Tag Archives: business topics

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Is Yours A Safe Workplace?

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Sometimes I get focused on leveraging our business for eternal return. It is easy for me to overlook the details of the business. If you own or lead a business with any number of employees, you likely have experienced something similar. However, we are responsible for running businesses of excellence. We cannot afford to overlook the basics for long. This includes a safe workplace!

safe workplace

Unusual Accusations

As a result of some turnover in our business recently, I have seen two out-of-the-ordinary accusations against us. While these accusations were certainly unusual for us, they are not uncommon in our industry.

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Employee decisions: Rigorous or Ruthless?

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As Christian business owners and leaders, we are usually very involved in employee decisions on a consistent basis. In fact, that part of our job can absorb a majority of our time. Our ability to handle these employee decisions well can also be one of the biggest influences on the success of our company, as well as the ministry we desire.

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Ruthless vs. Rigorous Employee Decisions

Assuming this is true, then it is clear that we must devote time to learning how to best handle these employee decisions. While we all agree that issues concerning people often account for the majority of the time and energy we spend in our jobs, many Christian business owners fail to spend much time thinking about their approach to this important subject.

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7 Steps To Prevent Dangerous Hiring Practices

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With all of the recent news about mass shootings, have you ever stopped to think about how you would respond if you had advance notice of a similar pending tragedy and had the time to avert it? Would you step in and prevent the crisis? What if this exact same danger is coming from your hiring practices?

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Proverbs & Business Practices!

I have been going back through the book of Proverbs with my “business glasses” on. I have been looking for business truths that we can apply to our business. If you have never done this, I strongly recommend that you try it. If you would rather let someone else do that and tell you about it, then keep reading!

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Should A Christian Business Terminate Employees?

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In a previous post, 10 Pitfalls To Running A Christian Business, I included the fact that “People think a Christian business does not terminate people” as one of the pitfalls. What do you think? Should a business that professes to be run according to Christian principles terminate employees?

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Is It Wrong To Terminate?

Many people associate Christianity with always being nice and kind, turning the other cheek, and overall just being weak. Or they believe that a Christian should never “wrong” anyone else…and they consider any sort of termination to be wronging the employee. The problem is that this does not match up with what the Bible teaches.

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Who Do You Teach First?

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Assume for a moment that you only have enough tuition money to engage a teacher for yourself OR for your children. What do you do? If you are a Christian business leader, this same question could apply to you OR your employees. Who do you teach first?

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Teach Yourself First

In his book, Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money, Rabbi Daniel Lapin refers to Deuteronomy 11:19 to give us the answer.

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Don’t Believe These 5 Myths, Part 2

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While many people we meet might have a general understanding of the Christian faith and a familiarity with business, few fully understand what it means when we combine the two. In fact, there are many myths that rise out of this lack of understanding what we mean by Christian business.

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Common Christian Business Myths

In my last post, we looked at two of the five most common myths about Christian business. We discussed how a Christian business owner should not hire just anyone that applies for the job(s) they are offering. We also talked about the fact that we will simply have to say “No” to some requests.

Today, I want to look at the final three myths and how we should dispel them. If you have any input on these or other myths you have encountered, I would love to hear from you in the comment section at the bottom!

Myth #3 – Christian Businesses Should Never Terminate Anyone!

To some, this may sound crazy, but I have actually had it said directly to me more than once. I guess people believe that since Christians are supposed to turn the other cheek and forgive 70 X 7 times, they should never fire anyone. Unfortunately, this is poor logic.

Folks, employees are not always going to do what they are supposed to do. Sometimes they will make a poor decision and steal or cheat the business for various reasons. Sometimes they will make too many mistakes because they are preoccupied or not taking their job seriously.

Other times their behavior is due to poor fit for the job (bad hire) or lack of training. Regardless of the reasons, there comes a time when their continued employment is bad for them or the company or both. Therefore their employment needs to end. This is a must if your business is going to remain healthy, providing opportunities for those that do fit.

