That doesn’t mean every business will be a million-dollar venture, but every business can eventually replace your job’s income (not immediately) and create the financial freedom and legacy you desire for your family.

It’s also important to recognize that many businesses today have roots in practices that don’t align with Kingdom values. While not every brand needs Christian founders, we want to avoid supporting products or companies that sow into the kingdom of darkness. You have a tremendous advantage when you pursue a God-led business, but it must come from His calling.

Why Women Entrepreneurs Are Thriving

In the U.S., there are over 14 million women-owned small businesses, accounting for nearly 40% of all companies. Together, these businesses generate $2.7 trillion annually and employ almost 12.2 million people (Forbes, 2023).

Even more encouraging? 76.9% of women business owners are over 35, and 71% feel prepared to navigate an economic recession (Clarify Capital).

Data is key because running a business requires research, strategy, and consistent implementation. Launching well takes both spiritual and practical preparation, and we’ve put together tips to help you do both.

1. Seek God’s Face About Your Business

Take time to fast and pray over the type of business God wants you to launch. It might not be in an area you’re currently skilled in, so don’t assume your passions automatically lead to profits. Kingdom businesses are about purpose and impact, not just performance. Ask God for vision and a launch date, and if your business is seasonal, seek guidance on how to maximize the opportunity.

2. Create a Prayer Strategy Before Your Business Plan

Prayer will carry you through the dry spells. Most entrepreneurs give up in the first year because they lack a spiritual roadmap. Develop a prayer strategy that covers financial stewardship, hiring, navigating slow seasons, and remaining steadfast. Written prayers or journal prompts can help anchor your faith while you build your business.

3. Write a Business Plan

Use tools like Canva, templates, or even ChatGPT to structure your vision, mission, pricing, and financial forecast. The Bible reminds us to count the cost before building (Luke 14:28). Prayer is your foundation; strategy is your building block. Study other business plans in your niche to see what works and seek God’s guidance on how to make yours stand out.

4. Know Your Problems and Solutions

When planning Girls Anthem Magazine, I mapped each part of the business to a problem and a solution.

• Problem: Christian women, particularly women of color, lack media that is both faithful and relevant.

• Solution: Girls Anthem Magazine bridges faith and everyday life with practical resources, inspiration, and culturally aware guidance.

Understanding your audience’s pain points will help you create a business that genuinely serves. Pray for insight into the needs of your target audience. Sometimes God’s vision reveals solutions that surveys can’t.

5. Build a Strategy That Includes Spiritual Disciplines and Rest

As you develop your business plan, integrate prayer, fasting, worship, and rest. I dedicate Fridays for fasting and one weekend day just for relaxing and refueling. Entrepreneurs who wait until burnout to rest often fail. Align your business strategy with your spiritual rhythm to ensure growth in both areas.

6. Be Steadfast and Immovable

Slow seasons, setbacks, and dry spells are inevitable. A spiritual strategy equips you to navigate challenges with faith as your anchor. Being steadfast doesn’t mean you won’t have emotional days; it means your spirit remains unmoved by circumstances.

Before launching in 2026, end 2025 by seeking God’s wisdom for your business. It’s better to wait until you have clarity and a strategy than to rush. Launching doesn’t mean quitting your job immediately. Allow God to develop you as an entrepreneur before making big moves. Obey Him, but don’t leap before your time.

Are you considering launching a business in 2026? Shoot us an email at info@girlsanthem.biz so we can see how to support your Kingdom-driven journey.

For new entrepreneurs, the journey to building a business is more than just applying for grants or getting funded. You must become your first investor, putting in the time, energy, and resources before seeking outside help. Here’s how to start budgeting the most important aspects of your life to set your business up for success.

Budgeting Your Mind: Overcoming Money Fears and Building a Wealth Mindset

My success didn’t come easily—I didn’t grow up with money, and when I finally started making some, I developed a scarcity mindset. They say two things can happen when you come from nothing and start making money: you either spend too much or you are too scared to spend at all. I fell into the latter category, hoarding money out of fear that it would all disappear.

But I realized that to grow wealth, I needed to change my mindset. Money fears and success fears can cripple new entrepreneurs if they aren’t addressed early on. Cultivating a wealth mindset is one of the first steps you need to take before you can launch a successful business. This means learning to take risks, learning to bet on yourself, and recognizing that launching a business is a leap of faith. Not all leaps of faith have to feel dreadful. It can be a leap with the potential for great rewards if you’re strategic and intentional.

