Why I Closed My Business
Thoughts on approaching big decisions
I’m sitting in Leavenworth on our first real* vacation in years.
Real signifying the difference between this noncommittal vacation versus the trips of the past where we end up answering calls and emails to make sure bills are paid.
In fact I just changed our business voicemail to state “we are closed.”
Last week we closed our doors of Rising Sun Detail after three years of business.
To say this is a typical close of business would be inaccurate and not nearly as positive as the reality. We are joining another company in the industry and helping them turn into a franchise. My husband finally gets to clock in and out and I finally get to work on big picture projects I couldn’t do when I was bogged down by daily scheduling.
How did I know it was time to move on?
There have been a few big decisions we have made in our marriage and business over these years and the first major thing we do is pray about it.
(For some reason I feel like this might cue eye rolls but it’s the truth!). Prayer is a big deal for us and not just anecdotal.
Some questions we ask:
Does this align with our values?
Is our pride a factor?
Will this harm our family?
What will this prioritize in our lives?
We talk it over. We pray about it. And then, we let it go for a few days. In this case we had a phone call offer on a Thursday and slept on it until Sunday.
I also sought a third party opinion.
Even though my stepfather isn’t completely uninvested in our lives, I ended up calling him to play advocate. I suggest that you find someone when you’re making big decisions that is good at keeping emotion out of the picture and good at acting like a ping pong for ideas.
Lastly, I had to ask myself if I was willing to let go. I have the belief that God doesn’t open one sole door of opportunity. He builds us a house, a shelter. To live life thinking my business was the sole avenue for happiness and success is to believe in my own works over God’s works. As soon as we realized that, the decision felt easier.
What big decisions are you working through?
To read more about motherhood and business, check out this deep dive into lessons I’ve learned from both below.
