Have you always dreamed of being an entrepreneur or has a certain event in your life recently made you start dreaming of being your own boss?

I never really saw being an entrepreneur in my cards, but I did know that I wanted to be in charge. I honestly didn't know that being an entrepreneur was even a thing. However, here I am. 4 years in, working on my 5th with 42 people on the payroll.

Being a small business owner is amazing! But it is also REALLY hard. Many people do not realize the blood, sweat and tears that happen behind the scenes. The sleepless nights, the arguments between spouses about the lack of time left at the end of the day. However, I knew what I wanted to do, how I was going to do it and what it would take.

When I started my company there were 5 questions I had to ask myself. 5 questions that I needed to address before I could make the decision to take the plunge.

Here they are.

Does this feed my soul?

If you truly want to be successful you have to ask yourself if this will feed your soul. I don't necessarily mean the work itself but all of it. The work, the outcome, your purpose. At the end of each and everyday will you be able to remember why you are in it. Why you said yes and keep pushing forward.

Can I sustain life while I grow?

My answer was truly no. But I stepped out on a limb and went for it. I knew that there was no way that the Lord was going to put something on my heart the way he did and not see it through! This is not always the answer so make sure before you jump that you are going to make it!

Can I handle failure?

Failure was not an option for me. This. Was. It. Do or die. I knew that the rewards far exceeded the risks for me and that if it didn't work that we could bounce back.

Where will I be handling my business?

For me I was able to start my business right out of my home. I didn't need an office in the beginning. However, I grew so fast that after 5 months I found myself in need of a dedicated space so that I could hire my first employee. Having no clue what the Lord had in mind for me I knew that I couldn't get stuck in a long lease. I ended up in a high rise building so that I could easily upgrade to a larger office as needed without needing to break my lease.

We moved 3 times in that building before finally moving on.

What makes me different than the competition?

What is going to make you successful? Why are people going to want to come to you over the already established competition? Just because you have a passion for something doesn't mean people will come running. What are you going to do that will drive people to you over the competition? Is it pricing? Service? Materials?

If you can answer all these questions and still feel excited about the idea of starting your very own business I only have one thing to say. GO GET 'EM TIGER!