To overcome these fears, it’s crucial to budget your thoughts by first focusing on the positive possibilities of your business rather than the potential for failure. Surround yourself with people who encourage and support you, and continuously work on personal growth. Once you align your mindset with wealth-building, opportunities will follow.

Budgeting Your Space and Time: Prioritizing What Matters

As a faith-based business owner, I had to learn the importance of budgeting not just my money, but also my space and time. In my mid-20s, while my friends were traveling, partying, and buying their dream cars, I poured my energy into studying, saving, and building the business God placed on my heart. One of my favorite quotes that kept me going is, “Live a few years like most won’t, so you can live the rest of your life like most can’t.” I knew my sacrifices were temporary, but they allowed me to prioritize what mattered—my purpose-driven business.

Managing your time wisely is essential for any new entrepreneur. It’s not about filling every minute of your day with work but making sure you’re using your time effectively. This also means prioritizing rest, because burnout will not serve you or your business in the long run. Think about how you’re spending your time now. Could you join a free business webinar or work with a mentor rather than going to happy hour? Could you use your free time to plan, research, or rest?

If you want to build something successful, you have to make room for it. Don’t be afraid to make sacrifices now for long-term gain.

Budgeting Your Finances: Preparing for the Ups and Downs

Entrepreneurship has its ups and downs, and financial stability is not guaranteed. The key is to plan. It is critical to be prepared for the inevitable financial droughts that come in the early years.

Be wise about how you invest in your business. It can be tempting to spend a lot of money upfront on coaching, marketing, or hiring, but in the first season, you may need to focus more on saving. Create a budget that accounts for dry spells, and always keep some money in reserve for unexpected challenges.

One piece of advice I always give to my clients is: to keep your job. I left my job too early, and in hindsight, I could have grown my business while still bringing in a stable paycheck. There is nothing wrong with having both a 6-figure career and a 6-figure business. You can build both without rushing to quit your day job. If you’re able, consider picking up a side hustle to bring in extra income while you’re launching your business. I babysat for celebrities and high-level executives, which not only paid well but also gave me access to people who could help build my business. Think about what you enjoy and how it could bring in extra money.

Conclusion: Be Your First Investor

Launching a business is a journey of budgeting more than just finances. It’s about budgeting your mind, your space, your time, and any other area where you want to see growth. It’s about overcoming fears, prioritizing what matters, and planning for the ups and downs. Remember, you are your business’s first investor, and giving it your all from the start is the foundation of long-term success.

You can follow Dr. Marissa Layton on Instagram @dr.layton_.

If you love interviews like this, let us know by sending an email to info@girlsanthem.biz.

Follow Iris at https://www.instagram.com/iris_felder/.

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One thing I want to ask the newbie entrepreneurs is this: Did God give you the idea? If so, is now the time to launch? One of the biggest mistakes I see many new entrepreneurs make is that they get an idea but forget to give it back to the Owner. Remember, any idea God gives us is something He is allowing us to borrow and that we’re called to steward. Wisdom would be giving it back to Him and asking Him who (other than you that you may need to pull in on the idea), what (what do you need to get it done), where (where should you launch as far as physical location and demographics), when (the timing – which is where first-time ideas often fail), and why (without a strong why, your business is just another business that has surface level purposes).

When God gave me this magazine, I wrote the vision for it in April of 2024. It wasn’t until the end of December that it was launched and the world knew anything about it. In fact, for me, it was a two-to-three-year plan, not a plan for 2024. Yet, God pulled on it and said, “Now”. That’s what it means to give God back an idea and to let Him tell you when to pull the trigger.

Okay. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into these podcasts. I’ll include details about the podcasts, as well as summaries of my favorite episodes from both.

The Blessed & Bossed Up Podcast by Tatum Temia

This is a weekly podcast that teaches purposeful women how to be uncompromising in their faith, business, and total life success with God as their CEO. I started listening to this podcast in 2020, during the pandemic, when I wasn’t even working on a business. What I love about it is that Tatum drops gems on more than business, and she keeps it biblical and Christ-centered. As a woman who herself, is a six-figure earner, she knows a thing or two about doing it God’s way and without compromise. Here are some of my favorite episodes from the last four years:

1) August 10, 2020 – The 7 Gifts of The Holy Spirit (Episode #190). This episode blessed me because as much as I know the Bible, I had no idea about Isaiah 11:1-12 at the time I listened to it, which Tatum breaks down in this episode. We always talk about the fruit of the Spirit, but we also have access to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This episode is important for entrepreneurs because too often we go to Tony Robbins and other resources for business wisdom when the ultimate wisdom Giver is right within us!

