no way a marker for lack of faith. It acts as a safeguard against falling into a bottomless pit. When the hard truth surfaces and the business position becomes irredeemable, it allows for a wise and conscious decision to cut losses.
In his song “The Gambler,” the country singer Kenny Rogers summed it up well in this part of the song, “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, Know when to walk away and know when to run.”
Contending with Contentment
What if the business take-off? And there is great potential for it to be scaled up either digitally or physically. How much/many is enough?
Contentment will be the rear-guard to protect the businessman from losing his balance and succumb to stress and ill-health in the business jungle. The ‘contentment is great gain’ principle can be put to work in light of the many pressures the businessman has to handle. Contentment will counter greed, which is a bane to all who forget what is more important to him in the pursuit of profits.
‘But godliness with contentment is great gain.‘ (1 Tim 6:6)
A growing business is a hard taskmaster. It gobbles money in expansion. Herein lies the danger of over-gearing. Then it guzzles more of your time. Family is relegated to the background and health matters take a backseat. He must keep his perspective and watch if the business has taken a life of its own and the master has become the slave. Putting these together, the sense of contentment is inversely proportional to the business person’s cost of time resources. Contentment will be the businessman’s conscience. Please don’t start a business without it!