Myth #4 – Christian Businesses Should Give Away Products or Services!

I think the fact that people associate Christians with giving to charity, they leap to the idea that Christian businesses can and should do the same…with everything! Now before you laugh, this is no joke! I have had people tell me that I am responsible to give them (fill in the blank) because we are a Christian business.

If pressed, they may not think we should do it for everyone, but they clearly believe it should be true for them. As business owners, we know this is crazy, but we still struggle with our pricing, margins, and good will decisions. Sometimes we buy into this myth without realizing it.

The bottom line is that we have to make a healthy profit if we want to continue to be in business. We cannot “give away” our products and services as a habit. Sure, we can (and should) designate a portion of our proceeds to help out those in need around us. However, this charity should not work its way into our everyday transactions. We cannot afford it!

Myth #5 – Christian Businesses Are Complacent!

I am not sure if this is more prevalent among people outside the business or inside it. Too many Christian business owners have allowed themselves to think they should not have to work as hard or drive for excellence because they are doing their work for God. Hopefully, this sounds backwards to you, but many actually think this way!

Folks, we are to work harder and drive for greater excellence for the very reason that we answer to the Lord as the true owner of our business. We should never become complacent, thinking He will understand or that He should just be glad we are doing all of this for Him. That is very dangerous thinking!

We owe Him our everything! We are commanded to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We cannot do this and be complacent at the same time. These two ideas are polar opposites!

Seek God’s Help!

Hopefully, you recognize these 5 ideas as myths and have not fallen victim to this kind of thinking. However, if you struggle with any of them, I encourage you to seek God in prayer about them. I think you will come to realize the truth and see them for the myths they are!

Have you struggled with any of these myths?

What other myths have you encountered?

How do you combat these myths?

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Don’t Believe These 5 Myths About Christian Business!

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I get many opportunities to talk to other Christians that own or operate a business. When I try to explain to them why they should be using their business to impact people for eternity, I sometimes get a blank stare. They often ask me questions that indicate they have significant misconceptions about Christian business. Today, I want to dispel 5 of the most common myths I have encountered regarding Christian business.

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Misconceptions Galore!

The problem is that many people, even Christians, misunderstand what the Bible says about being a Christian. This is even more true when it comes to being a Christian in the business world.

As a result, they often associate Christianity with weakness, laziness, and blind faith. If you have been in business for any length of time, you know these qualities don’t add up to business success. So when I explain my efforts to run a Christian business, the response is not always very positive!

Let’s take a look at the 5 most common myths you might encounter or even believe yourself. Once we dispel these, I think you might have a much better picture of what your business should look like (and what it shouldn’t look like!).

Myth #1 – Christian Businesses should hire anyone!

This is a very common myth and it is rooted in the desire to be kind and fair to everyone. Do unto others what you would have them do unto you, right? While that last statement is true, it does not equate to a wide open hiring policy!

First of all, it is not fair to the applicant to hire them if they are not a good fit for the job. They will never get fulfillment from a job that does not fit them. By not hiring this applicant, you will “help” them move on to find the job that IS a fit for them. You may even choose to assist them in this search if you see enough potential in them.

Not only is it not fair to the applicant, it is not fair to the other current employees to make them work with someone that does not fit the job. This will only increase their load and cause other issues. Of course, the final damage is to the business itself. It is tough enough to run an efficient business without having to work around those not fit or qualified for their jobs.

Myth #2 – Christian businesses should say yes to any request!

I cannot specifically say where this myth originates, but it certainly exists. Sometimes you get a local sports team looking for a sponsorship. In other cases it is a customer looking for an excessive amount of free products or services. You will even have employees ask for difficult exceptions to company policies.

I certainly believe we should try to accommodate requests to the extent that we can and when it makes good business sense. Sometimes, we might do it even when it does not make business sense (but we know it is the right thing to do at the time)! However, for us to say yes to (virtually) every request is impossible.

