My family consisted of people who worked for themselves, owning their own businesses. I always knew I wanted to do the same thing. My overall plan was to develop a skill or craft that would allow me to be creative, set my own schedule, and be successful enough financially that I wouldn't have to spend a lot of time worrying about money for everyday needs.
I opened my business, Mathis Photo, in 1973, and within a couple of years my wife and I were able to buy a house and two new cars. Enjoyed traveling and started saving for retirement. These were my goals and we achieved them. My wife and I worked from home. Made a conscious decision to continue doing what we were already doing as much as possible, without expanding or taking on more work than we could handle ourselves. Later we moved to a small retail space, but even then working together turned out to be ideal.
If we hired more staff, added more services or more locations, I would have to become a manager, giving up a job I loved. Most business owners do not seem to share these goals, believing that expanding their business is always the best option. Consequently, many experience stress while trying to earn money, the quality of work suffers, and often their business fails.
Unfortunately, it is often believed that the measure of a successful business is the total sales volume, the number of employees, the number of new offices added, or the size of the warehouse for goods. The jobs we enjoy, simply providing for ourselves and our families, seem to fall by the wayside.
A small family business that has been successful for many years is rarely appreciated. The so-called “Mom and Pop Store” usually has a negative connotation, although one person, spouse or several relatives running a business together is almost always the most sustainable example for producing excellent goods and services over many years.
When my wife and I also ran a coffee shop for several years, we needed to hire staff to do the job. However, we determined that the best model for us to achieve our hopes for this coffee shop was to keep it alone. After this wonderful experience, I have been working alone again for the last 15 years and love what I do.
The Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes makes the following observation: “And if God has given wealth and property to any man, and given him the power to enjoy them and take his share and enjoy his labors, then this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:18). There's no shame in this.
I share my experience not to disparage anyone who is looking to work with a growing business or advance their career. However, anyone planning to start a business would be wise to think carefully about how they want to approach its development and know what the end goals are for the company. What is the plan? Make as much money as possible, employ as many people as possible, or sell the business to a large conglomerate? Or someone might want to have a good life with as little stress and worry as possible?
The words of Ephesians 6:7-8 provide good guidance on how we should work, no matter the size of our enterprise: “…serving with diligence, as the Lord, and not as men, knowing that each one will receive from the Lord according to the good he has done, whether slave or free.”
© 2023. Jim Mathis is a writer, photographer, and small business owner in Overland Park, Kansas. His latest book is The Camel and the Needle: A Christian's Look at Wealth and Money. Previously, he was a coffee shop manager and executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Questions for reflection/discussion
NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 10:4-5, 12:11, 24, 16:26, 22:29; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Colossians 3:17, 23-24
