Biblical Principles on which to build ........ Your Successful Enterprise/Brand!



Biblical Principles for Business
1. God is the owner of all resources, He rewards wise users.
2. Seek Him first and make Him your priority.
3. Have a clearly defined business structure.
4. Practice the Golden rule.
5. Invest in your Employees, Be diligent, be different...


Introduction

Business men and women often wonder where they can find the best business advice and counsel to guide them in doing business. Believers in business continually wonder whether they can succeed in business by using kingdom principles, and answer to all these questions is YES!.  

Although good business counsel can be found in a plethora of books, one book contains the divine ideas and secrets for building and growing your business, that book is the Bible.  In the bible are instructions, counsel for different situations of life including business.  Take for instance the advice on diligence, wisdom and how to apply it, mercy and the benefits of showing mercy.  There are wonderful advice on how to honor the Lord and walk in faith that a businessman can use to build his business.

The bible advised all believers to trust in the Lord, and commit all things to His hands because the devil will surely fight a born again Christian to discourage and frustrate him to give up.  When you are in Christ, you must trust Him and ask Him to help you as the devil will never help the person, but fight him. And winning in business and life is not by your strength or the skills you possess, it is by the Spirit of the Lord behind your effort to open doors of opportunities and give you favour. 

How to build  - Defining structures
It is when the organization is well structured and the policies circulated and understood that biblical principles can be used to build the enterprise. One of the vital qualities the Christian businessman or woman should have is persistence.  Persistence is that strong will, determination to endure challenging times to the end.  If you can endure failure when it comes, each time you are knocked down, you get up and pick your pieces up again, you will eventually see success down the road.

To build an enterprise on biblical principles is easy when the organizational structure and products are well defined and documented. Since the owner will not be attending to customers, the principle of truth, honesty, and integrity etc should be clearly defined. Your pricing must be clear to your business staff, what the markup percentage is, the pricing of your products and services should all be defined and consistently applied. 

You will also have to establish a procurement unit and have a feasible procurement policy to guide their operations and ensure it is consistently applied. The next unit you want to establish and ensure their effective and efficient operation is the Accounting unit. After setting up these units, you will examine your type of business and its characteristics and the Operations Unit with an operational policy to guide them.  

If you want to be different from others, it is your product and operational excellence that will distinguish you. How does your competitors operate and how would you want to operate?  What will be your distinctive features of difference from competition and how feasible can it be consistently applied? Design an operational policy to guide your company's operations. 

Another important unit that should be established is the  Internal controls unit.  This unit will monitor internal compliance with the organization's policies, from the smallest to the most critical policies of the organization.  Internal checks and internal audit are two key activities of the internal control unit that helps the organization maintain consistency in policy application and value for money in all its operations.  This unit reports to the owner or board on its findings.

Biblical Principles

I have studied the Bible for years and know it has the best counsel and words for encouragement,  inspiration and purpose-driven life.  It also contains the best principles to build a successful business.

The word of God is powerful and the Word works.  The word from God is released with the power to accomplish whatsoever it was destined to achieve, be it in business, family or deliverance. It is the greatest tool for transforming lives and producing godly and disciplined individuals with sharp business skills and acumen.  Men of faith who have strong will-power and the persistence to build successful business empires are inspired by the word of God

It takes faith to build your business on biblical principles and faith comes from hearing the word of God. When you hear and believe and apply to your situation or live by it, what the word promised will begin to happen to you. The word work only when you obey and put it to use in your life and situation. 

The following principles can guide your business organization to success.

Seek God first
God wants us to know Him and His ways first. If you know the Lord and the power of His presence, you will set your priorities right thereafter. If you know God as your creator, Saviour, your wisdom and life, how to please and honour Him will be your priority.  You will understand why you should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and reap the reward of other things being added to you daily.  You will know the benefits of honouring Him with your first fruits every other time.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus gave his followers a powerful principle to follow. Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." The first three words of this verse are very instructive.  A great principle to practice in business is to focus on first things. When a leader understands the order of things, things can become easier to understand. A leader should make God and His principles your top priority. Trust His order and seek first His kingdom.

Practice The Golden Rule with Employees and Customers
The golden rule says - Do unto others as you would expect others to do to you. Make your staff and customers your first priority and not  money and sales turnover. Think of others first. Treat others like you want to be treated. When you think of the customers, they will think of you.

This principle is found in Luke 6:31. This verse, which is known as the Golden Rule, states that we should "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Many great businesses use this principle as the foundation for their business. J.C. Penny used just this one principle to start and grow his business into a thriving corporation. He once was quoted as having said, "I cannot remember a time when the Golden Rule was not my motto and precept, the torch that guided my footsteps." The concept is to consider others first. The wise business leader and business will always treat others as they would like to be treated.

Be ready to go the extra mile 
Go a little further. Always do more than anticipated and expected. Surprise others by paying attention to the little things that others don't. Be different.

The principle of going the extra mile will always give you an edge in life and business... Jesus himself gives this principle in Matthew 5:41. The New Century Version records the statement as, "If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles." Jesus gives this principle to his followers as a way for them to separate themselves from the culture in which they were living to help others to see Him more clearly. 