There are times when the only wise answer is, “No.” A Christian business owner must accept this and not let guilt take over. Jesus did not say yes to every request. Neither should we. Do the best you can, but don’t fall prey to this myth!

To Be Continued!

I have run out of room for today, but will finish with the last three myths about Christian business in my next post. I hope these have been helpful to you.

Have you believed either of these myths?

Do you see how accepting these myths as truth can limit (or destroy) your business?

What are some other myths you have encountered?

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Are You Getting The Right Return?

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What is the purpose of business? If you ask a dozen people this question, you will likely get some common answers. Some will say it is to make money. Others might say it is to provide products and/or services at a profit. Those most educated in business theory may come back with something like this – to create a return, or added value, for the stakeholders.

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Stakeholders’ Return

Let’s run with this last answer for today. I think it is likely closest to the answer we understand. Stakeholders are those who have an interest or concern in an organization. In our businesses, stakeholders include employees, owners, vendors, etc. – anyone with an interest in our business.

For the sake of today’s post, I want to focus on the owners of the business. Hopefully, you have already come to the understanding that you are not actually an owner of your business (or job). You are simply a steward of that business or job for a season.

God Is Owner

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). Therefore, He is the rightful owner of the business. He has entrusted it to you for a time (Matthew 25:14-30). He expects you to manage it well, bringing a return for the stakeholders – all of them.

This means your employees must get a return for working there (compensation, fulfillment, education, etc.). The vendors must get a return (fair pricing, timely payment for products or services). You are to get a return for the work and effort you put in as steward (compensation, fulfillment, share of profits, etc.).

Finally, there is God. He is actually the owner, right? Therefore, He should get a return as well. What exactly should His return be? He already owns everything. He has no real need for money because it is all His!

God’s Return?

I have spent a lot of time thinking through this question and have come to a conclusion. As with anything else on this site, you have the right to disagree with me. However, before you do, I encourage you to pray through this. I think you might see I am onto something.

I have racked my brain to figure out what God wants, but does not yet have. What is his ultimate goal for us and how does that play into my operating of a business for Him?

Well, the only answer I could come up with is that He desperately wants everyone to come to Him in faith, repent, and have a relationship with Him (2 Peter 3:9). He sent His only Son for this very purpose (John 3:16). I think we all agree with this, right?

Point Them To Him

So in that light, if I can operate His business in such a way as to point other people to Him, then I am bringing Him a return that is pleasing to Him. I am bringing Him something He does not yet have, but desperately wants.

Now, there is no way for me to bring everyone to repentance that comes into contact with His business. I cannot “save” them. That is absolutely His job. My job is to point them to Him in such a way that they are drawn to Him.

However, I CAN operate the business in such a way that everyone who comes into contact with it is positively impacted and directed toward a relationship with Him. Read through that again, slowly.

Not Just “Nice”

I am not saying we are to make it our focus to verbally witness to every employee, customer, and vendor so we can lead them in the sinner’s prayer. I am not saying that we should hire everyone that comes to us needing a job just so we have the opportunity to influence them at some point.

Nor am I saying that we are to give away our product or services until we go broke, just so we can impact customers in need. None of these practices are biblical business practices. They may sound “nice”, but they will only serve to bring your stewardship of His business to a premature end.

Purpose Is Different

It is my belief that we are to run businesses that focus on integrity and excellence. These businesses should make significant profit and seek healthy growth and expansion. Our customer satisfaction should be at the top of our industry and other similar businesses should imitate us.

If this sounds like a normal business, then so be it. The difference is that the overriding purpose of our business should be to bring God glory. I believe we will be held accountable as stewards of His business. I believe we will be accountable for the “return” of lives being pointed to Him because of the way we operated the business.

