How To Start Your Own Business
by Crystal Paine

 

Over 70 Pages of Practical Advice, Tips, Encouragement, and Ideas...

 

Hello! My name is Crystal Paine. I am 24-year-old homeschool graduate, wife to my beloved Jesse and mother of a precious daughter named Kathrynne. Ever since I was old enough to know what money is, I have loved finding creative ways to earn it! I can remember my first lemonade stands I had when I was four and five years old. The thrill of working hard and then actually selling something and receiving a quarter for it was just about unsurpassed in my little mind!

 

My First Foray Into Marketing...

When I was 12, I was asked to help a local homeschooling family who owned a business selling whole wheat flour and whole grain products as they went to various fairs and shows. This was my first real foray into marketing and selling and I absolutely loved it! Since that time, I have held an assortment of jobs up through my post-high school years: waitressing at a Christian tea room, teaching violin, tutoring a child with Down's syndrome, working as an administrative assistant to another Christian woman, working as a mother's helper, cleaning homes, and, of course, babysitting (Does any young woman not babysit in her teen years?).

 

No Job, No Friends, No Money...

My husband and I were married the beginning of 2003 and six months later we moved to a completely unfamiliar town so he could begin law school. This was a very faith-building experience, to say the least! We moved having no job, no friends, and no church in this new town and very little money in savings (except the money we had saved to pay for law school). Looking back, I’m not sure how we did it, but we knew God was leading us in this direction and so we followed!

After years of having more job offers than I could ever take, I was now faced with the realization that I knew no one in this new town, and no one knew me. My husband and I believe strongly that women are called to be “keepers at home” and that a woman’s place is not in the workforce so most traditional jobs were out of the question. On the other hand, we needed money to survive and my husband could only work part-time because of his school load.

 

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention..."

They say that "Necessity is the mother of invention" and that has definitely proved true in our lives. When we moved, I had very little idea of anything I could do to earn an income from home. I tried many different things, many of which would appear to have "flopped," but I kept trying, kept praying, kept learning everything I could learn and little by little, things started developing and opportunities began to open up.

In September 2004, I published a little booklet, The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions, hoping that I could sell the print run of 100 that we did and most of all just desiring to encourage so many young women with ideas of things they could do to earn money in a God-honoring fashion. Little did I know that God was going to use a little 32-page booklet to open up a whole new world for me.

 

Opportunities Which I Never Dreamed Of...

Since that time, I have gotten to meet and learn from some of the most wise and Godly entrepreneurial mentors who have given me guidance, direction, ideas, inspiration, and opportunities which I never dreamed of. It is not because of me, or because of what I am or what I know, or because I am business-savvy. It is because God is good and He delights to honor and reward those who are willing to step out in faith and follow Him.

Currently, I am running our business, Biblical Womanhood, blogging, writing books and eBooks, working as Marketing Manager for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, and accepting a few freelance writing jobs, as I have time. Last year, I couldn’t come up with an idea to do which would allow me to earn enough from home to help shore up our budget so we could survive. Today, I have more opportunities than time. God has blessed us so abundantly and I feel so unworthy to be the recipient of His grace.

 

 Why Did I Write This Course?

Ever since I finished writing The Merchant Maiden, I have received many emails, letters, and phone calls, asking me for advice and ideas on how to start up a business. I’ve felt rather inadequate to answer these questions as I have only had my own business for a few years and am still learning everyday. But, the Lord has allowed me to learn a lot through making many mistakes and through being mentored by older, wiser people.

This course contains everything I wish I knew before I started our business and many of the things I have learned through trial and error over the past few years. My desire for this course is to try and answer those questions I have been asked and provide the motivation to those who really want to earn an income from home, but have no clue where to begin. I want to share what I have learned through trial and error, so that you will hopefully not have to make as many mistakes as I have.

 

I Don't Claim to Have All The Answers...

I don't have a Master's degree in Business, nor am I head of a multi-million dollar company. This course just contains simple, down-to-earth advice and help. It is what I wish I had time to share with everyone who comes and asks me regarding starting their own business. I can't promise you that if you follow my advice, you'll become rich and famous, but I do hope that this course can provide not only the inspiration for your new business, but also provide you with the tools and help to get that business off the ground and running. Most importantly, I hope it encourages you to follow the Lord's plan and leading for your life.

 

Some of the Topics Covered in This Course Include: