Thankful For 2 Years In Business
It’s hard to believe, but June 1st marked the two year birthday of my business! Although I’m not content with where my business is today and I pray that I will be able to accelerate the number of clients that I’m able to serve in the coming years, the purpose of this blog post is to pause and reflect back on all that I’m thankful for since the inception of my business – just as I do when presenting a financial plan to a client.
Because I find that discussing finances may bring up feelings of regret or guilt for many people, I begin meetings with new clients by talking through a list of positive things in their financial situation. The purpose of this exercise is to take the focus off of what they do not have or what they have not done and rather take some time to be thankful for what they do already have.
Psalm 100:4 reads, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” In line with how I start my meetings with new clients, I’d like to celebrate the second birthday of my business by taking a step back to give thanks for all that God has done. Below are just a few of these things that I am thankful for:
The opportunity to serve 60 clients. I started this business two years ago because I wanted to help and serve others and I’ve had an incredible opportunity to do that. I’ve now worked with exactly 60 different clients since starting my firm – 25 are clients that I continue to serve on an ongoing basis and the other 35 are clients that I’ve helped on a one-time project basis.
The ability to help people steward their money wisely. The 60 clients that I’ve served have a wide variety of circumstances and some of the things I’ve been able to help my clients accomplish are: create a budget, pay off debt, save for retirement, buy a home, reduce taxes, invest wisely, save for college, retire, maximize Social Security, and give more to causes they care about.
I’m still in business. Some studies show that about 1/3 of businesses fail in the first two years. I’m thankful that the business has earned enough income to not only stay in business but be able to provide for my family.
The flexibility that my job provides. There have been some significant health issues within my extended family in the last year and my job has allowed me to care for my girls on short notice. I’ve also been able to do fun things with my family during the day because of the flexibility provided by my business.
A supportive family. My wife, Bekah, and two young daughters have been some of my biggest fans and have put up with many late nights and early mornings of me working.
I’m really looking forward to my third year in business and the opportunity that it will provide to continue to serve my existing clients and also the opportunity to work with a number of new clients, but today I am just thankful for all that God has already provided.
What about you, what are you thankful for when it comes to your current financial situation? If you’re not sure, or if you’d like to get a better grasp of your financial choices, I’d love to help you on either a one-time project basis or with my ongoing financial planning service – and remember that the first 30-minute meeting is always free. Schedule one today!