Business ideas I’m toying with

I’ve been toying for a while with the idea of selling a product where part of the proceeds would go toward fighting child sexual abuse.

Eventually, I got really excited about selling truly great chai latte. During my time in Toronto, I found an exceptionally good version, and I think it would be a great one to bring to the Netherlands.

I kept turning the idea over in my mind.
I laid it before God.
Before a friend.
My husband.

And then I thought: maybe I should first check whether that company in Canada would even want to partner with me.

I gathered my courage and sent an email.

No response.

A week later, I sent a follow-up.
A few hours later, I had a reply.

And the answer was positive.
I had been honest in my email and explained what I was planning.

But that’s when the gears really started turning.
And… my courage sank.
My conviction that this “might be it” disappeared like snow in the sun.

Why?

Well… there’s a lot involved. (duh!)

Different countries have different regulations.
Importing and selling a product—especially a food product—is significantly different from selling a service.
The latter is something I’ve been doing for years; I feel confident about that.

Now, I know uncertainty doesn’t have to stop me. Often, it simply has to do with not knowing the right steps to take.

But after years of entrepreneurship, I’ve reached the point where I want to be sure that God has truly set me on a certain path. And I’m still unsure about that.

I know my mission is crystal clear: I want to build a business I can run during school hours. The only question is—what exactly is that business?

I have ideas, and this is one of them. It’s one that could go hand in hand with something else. Something along the lines of leadership training for entrepreneurs with a heart for social impact.

Slowly, the puzzle pieces are becoming clearer, and I’m able to put them together. With a partner—that’s a fact.

But we’re not there yet. So we’re in active waiting mode.

For now, these are my lessons:

• Still be patient. God’s timing is perfect, and He will confirm what needs to be confirmed in His time.

• Don’t let uncertainty paralyze you. Just because something is new and unfamiliar doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. So examine the feeling.

• Entrepreneurship means taking action. Sometimes taking a risk. Sometimes asking and finding out it doesn’t work after all. Trying. Failing. I need to normalize that.

• Don’t forget that the business must be able to run within a limited number of hours. That requirement needs to be applied to every consideration. I’ve managed to free up a lot of time with various time-management hacks, but in the end, there are only so many hours available in a day.

Plenty to do, to think about, and to pray over.

I’ll keep you posted!

P.S. Enjoyed this? Share it with a friend.