"The Innovative Marketplace Christian - Blog Hosted by Rick Hubbell"

Last time we discussed part 1a for original start-ups: Performing a Gap Analysis. Today, the next part is 1b: CONNECT. That is, connecting a “gap” you have identified with your Core Competency.

Too often, especially Christians (but others, for that matter) see gaps that they have no business (literally) trying to fill. Seeing a legitimate need and being the one able to fill it are often worlds apart.

If you have no core competency in the area, you will likely fail.

Hubbell’s Service Station

I am not the world’s best fix-it guy, though I try my best. If I have identified that in my area a “gap” exists for a speedier, well branded service station that communicates more effectively with customers using a special online system and well trained representatives - chances are, if I pursue this alone, I’ll fail.

Though I have extensive small to mid-size business experience, I have little (like none) core competency in the automotive department. I am simply not gifted or inclined at all that way - and I don’t know the field.

Yes it’s possible I might succeed with faith and sweat… - but my chances go down in the real world.

Are there stories of folks not knowing the first thing about what they are doing yet suddenly achieve phenomenal success? Yes. But don’t base your direction in life on rare paths like that. Not that your life won’t be exceptional, just that the path there should be one of wisdom too.

There are far more stories of business people finding a gap which they then connected to an area of Core Competency leading to business success.

The Power of Core Competency

But you say ‘everything you set your hand to will prosper’. Hmm, fair enough. Typical general Christian thinking, yet correct to a degree. However, remember that there are different levels of return. The Bible speaks of some seeds with less and some more. I submit to you that you could expend the same amount of energy in an area where you have Core Competency and produce a higher return much more often - than you could fighting all day long against a learning curve and competency deficit.

I said “Core” Competency.

Core competency is not something you did one Summer that you liked, such as refinish a boat. I have refinished a boat and though it was enjoyable at times and people do it for a living, it would be best for me to leave the marine maintenance to others.

Connect the gaps you see with an area you have some core competency in. Or at least surround yourself with others who do. Preferably BOTH.

This is why some purchase a franchise.

Effectively, this leverages the Core Competency of others in a given field, given you greater chances. When we opened our Planet Smoothie Franchise many years ago, we looked at starting our own from scratch. My wife is a highly gifted manager of others with tremendous people skills. That is HUGE when doing something like that. I have abilities to manage large projects quite effectively, and creativity, so I thought I could develop a great looking store and build it out at a good value and uniqueness.

Yet even though I believed there was a ‘gap’ in the mall for healthier conscious, on the go, energetic folks who might prefer an alternative to sandwiches, burgers or sit-down-salads and that we could probably do our own from scratch - the kitchen equipment setup, volume discounting, branding advantages still influenced our decision to go with a franchise, in that case. We are glad we did. It prospered and though we sold it years later, it was the first of its kind and still stands today. Sometimes originality is overrated; other times it’s essential.

The moral of the story is “Just ANY ‘gap” won’t do”. Be observant and think big but always tie back to where you or others have core competency. The world is competitive enough that though I may want to be a long distance runner, I simply may not have the physical talent to truly compete in that area.

To your marketplace advance,

Rick for TI-MC

PS If you are a Christian starting any kind of business or thinking about it, this in depth training available online at God’s 3-Part Gameplan for Enterprise Success could radically improve your results for less than $15. There is no other module in the world like it for Christian Business- where practical meets spiritual like this - for starting your business. Get it now. God’s 3-Part Gameplan for Enterprise Success. Moneyback Guarantee.