| “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24-25 (NKJV) |
“Do Kingdom businesses fail like regular businesses?”
The question above was asked by an accomplished Christian educator who was one of my early advisors and raving fans. This question confronted me early in my journey, during a pivotal moment as I was developing the concept of Biblical Entrepreneurship. At that stage, my understanding was evolving, but one thing was clear – being a Kingdom business doesn’t guarantee success, nor does it eliminate the possibility of failure.
25 REASONS WHY BUSINESSES COMMONLY FAIL
Since sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, death has become a part of the human experience. People and organizations die. However, just as you can extend an individual’s life through diet, exercise, and self-care, the life of a business can also be prolonged and fortified. Before delving into how to prevent business failure or, at the very least, extend its lifespan, let’s explore the top 25 reasons why businesses commonly fail.
Here are the reasons why:
- Under funding
- Lack of planning
- Inadequate management team
- Ineffective marketing
- Lack of preparation
- Unwise counsel
- Lack of innovation
- Complacency
- Premature launch
- Moral failure
- Lack of community
- Lack or insufficient systems
- Rapid growth
- Bad management
- Lack of focus and perseverance
- Health failure
- Government interference
- Natural disaster
- Marital instability
- Family dysfunction
- Bribery and extortion
- Terrorism
- Lack of clarity of purpose and mission
- Pride
- No exit strategy
Drawing from my 25 years of experience working with entrepreneurs across diverse backgrounds, industries, and business stages, though you can not prevent business failure, I believe it is possible to increase your chances of business success by at least 50%.
4 KEY SUCCESS FACTORS TO INCREASE YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS RATE
Here are the 4 key success factors to increase your business success rate by at least 50%:
- Training
According to the research paper titled “Do Ambitious Entrepreneurs Benefit More from Training?”, training in growth-catalyst tools helped entrepreneurs achieve a 72% increase in their ventures’ revenues, which is about 40% more than entrepreneurs who did not receive such training. - Planning
According to the Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than otherwise identical non-planning entrepreneurs. - Coaching and mentoring
A survey by the UPS Store found that 70 percent of small businesses that received mentoring survived more than five years – double the survival rate of non-mentored businesses. The same survey found that 88 percent of business owners with a mentor said that having one was invaluable.
A study by the International Coach Federation (ICF) reported that companies that used coaching saw improved team functioning, increased productivity, and better financial performance. - Community
Data from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in the United States suggests that businesses in supportive communities have higher survival rates. The community provides a safety net and guidance that can help businesses navigate early-stage challenges.
Research from Harvard Business Review found that peer learning in entrepreneurial communities accelerates the learning curve for new entrepreneurs.
It is when you take advantage of these 4 success factors while being a part of the Nehemiah Entrepreneurship Community that you increase your business success rate by at least 50%.
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