If we do this well, these people will eventually spend eternity with Him. In some cases, we will get to see their transformation. In other cases, we will only find out in eternity what we did to influence them. Again, it is not our job to “close” the deal…that is God’s job. We are only to point them toward the closing table!

What return has been your focus?

Do you think your focus needs to shift?

Are you prepared to make decisions that lead to this return?

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Are You In The People Business?

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I don’t know about you, but I am in the people business. In fact, I will bet that you are, too. I personally think that with very few exceptions, we are all in the people business. By that, I mean that our success rises and falls according to the quality of people we have working with us.

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What Do You Do With The Interruption?

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Business is busy. That may seem obvious, but for anyone in a leadership position in business, it can be a big problem. We are always working on something. Some projects require very little focus from us. Others require our complete attention. That is usually when the interruption comes, right?

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Forms Of Interruption

For me, this “interruption” could come in the form of a customer asking a simple question. It could be an employee that needs clarification on a process. Maybe it is phone call from a vendor that needs my authorization on an expenditure.

Interruptions can come in many shapes and sizes. When we are intently focused on getting something important done, how do we handle the interruption? I am not really asking about your manners or patience with the cause of the interruption.

The Bigger Question

The question I am asking is much bigger than that. We all know that we should be gracious and approachable when interrupted. That’s not my point.

The real question is more about your mindset regarding the interruption. In fact, I am actually asking about the bigger interruptions in your plans. To be more clear, let’s look at an example from Scripture.

Paul’s Interruption

Paul is on a mission. He has been called by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Anyone who has read any of his letters in the New Testament would agree that he was focused on this mission. Nothing deterred him from accomplishing the mission.

Then we read in Philippians 1 that Paul has been put in jail. Imagine that you are in his sandals and you have this mission in front of you. This is a big “project” with huge ramifications for those you seek to teach about this gospel. Then you find yourself in jail…for no real good reason! How could this happen?

How Would You See It?

Would you see THIS as an interruption? Would you get frustrated at the injustice and start trying to figure out how to escape? Would you lose focus on the overall goal and become preoccupied with your circumstances?

What did Paul do? Well, he uses the time wisely and continues to accomplish the mission God gave him. He does this in several ways.

Paul’s Response

First, he uses the time to write four letters to various churches (and one individual). In these letters, Paul encourages, chastises, and teaches about the gospel. He made very effective use of his time in prison to continue his mission to spread the gospel!

Second, he took advantage of the fact that he was imprisoned by Gentiles! He likely saw a number of different guards each day as they fed him and guarded him. He used this time to witness to these guards and explain to them the cause of Christ!

Paul even recognized that others were preaching more boldly about Jesus as a result of his imprisonment. While some had pure motives and others did not, Paul welcomed any accurate preaching of the gospel as helping to accomplish his mission.

What About Us?

Paul tells us to follow his example (1 Corinthians 11:1). If we do this, how can we handle the interruptions that come our way? Not only the little daily interruptions, but even more so the big ones?

When we have big plans for ministry through our business and something interrupts these plans, how can we react in a way that imitates Paul? Can we reasonably expect to stop and pray that God would reveal that part of His plan to us?

If He chooses not to reveal His plans, can we patiently look around at our circumstances and determine how to continue our mission despite the interruption? Is our eternal perspective so ingrained in our mind that we could adapt to the circumstances and maximize the opportunities they presented?

How Close Are We?

Are we so close in our relationship with God that this behavior is possible?

If not, what are we going to do to change?

I encourage you to stop and pray about this. As business owners and leaders, we are normally trained to overcome the circumstances of any interruption and move on with the mission. We are problem solvers and have wiring that keeps us moving.

Instead, sometimes we need to recognize that God may want us to sit still and look for His will IN the interruption. If we will draw closer to Him, it is more likely we will be able to do this when the time comes.

How good are you with handling an interruption?

Do you see interruptions as potentially coming from God?

What do you need to do differently?