2) September 22, 2020 – How to Have a Business Meeting with God (Episode #196). This episode made me want to wake up earlier just to have a business meeting with God. God provides us with so much revelation that He shouldn’t be a last resort for our business needs. One thing I would suggest to go along with this episode is to remember, that having a business meeting with God shouldn’t replace your quiet time with God. If we only spend time with Him to get strategy for our businesses then we miss out on our relationship with Him.

3) June 14, 2024 – Entrepreneurs as Shepherds – This episode is from the “Bible on Business” series, which is a great series. As entrepreneurs, we have to remember that we are shepherds of people. Honoring God with our business is to remember that the people God sends us to patronize our business aren’t to be seen as a means to a profitable end. Dive into this episode that will show you how to have a heart like our Great Shepherd.

4) August 11, 2024 – Losing 83% - This episode is important for all leaders to listen to. It highlights the way God does math and breaks down how Jesus’ ministry grew even after He lost a lot of followers. How is it that we think we need the best equipment and a lot of customers for God to increase our business, yet Jesus trusted God with the few? Dive into this episode with an open mind to trust God with your little.

The second podcast I want to highlight is from my Pastor, Touré Roberts. Called Leaders is a conference that PT (as we affectionately call him) started about five years ago. It’s a phenomenal two-day conference that hosts leaders providing dialogue and resources to grow as a leader, no matter what industry you lead in. In 2023, PT launched The Called Podcast. I won’t go into great detail about my favorite episodes because the podcast has forty episodes total and I believe you need to listen to all of them; however, my favorites are:

Positive Procrastination

Knowing When to Settle

The Economy of Self

From Ideation to Actualization (this one features my girl, StaceyAnn Russell, a powerhouse in the STEM space)

Check out the links to both podcasts by clicking on the images above and be sure to subscribe. The Called launched season four on Monday, January 13th. This is the best time to subscribe! Don’t launch before having a foundation of wisdom to pull from. Most importantly, make sure you’re having daily business meetings with God.

Please note: The link goes to the podcast on Apple’s platform. You can listen to it on any platform.

Would you be interested in attending a virtual business conference hosted by me? If so, comment below.

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Now, you know I fought writing this article. Mainly because the idea of me being a homebody or homemaker when I was younger sounded super far-fetched to me; yet, over the last five years God has been training me on this not only in preparation for my future marriage and family I’ll have, but also for the mission of learning to build a Kingdom home that spills over into the streets and sets an example for the world at large. For our first article under the Business Blueprint section, I thought it would be befitting to help women who are wives and mothers (or wherever you fall on the spectrum of leadership), to understand how much God values us leading out of our homes (heads up – this has nothing to do with home ownership, though if you own one, great). This has been weighing heavy on my spirit after I heard a message by Vontrise Coston through Saved in The City’s January Fast.

She mentioned “women leading out of their homes” several times. While I didn’t understand why God would allow it to linger on my mind beyond preparation for my upcoming season, I now realize why He’s been working this word in my life and how He wants me to encourage my sisters in Christ. So, let’s jump into it:

1) Leading out of your home doesn’t mean forgetting your goals and dreams. It means you have a safe place to pursue them. God knows how to perfect everything that concerns us (Psalm 138:8). If He placed a desire in your heart (meaning, you sought His will for your life and He has confirmed the desires that He placed in your heart), then He intends to bring that desire to a place of manifestation. When I was in my early twenties, I used to think women who were stay-at-home moms were sad and depressed. This was because I heard so many wives complaining about how they helped their husbands launch their businesses or go back to school, only to end up single-married mothers (their words, not mine). I was so afraid to get married before pursuing all of my dreams that it took the last five years for God to sit me down while I was still single to realize He can do so much from a living room (which we all learned in 2020). In the last four years, I’ve written and published six books, launched Girls Anthem on YouTube and built a platform for it to continue to grow, learned how to manage multiple properties, been on a world-renowned podcast, got a life coaching certificate and partnered with women in ministry through virtual speaking opportunities. While it’s fun to think of being a traveling speaker or a woman whose “always on the go”, being at home and building what God has called you to build provides a stability that can’t be explained. By the way, this magazine article you’re reading was written from my bedroom. Proverbs 14:1

2) Leading out of your home doesn’t mean the enemy won’t attack. It means you can create a safe fortress that keeps his attacks from entering your home. We all know that being a disciple of Christ means we will experience spiritual warfare until Jesus returns to the earth. However, this doesn’t mean the devil gets to just wreak havoc in our lives. James 4:7 provides a clear example of this: Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. While you can’t control your workplace, the restaurants you eat at, or even the homes of your family and friends, when you lead well out of your home, you have the advantage of making sure there are no doors or cracks open to the enemy. Asking God to reveal to you where the enemy has entered your home in any way and then, responding by closing those doors and sealing up those cracks, provides you with a safe place to do all God has called you to do, without much (if any) enemy interference.

