How to Start a Business From Home - Easy 5 Step Process

Introduction: How I Learned These Steps

When I first began my business it all seemed like a lesson in what NOT to do!

If you are having an experience like mine, I want you to know that you are not alone. As Christian women, we start businesses using our hobbies, skills, and expertise because we want to help people... and we don't know what we don't know!

The good news...if God has given you the desire to help people with your business, then you are qualified to begin! If you’ve been wondering “how” then these simple steps are for you. 

Matthew 6:33 says “Seek first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all things shall be added to you.”

I think it's so beautiful as Believers that we get to go to God, we get to ask Him for direction with confidence knowing that He will provide it. Another scripture says “You saw God during the days of Zachariah who taught him to fear God, and as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.”  

Isn’t that what we want? The key is to seek God first, after that you have to take a step.

The first step of faith in your business is the act of choosing.

Step One: Choose Your Product and Price

It's important to start with the very concept of business and that's having something to sell. Your product can be a book, If you want an online business, I recommend a digital book, a workbook, a planner, or a course. Consulting is a good option if you like to create things for people. You could build websites or do graphics, provide virtual assistants, do personal training online or advise people regarding accounting, budgeting, etc. Many choose to do a hybrid option. I know of a skincare expert who does consulting but also includes a physical product in her subscriptions. 

The opportunities to create a business from home really are endless but as the boss, you must decide your direction. Decision-making is crucial as a business owner and there is no better time to exercise that muscle than right now. If narrowing down your choices is difficult for you, there are professionals who can help with product development so don’t get discouraged but work on it and choose one product and one price.

Step Two: Choose Your Platform

What software or hardware are you going to use to sell your product and collect money? Consider if you were to have a course teaching people how to become a nurse, not only would you have to conceptualize that product, but you would have to decide how are you going to deliver that course to your clients?

Are you going to use Zoom for the video meetings? And are you going to just use PayPal for the billing? How will you get paid? Know that the customers are out there and once you get started it may be sooner than you think before you have your first customer. Having your platform in place is crucial to successfully building your business.

Whether you use Wix, Kajabi or Squarespace there are professionals who can take your particular circumstances into account and advise you on which direction to go, but don’t be afraid to do your own research. Choose the platform you want to use to deliver your service and decide how you’re going to be paid, there's no reason to drive around picking up checks  when you can charge online, it also allows you to work with anyone anywhere.

Step 3: Create Your Brand

Branding is the experience you would like your customers to have when they interact with you. This is a question I get a lot and I always refer my clients back to their favorite stores. Where do you like to shop? Choose your top 5 stores and list what you like about them. You will probably see a lot of similarities, but this exercise will show you what you value and notice about the products you love. If you can identify brands that you value, you will probably want those same characteristics in your brand.

I like Michael Kors, this brand is not the cheapest but also not the most expensive, and this brand is known for having great quality. I still remember my first purchase, a brown leather tote bag that I still have, and it looks almost as good as when I first got it. The way I feel going into a Michael Kors store is the same feeling I want my clients to have. That feeling of being inspired and supported is exactly what I am trying to capture in my brand.

So, when you are writing down your favorite stores like Trader Joe’s or Barnes and Noble, the very things that are attractive to you could be things that your future customers will like about your brand as well.  When it comes to your visual branding, this is how you represent your brand visually, you could begin with the same process. Think of brands you love and examine their color palettes, mascots, logos etc. This is a topic in itself!

Step Four: Build Your Audience

There are two important terms here that you must understand to do this step correctly. The first term is “network” – you’ve heard people talk about “networking” – this simply means to gather with people that you know or who you hope to get to know for the sake of growing your business. Your network consists of everyone you know, church friends, work friends, neighbors, etc.

Your Audience is different from your network. It is a group of people who did not grow up with you, who did not go to school with you and who are not members of your Sanctuary but they are people who are interested in your product, book, course and or business. Quite often I hear of entrepreneurs that are discouraged by their family’s lack of support. They will talk in detail about how family members and friends buy from celebrities but won't buy from them.

It's great if your family or your friends do buy from you but that is not their job. They support you on a different level and in a different way. Instead grow an audience of people who will support you in the way every business owner wants, by actually buying the product. Yes, when you are just starting out begin with your network to build your audience but don’t depend on family and friends to sustain your business.

Step Five: Be Your Own Cheerleader

You are the chosen one, if this is a desire that is burning in your heart then you are the one chosen to bring it to life. A little-known fact about Moses…he did not want the job! He was not the best speaker, but God would not re-assign the task. He would not re-assign what He had called Moses to do, instead, He called Aaron to help Moses but it was Moses’ job to lead the people. I don’t know what God has called you to do but I do know that whatever it is, it is YOUR job to show up, whether that is online or in person.

If you are going to events, speaking at organizations, or doing it all from home, you have to be the biggest cheerleader to spread the word about your company, why it exists, why people should work with you, and what are the benefits of the things that you offer. There are so many tools online that you can use to get the word out there, even if you are not big on social media. You are not begging, you are a business! Imagine walking into a coffee shop and saying “Hello, what are you selling today?” and the person behind the counter replies sheepishly “Oh nothing much.”

Surprised at the answer you push a bit further “Aren’t you a coffee shop, don’t you sell coffee?” The barista replies “Well, we don’t want to seem too pushy.” Would it make sense for them to take the sign down off their door because they don’t want to be seen as “sleazy” or “inauthentic?” Of course not! They are a business, and they are meant to sell a product!

Guess what? I,Angel Denise Santos, want to remind you that you are here to do the same thing!

You are here to sell a service, don’t be ashamed of that.

Remember that there are people on the other side whose lives will change from what you do and how you do it. Whether it's a smile that you bring into their day, or something encouraging that you say or a benefit that comes just from working with you. 

I don't know how God will use your business, but I wholeheartedly believe He will.

Want to spend a few hours with me helping you plan you business step by step? I do just that in my God Led Business - 5 Steps to 5 Figures workshop!

You can grab a copy of it here!

Want to work with me one on one to build your business? My Next Level Faith & Business program is what you need! You can get access to it here!