Women of Reverence welcomes guest blogger Tabitha Brand.
Tabitha is a wife, mother and, most importantly, a daughter of the Most High King.
I have been a high school teacher, project manager and am currently a stay at home mom turned mom-preneur.
My husband is a pastor and our hearts desire is to see people come to know Jesus and walk into the fullness of all He has for them.
We have 2 children, a boy of 9 and a daughter of 5, and we are often still surprised that God has entrusted us with these 2 amazing treasures. My company is called Bake.t and I specialize in baking biscotti.
There are so many reasons to give it a try, we need the money, we need a creative outlet, we have the ability, we have a worthwhile product and we want to keep being present for our children. The allure of working from home and being your own boss is too appealing not to miss. It generally starts with a great idea that your spouse, family and friends tell you will make money, or is worth selling. If only this was enough encouragement to get us started, but when we face reality we tend to step back and withdraw. We begin to question ourselves, can we really do this, and am I or my product good enough for someone to spend money, surely it is just the people who love me who think this highly of me and my abilities. Our confidence instantly takes a hit, not because we have failed but because our insecurities make us feel as though we will fail.
So how do we overcome this, how to we move from being “just” a mom to being a successful entrepreneur? With lots of prayer. Some of our gifts, talents or abilities are not for us to make money from, they are God’s gift to us to enjoy and be a blessing to those around us. However, there are indeed things God places inside of us that are meant for more. Having been an entrepreneur more than once in my life, I can tell you that some ideas work because they are good ideas and may serve a purpose, but they will not grow more than that. Other ideas are clearly from God as He places every concept and thought in your mind to help you with each step.
When my 2nd child was about 2.5 years old, I started to feel like maybe there was something to this baking business. I had been making and selling rusks and biscotti to a few people, but I felt it was time to turn it into more. This time, the company name, logo, etc all came with such ease. This time God was in the details, and Bake.t (pronounces baked) was born. Within 2 days, the name, logo and Facebook presence were in place.
God was in the details. Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." God really showed His word to be true in my business. I decided to submit every decision to Him, and He was faithful. There was an easiness to getting clients, I didn’t feel as though it was a struggle. I believe this is because I asked God to direct my steps, this business was not about becoming a successful baking empire, but more about being able to bring in some extra finances while not loosing my ability to be present with my husband and children and give time to God’s kingdom.
There have been times where I’ve been so tempted to the let the business grow further, to make my own connections to larger clients. Friends and family have encouraged me to think bigger, to reach for the stars, but each time, I have felt God reminding me that He is my source, for finances, clients, and even recipes. God’s ways are not the same as mans (Isaiah 55:9), and I’ve had to remind myself that I answer to God, not man. I seek His pleasure and not the accolades of the world.
Keeping the business small may not be for all mom-preneurs, some of you may become thriving businesses, creating employment and uplifting your community, but I am convinced that if you allow God to head up your business He will guide you and show you which battles to fight, which bridges to build or burn and which direction your next step should be in.
Be Blessed
Tabs