Building a God’s Purpose Business

Something that comes up within Christian businesses is  how to align yourself with God’s purpose with your business.  Here a few points to ponder on to put God’s purpose into perspective.

• Your vision for your business is a personal physical purpose. Earth bound
• You are building a business for God’s Purpose and Glory.
• Use Prayer and Scripture for direction.
• Everything you do is with understanding that you do it to glorify His Kingdom.

Scripture reference

Don’t Stop Too Early

One of the many challenges that we see constantly is the push me pull me response to everyday life, particular in running a business.

Has business got you so caught up that you seem to have 3 weeks work to do in one week?  Making lists and never crossing items off them?

All too often we are being controlled and reacting to the environment around us and allowing others and their wishes to be more important to us than achieving our own long term goals.

• Have you got your Goals up in front of you?
• Do you know where you are now and what the gap is between your Goal and your Current Reality?
• Have you set out a Strategy to achieve that Goal?
• Have you set out the first set of Action steps required to achieve the first Strategy step?
• Do you have someone to hold you accountable to achieving these Strategy steps?
• Are your Action steps clear, concise, realistic and timely?
• Are they connected to your emotional wants as a reward when you achieve your milestones or Goal?
• Coaching places a realistic perspective on your Goals and helps you evaluate them to “plug up the leaks”.

Some of the key differences achieving people have are:

• They are constantly scanning for opportunities
• They read regularly and over a wide selection of genres for balance
• They give of their time and skills generously
• They charge appropriately and will often be seen as over the market but deliver exceptionally great service and value for money
• They look after their personal health and spiritual needs
• They love their family and make sure they spend time with them and are also catered for when they are not there.
• They seek mentors and accountability buddies.

This journey is not a short quick fix, change and achieving rewards takes knowledge, application, effort, mistakes and more learning.  It will involve huge emotional challenges and rewards.  But most of all it is satisfying and increases your humility, self-esteem and self-confidence.

Enjoy the journey and reach out to a Coach to help you get on track, explore your options and hold you accountable.

John Burkhardt – Sunshine Coast – Christian Business Development Coach

Business Structuring for Success Read the rest of this entry »

Running your own business can be lonely.

The isolation you feel in business isn’t just about being lonely.  It can be difficult; it can also impact the success of your business.  To grow your business you need to do what the growing and prosperous businesses are doing!

Irrespective of your point on the business journey your business and you as the owner needs support from outside your business.  The advantages of having supportive people on the journey with you are numerous:

• They encourage you to continue when disheartened
• They offer fresh perspective and objective (if not blunt) reality checks on your vision and ideas
• They can identify potential hazards from an outsiders perspective within your business or with you as the owner and manager
• They can support you with a network of alternative contacts
• They can share their previous decisions and outcome from their own choices

In setting up an advisory board, select at least 3 other people you respect with vast business experience or an ability to master a particular field but have the determination to see you do well and not hold back in pulling you up.  Have a regular meeting (monthly) and treat it as you would any business venture with multiple partners.  Have them hold you accountable during the journey and give them permission to pull you up if you waiver.

Above all pay them for the time and energy they put into your business.  Ensure they are treated specially at your business and ensure that the contact is also kept up during the non meeting weeks for maximum effect.

Business Triages or Quad groups are a version of this held by our Business Development Coaches which allow 3 or 4 business owners to meet regularly and to mentor and hold each other accountable on the journey. This is more of a networking and buddy system but allows for positive interaction on a basis which can then lead you to establishing your Advisory Board.

For more information on Business Success Groups contact us.

Is being Paperless more efficient?

This will become an age old question that will always create debate.  Small efficiencies can be obtained by using digital formats where possible to replace paper copies.

Some great examples are receiving facsimiles via email and only printing what is absolutely necessary.  At this stage you can print on recycled paper, using toner saver and black ink and not print every page of the email/fax which usually runs into 2 or 3 pages due to privacy disclaimers.

Aid recycling by scanning your documents to digital files and then shredding the originals to be used in recycled paper again. (Ensure you don’t need the originals)

Learn how to print items to an image or PDF format and how to file them in your computer system.  Why print it off, just mark the original invoice off as paid, the date, time and reference numbers required for you to reconcile that entry.

Please note that the use of any digital document system means that you must ensure that your digital backup systems are in place and work effectively.

The main goal to achieve with being paperless or reducing paper in your business is to ensure:

• You have great electronic storage in place
• You have a tested and efficient back up in place
• You have a standardised way of filing your electronic files
• You have an effective security system on your files to restrict access to those roles that require the information
• You have an up to date antivirus software program in place
• You share how the system works with your team and document the process
• Don’t try to do it all at once, stage out the process

Have a great week.

Coast2Coast Coaching, Sunshine Coast Business Development Coach

Reduce Your Energy Overheads

Some of the most important lessons we have learnt and seen in business is to schedule regular maintenance with regards to all of your building items, plant and machinery.

One of the most common “forgotten” maintenance is the cleaning of refrigeration units by shifting the unit, wiping it down, cleaning and defrosting it and most importantly by vacuuming the motor, compressor and condenser areas.  In some cafes and takeaways this has reduced the regular electricity account by up to 10%.

The obvious items such as replacing older type bulbs with more efficient energy saving bulbs and/or replacing the entire fitting have mostly been attended to.  Turning on and off  a lightbulb everytime you enter and leave a room can become energy inefficient.  If the room only gets used from 10am to 2pm, swap it for a fluro or energy efficient light and leave it on for that period.  Light bulbs have come a long way in the last few years with the focus on efficiency.  On a OH&S level if you have fluros anywhere around a kitchen or food area ensure you fit them with diffusers so that you can protect your food if a bulb decides to break.  This is now a requirement under the Food Standards for food preparation areas as well i.e. cafe’s and restaurants.

To achieve the best out of your equipment, timetable a regular cleaning and maintenance program for your business.  This removes any surprises or nasty breakdowns and being preventative can usually save you large amounts of money in the long run.  Just as you schedule mopping the floor regularly, timetable in washing down walls, cleaning fans, cleaning windows, bathrooms etc.

Start to run your maintenance on a timetable. This can include other items such as file destruction, cleaning, checking advertising signs, running computer cleanup and virus software updates etc.  It can all fit into a schedule which you can adapt as you go along.

Your staff and your customers will love you for it.

Wisdom ensures successful decisions

Part of the journey of business not only involves learning but also the understanding of that knowledge and application of it into your business.

The seed of knowledge requires nurturing and also wise counsel to ensure that appropriate decisions are made.

Consider these scriptures:

Ecclesiastes 7:19 (New King James Version)

¹⁹ Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.

Proverbs 9:12 (New King James Version)

¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

The use of wise counsel can offer a different perspective and valuable insights into your business planning and all areas of your business.  Seek out wisdom.  Seek out Christian business coaches or consultants and other Christian business owners who you value their business.  Ask yourself would you like to be their partner in business.  If the answer is yes, then seek counsel from them.

Surround yourself with successful business people and find at least 2 other people to associate with to share ideas, mentoring and accountability with.

Remember that you reflect your business and your business reflects you.  The more you grow through knowledge and wise counsel, the better and more secure your business growth.

More Soon.