In business, we also need to separate ourselves so that others can see our business more clearly. Too many companies expect second-mile results without giving second-mile effort. It is always a good idea to do more than expected. Every company would be wise to cultivate a second-mile mentality throughout their business.

Invest in yourself, your Employees and Infrastructure
Wise investment starts with investing in yourself and your employees. You need a sharp mind and well trained and equally sharp employees. so, don't forget to invest in yourself. Make the right investments to help the business to grow. Invest in your people also. The investment in your employees will not only hone their skills and capacity, it will grow their commitment and loyalty. You should also invest in necessary infrastructures and technologies that will improve work efficiency and service delivery.

A principle that has shaped many businesses and business leaders is Matthew 6:21. Matthew states that "Where your treasure is, there is where your heart will be also." Investment is another term for treasure. Leaders are called to lead with passion or all of their hearts. Therefore a leader must make investments wisely. Leaders in businesses are called upon to make any investments. A leader must make use of the resources of the company to make the right investments in the business, people, and infrastructure. When businesses are invested in wisely, the business will grow. Good investments set the direction and the path of a business to ensure its growth and development. But, when a business is neglected, it is doomed to shrink and die. 

Improve Your Organization By Improving Your Team
Find the right and best people to bring around you. Make people your top priority. Learn from everyone. Spend time with a wise team of mentors. Learn faster by learning from others. Ask questions and listen. Seek counsel. Help people to discover their gifts and talents. 

Find passionate and reliable people and put them in a position of responsibility. You need a team around you to inspire you and help you build something bigger than you can build alone. No great leader ever led alone. Find your passion and add passionate people to your team. A passionate person is worth four regular people. Passionate people perform better. 

Ephesians 2:10 which states, "You are God's workmanship who has been created to do good works that God has prepared in advance." The power of this principle is both profound and amazing. This verse reminds the Christian business leader that they have been formed with a purpose. In fact, not only have they been formed with a purpose, every person on their team has been formed with a purpose. 

When a company finds the gifts and passions of their people and discern how to release those passions then higher productivity is enjoyed by the person and the company. Passionate people are reliable people. The wisdom of others can be powerful. Every great leader in the Bible had at least one advisor. However, many business leaders try to do things all on their own. In fact, it is often said that it is lonely at the top. It is only lonely at the top if you are trying to lead alone. Steward leaders believe in the power of others.

God owns all Resources, use resources wisely
Use the resources wisely.  Remember that God’s owns all resources and  He will reward those that use his resources to their maximum capability. Be ready to give an answer for all of your decisions. Seek to hear the words "well done."

An essential shift for Christian business owners is moving from ownership to stewardship. Jesus told a story in Matthew about a faithful servant. He ends the story in Matthew 25:23 with these words, "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" Well done is a very powerful word. It should be the desire of every Christian business owner to hear these words at the end of their journey.

Work with Excellence
Build Products and Services that are Better Than The Competition because they are built with Excellence.  Excellent work is worthy work. Do everything for a bigger purpose and a nobler cause. Innovate. Always improve and strive to make products and service better. Always Upgrade and Improve. 

Building a business on Biblical principles requires a change of perspective. It is important for Christian businessmen to practice excellence at all times and in all situations. The apostle Paul wrote these critical words in Colossians 3:23,24. He said "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Paul was reminding Christian leaders of the higher call that is their lives. 

Christians are not called to do work that is average, but rather Christians are called to do all of their work with excellence in a way that honors God. When you work towards excellence in everything you are on your way to hearing the "well done" from your employees, your customers, and your God.

Pray always, pray big prayers and expect big answers
Set big goals. Stretch yourself. Find new ways to look at old problems. Embrace belief. Pray big prayers and expect bigger answers.  Everything great starts with a dream. The world is better when people dream big and believe that impossible things can happen. Challenge yourself to ask "what if" questions and use your imagination to see the world in new and different ways. 

People desire to be with leaders and organizations who have big visions. Ephesians 3:20,21 states, "20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." God wants to do things that amaze you. Dream big and ask God to do more than you ask or dream. A big vision inspires and attracts. Supersize your thoughts and your beliefs.

Practice the law of Sowing and Reaping
Sow bountifully. Be generous with your seeds. Plant daily. Be constantly trying new things. Don't be afraid to start small. Practice patience.

Laws of life can be trusted because they have been proven through time. Successful businesses know and trust the law of sowing and reaping. In 2 Corinthians 9:6, the Bible states that " whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." When you want to sow or plant for a wonderful harvest, you will first make sure your seed is a good and lively crop, it has to be a good measure also, planted on a good soil then you can be sure of a good harvest with the help of the Almighty God. 

Farmers who farm Yam will attest to this.  Your yam for planting must be the rich and lively yam, of the right size or measure. planted on a well-cultivated soil, then the good harvest will follow.  I once asked a Yam farmer why he was reserving the big tubers for planting and he said because he is expecting to harvest tubers bigger than the ones he is planting.  Your reaping is according to your sowing!  The man who plants generously will get a generous harvest. The harvest you are reaping today is from the seeds that you planted yesterday. 

The bible says men will reap what they sow.  Therefore, lets sow bountifully and are expectant, to reap a good harvest.



FIRE...

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