Many people go out of business because they have failed to align their product with what the market demands - and with what their inner selves demand.

Many times, businesses need to endure a breakdown before a breakthrough can be felt. Sometimes, the bad times are the only times that spur the need for positive change. In other words, even if you're struggling with simply "making it," there's plenty of hope.

I know you want an endless supply of customers - a flow that's as intense as you're willing to handle. But there's an important element to consider before moving forward. You must ensure that any success you've experienced to this point isn't just a symptom of luck. I like to say that even a broken clock shows the right time twice a day. If you glance at the clock randomly, there's a chance you might get the right time. And if you do, you might be fooled into thinking the clock is working. But it's not.

You have to make sure that people are coming to you because of the one-of-a-kind value you've offered them, not because they've stumbled upon you.

There's no denying that you have a treasure trove of valuables to offer. You have gifts, talents, and abilities that are guiding you toward your perfect mission. You know there are people out there that would greatly benefit from what you have to offer. But when you can't find those people, or they can't find you, it can be a painful disappointment. Because your venture really is your calling, right? Or isn't it?

Every business owner has a calling, and to truly find success in that calling, that business owner needs to be assured that their distinctive abilities are made apparent by that business.

Often, your attempts at furthering your business aren't the problem. Instead, it might be that you have missed something that's fundamental to attracting clients: finding that one thing that only you can offer, and that consumers are looking for.

If you are passionate about something, and it happens to also be a God-given gift, then somewhere in the world, there is a demand for that service. God isn't wasteful. He wouldn't give you something and not create an equal and opposite need for it.

Your challenge is to find the channel through which you can deliver your true value to those who need it. Frederick Buechner defines vocation as the place where passion meets the world's greatest hunger. This is a beautiful statement. It reinforces the idea that we're all here to do something or be someone. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell us how to make the connection, or how to keep ourselves in business.

To get a better grasp on this channel, take the time to reflect on you. You are a vehicle for delivering the gifts that the world is waiting for. Put your gifts in writing, and assess them. Then ask yourself these questions:

* How do my gifts complement one another?

* How can my talents be combined to create something unlike anything the world has ever seen?

* Does that combination meet a need?

* If not, can I find a legitimate need?

* Or do I need to find a new and different recipe for those gifts, based on a need I know I can satisfy?

Carving out your vocation using the talent and need factors will go miles to pull your business through adversity. In times of adversity, luck is nowhere to be found...but true value never dwindles.

If, after true introspection, you still believe that you are where you need to be, and the consumers just aren't coming, stay with me. There are secrets yet to be revealed that might affect your view, and your success, in a manner that you haven't yet considered.