1. THE GOLDEN RULE
Luke 6:31 “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Whether you’re dealing with a customer, a client, or your own colleagues and employees, it’s important to keep this principle in mind. It’s easy for us to become so focused on the bottom line and meeting our KPIs that we forget that at the heart of it all, we’re dealing with people. When creating customer service policies, resolving conflicts, or even terminating contracts, having this golden rule at the forefront of your mind can change the entire game and enrich the quality of your business, your reputation, and the service you provide.
2. WEIGH YOUR WORDS
“Let your yes be yes, and your no be no” Matthew 5:37 very succinctly tells us to put weight and value on our words. In business, when your “word is your bond” when you do what you say and follow through as expected (and even more than expected), you will enjoy a certain degree of respect and trust from customers, employees, and even rivals. Being honorable is still admirable and it starts with how we weigh our words.
3. PRACTICE GOOD STEWARDSHIP
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!”
When blessed with resources as a result of our business, God wants us to exercise social responsibility. He expects us to look after the sick, the widowed, and the orphans. He expects us to make wise investments here on earth but to be equally invested in the “treasures of heaven”. When we practice good stewardship of our time and money, we will be more effective as business owners and be better positioned to maximize the opportunities that will come our way.
4. DREAM BIG
Ephesians 3:20 “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.
If you set small goals, stainable goals, and things that we know of ourselves we can accomplish, are we truly living in faith? Daymond John is credited for saying “it takes as much energy to think small as it does to think big, so think big,” and he’s right!
When we hide our audacious goals from God, we’re saying that it’s beyond His reach, when in reality, it’s only beyond ours. The bigger the goal, the more glory God gets. The less likely it is that you accomplished something on your own, the more obvious it is that the power inside you is greater than that which is in the world. The success and fruition of your big dreams is a testimony that can only be stifled if you don’t dare to dream, ask and obey.
5. BUILD A FOUNDATION, NOT A STATUE
Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Build your business the right way. This one sentence sums things up perfectly. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. As Christians, we are expected to be the champion advocates for families. This involves a lot more than the heated debates that are popular online. It involves you, your family, and the legacy you leave for them. The example you set for them by the way you conduct your business. How you model grace with everyone, how you steward, how you love, how you give.
Build your business in such a way that your children and your children’s children can build on it even after you’re gone. Even if they choose not to continue that specific business, they can continue to build on the reputation, the quality, and the character that you have etched into the marketplace as a Kingdom Business Owner.
Yes, and there are so many biblical principles that can help to grow a business. Some of these principles include hard work, dedication, honesty, and treating others with respect. By following these principles, businesses can create a solid foundation that will help them to grow and succeed.
I totally agree, Rachel—so many principles to build a solid foundation. Simple, but sometimes forgotten or ignored. Thanks for sharing.