Memory Verse: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going”-Ecl. 9:10
Bible Passage: Genesis 26: 12-22.
INTRODUCTION
One of the crucial challenges every human faces is the discovery of his purpose for living. When the use of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. If you do not know what God has prepared you for, you may not be able to operate successfully as an entrepreneur. That is why it is important to find out what exactly it is, God has purposed for your life and acquire the necessary skills for the accomplishment of this divine purpose in the contemporary, complex and competitive world you live in.
OUTLINES
Discover your creative ability
Develop essential skills
DISCOVER YOUR CREATIVITY ABILITY
God is the first entrepreneur (Genesis 1: 1-31), the source of all creativity, and the originator of our ability to make something of value out of the raw materials of this world ( John 1:3; Hebrew 11:3). God expresses your purpose through prayer, Bible study, education, training, dreams, visions, instincts, inclinations, desires, counselling, urgings and yearnings towards particular areas (Jer. 29:11; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 3:5-6).
The entrepreneurial process requires a lot from a person. It requires them to look at the world and see an unmet need, an area of dissatisfaction, or a problem. Visualize a solution, often a solution others belittle. In many cases, the solution requires a completely different approach, something no one else could see (Genesis 44:34-40; Genesis 47: 13-26).
To create something truly useful, lasting and of value, we must create as God did. The enterprise must serve others, give them value, make life more enjoyable and glorify God (Colossians 3:17). A person that creates purely for himself as a hobby, not a business. When your hobby translates into a business, it adds value to others. When the motivation, as well as the business, is honourable. God delights to bless it (Ps. 37:23). Accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour and having a relationship with Him is the prerequisite to discovering God’s purpose for you as an entrepreneur (Is. 2:5; 1 John 1:7; Eph. 5:8).
The following are the essential skills required from an entrepreneur:
Communication skill: The ability of the entrepreneur to pass information about the product, its unique selling point, price and other relevant information that the customer should be aware of about the product and the company (Colossians 4:6; Eccl. 10:12; Mark 9:50; 1 Peter 3:15).
2. Listening skill: This is the ability of the entrepreneur to be attentive and respond to the prospective customer’s questions and complaints about the product being introduced to them through personal selling, sales promotion, etc. The salesman must not be aggressive in his approach so that he can successfully close sales (James 1:19).
3. Negotiation skill: This is the ability of the entrepreneur to bargain successfully with the middlemen i.e wholesaler and retailer about place orders, volume/quantity of product, pricing, discount and other incentives provided by the company with utmost sincerity and proper articulation of its policies on penetration, distribution, and competitive strategies (Luke 14:28; Genesis 21: 28-31).
4. Conflict management skill: The ability to settle disputes amicably between the company and its customer is another vital skill required from an entrepreneur (Heb. 12:14).
5. Problem-solving skill: The entrepreneur should possess the ability to identify, analyze and proffer appropriate solutions to various problems encountered in carrying out its selling activities. He must be able to gather relevant information from veritable sources, and analyze and interpret the information in line with his knowledge about consumer behaviour and purchasing decision process.
6. Interpersonal skill: The entrepreneur must be able to interact with people easily and relate with them because anybody met is a potential customer someday or somewhere. The salesperson must be approachable, cheering and purposeful (1 Sam 22:1-2).
7. Time Management skill: Proper time management is necessary to differentiate between extremely urgent tasks and those that can wait. An entrepreneur should use a notebook or whiteboard to prioritise tasks by writing them down (Ecl. 3:1).
9. Managerial skill: Entrepreneurs should have the required skill to manage different people such as clients, employees, co-workers, competitors etc (Gen. 39: 4,9a).
10. Organizing skill: They should be highly organised and be able to maintain everything in a format and style (1 Chro. 12:32).
CONCLUSION: Proper use of your skill is a gateway to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Be intentional.
QUESTIONS
How can you discover your creative ability as an entrepreneur?
Mention four (4) essential skills of an entrepreneur from the manual.
Action Point PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on an individual and corporate level, I will be thrilled to do that because I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained include the staff of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, New Horizons Nigeria, and Phillips Consulting among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.
I know you might agree with some of the points raised in this article. You might disagree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We would appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
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