3) Leading out of your home doesn’t mean you’ll always be home. It means wherever you go, you can create a “home” environment for those you connect with. There’s something miraculous and beautiful when a sister in Christ tells me it feels like home when she’s in my presence or talking to me on the phone. Imagine God building you up in such a way that wherever you go, people experience the peace of His presence and a resting place without having to be in a physical house. I once said on social media that when a woman meets her mate, it’s not about giving up her independence, it’s about finding a safe place for her independence to rest. Well, it’s the same with this. Taking care of home first and leading well out of your home helps you represent a type of “home” for individuals you’re assigned to outside of your household. Proverbs 31:26

4) Leading out of your home doesn’t mean God can’t use you globally. It means the globe may come to you instead. As of the writing of this article, two of my books have been promoted in West Africa. It’s blowing my mind how one conversation via DM on TikTok led to me meeting a bookstore owner in West Africa who promotes Christian romance. Listen – nobody writes books, blogs, films, etc. (or whatever your gift is) for it to be seen by just their momma and two friends. In seasons where He’s building us up, we will work in obscurity so He can prepare us for exposure (if that’s His ultimate will); but, for the most part, when He gives us these God ideas, there are people (nations) assigned to them. It’s not just for our four and no more. He intends to use us in ways that surpass our prayers; however, as I stated before, you don’t have to leave your home for that to happen. God can give you a global impact from your living room and can cause people to search you out. No need to despise being a homebody or despise a season where home is both your resting and working place. Trust God to enlarge your territory the way He sees fit for the season you’re in. Psalm 2:8

5) Leading out of your home doesn’t mean you have to lose yourself. It means God can help you discover more of yourself without the world's interruptions. The last four years have been a huge blessing for me. Being alone with God and having more time to pursue Him has grounded me in not only my identity in Christ but it’s helped me be unapologetic about the anointing on my life. I’ve discovered things about myself that I didn’t even realize. For example: I used to think I could only minister to single women because I’m single; but God has shown me that I can minister to married women because of what God knows about me and how He’s equipped me to be a well-of wisdom, regardless of my relationship status. Being a full-time entrepreneur isn’t easy, but not having external opinions from co-workers, family members, and others whom I would normally be around daily, has helped me to tap into the fullness of my spiritual identity without interruption.

Bonus Tip:

For women who are mothers, I encourage you to lead out of your home this holiday season (and beyond), by not just getting your children the things on their Christmas list or things they’ve been desiring for a long time. Ask them what they need from you that won’t cost you a dime. I’ve noticed a pattern with busy households: we give children what they want without asking them what they need. Even if they can’t articulate it, asking the Holy Spirit to help you give them what they need can provide stability to your home that can’t be purchased at GameStop or H&M. It’s easy to give children things to keep them occupied and busy, so they don’t notice your absence, but to take the time to have a conversation with them that will help them heal and draw closer to Christ is priceless. Don’t go into 2025 wishing your children would just listen to you and do better. Go into it with a strategy and biblical plan to do what God has called you to do to steward them well, no matter what the cost is. The streets and society are always clamoring for our children’s attention and while we can’t control their lives when they get older, we can control our homes in such a way that they have a blueprint to go back to when the darkness of the world confronts them.

CORPORATE MOMMY TIP

Being a working mother is no easy feat. Proverbs 31 shows us how God will quip any woman whom He has called to steward a family and a career. However, leading out of home may look like hitting the reset button and asking God where you need to spend more time at home, even if going out after work makes more sense. Having a family means managing your ‘yes’ and ‘no’ wisely. Nobody should get more time than your family, since it is your first ministry. This may also mean taking a hard look at your lifestyle, to see where you’re trying to keep up or maintain a manner of living God didn’t give you (i.e. your purchase decisions and habits could be gridlocking you into a workflow that was never God intended). Take the time this holiday season and beyond to seek God’s face in every area of your life. Make space for God to move without excuse. Lastly, balance doesn’t mean giving equal attention to everything at the same time. It means knowing how to balance the balls God has called you to juggle with His instruction, grace, and strategy.

Did this article resonate with you? Share how by emailing us at info@girlsanthem.biz. Want our PDF FULL COLOR Holiday issue? Purchase HERE.