Sweet Blog Reviews

State of the Union

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:45:35 +0000

Below is the post I just wrote for my other blog, The Shrewd Investor , at http://theshrewdinvestor.net . Last night a defiant President accepted partial responsibility for not clearly articulating his agenda to the American people. Obama truly believes that his problem is twofold. First, he just hasn’t pushed his agenda hard enough and second, if the America people truly understood his messiahship they would rush to support his solutions. What the President fails to recognize or admit is that the American voter clearly understands his agenda and has already given their response in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Obama had a chance to become a uniter and chief spokesperson for the proven tactics that create jobs and supply growth, but he chose to do neither. Instead he threw bones to about every political group and then proceeded to blame everyone except gays in and out of the military. His trashing of the Supreme Court and it’s recent decision on campaign finance reform versus free speech was classic stupidity. His persistent belief that anyone not in his inner intellectual circle is too ignorant to add value to the process, justifies his use of the “noble lie” in dealing with the American people. I have never before witnessed such gross incompetence from an American president. He squandered the perfect opportunity to put hope back into business and the markets. What a waste. So what we have is another down day on Wall Street and a sinking, sucking feeling on Main Street. The hope and change we need now cannot come until the November elections. In the meantime protect your assets. As I stated in my post on January 19, When the Trend is not Your Friend , you better know what investments you want to be in — in this down market. Protect your winners and sell your losers or risk financial loss. The above post is just one in a recent series that explains why Obama and the Democratic leadership is bad for American. I believe that Obama’s election was the Father’s wakeup call to the silent majority that it can be silent no longer. We live in a time when we must be prepared, and to be prepared we must be on our knees and listening to what the Lord has to say. I encourage you to listen to the Lord for yourself, just not to take what comes from TV or the pulpit as gospel. Read your Bible, talk to the Lord and He will answer you. In Christ, Richard Fox

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State of the Union

The Parable of the Sower, the Seed and the Soils

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:29:45 +0000

In Mark 4:3-14 Jesus said, 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The Explanation Jesus gives us the explanation of this parable in verses 13 & 14, ”And He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word.’” If we are to achieve what the Lord has for each of us as business men and women, then we must prepare ourselves to be the best soil for the word of God. For without the wisdom that comes from both the logos and rhema word we are inadequately prepared. To be good soil we must spend time with the Lord. We do this by setting aside time each day time for prayer, meditation and reading the word. It is through this time that we get clarity of the vision for ourselves and our business, get detailed plans to implement the vision and we learn what the Lord wants us to do with the fruits of our labor. This year I will again read through the entire Bible. It’s something that I enjoy doing. I use one of the available daily Bible reading books. For Christmas my wife gave me the Charles Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible which is a joy to read. It is the New King James translation. I make it a habit not to read the same translation two years in a row. I also read my regular Bible and study different topics but I truly enjoy the discipline of knowing that once again I’ll have systematically read the entire bible. I find this discipline carries over into other areas of my life. It’s the kind of discipline needed to be successful in business. So I encourage you to start your own Bible reading program. The value and self satisfaction are invaluable to both your business and personal life. Now more than every before we Christians need to hear and know God’s plan for our lives. May you be richly blessed through your study of the Bible this year!

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The Parable of the Sower, the Seed and the Soils

Marketplace Leaders To Gather For 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS) Feb. 3-6 Denver, CO

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:39:11 +0000

Summary: Influential Christian business leaders convene in Denver, CO for the 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit KEYS.

Denver, Colorado, December, 21, 2009 — Christian business and financial representatives from at least 15 nations and 40 U.S. states will convene Feb. 3-6, 2010 in Denver at the 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS), according to Dr. Bruce Cook, Summit convener and host. “We have the top Christian marketplace thought leaders coming together to offer economic strategies and solutions for today’s troubled times,” said Cook.

Theme for the event is “Fathering Marketplace Leaders: Prospering in Economic Crisis.”

Dr. Lance Wallnau, President of the Lance Learning Group, Keller, TX and Os Hillman, President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries, Cumming, GA will keynote the 2010 Summit along with Dr. Pat Francis, President of Elomax Inc., Pat Francis Ministries and Kingdom Covenant Centre, Toronto, Ontario; Tamara Lowe, best selling author and Executive Vice President and co-founder of Get Motivated Seminars, Inc., Tampa, FL; and Rich Marshall, author of God@Work, Vols. I & II and President of R.O.I. Leadership International, Highlands Ranch, CO; Rick Joyner, best selling author of The Final Quest and numerous other books and founder and senior leader of MorningStar Ministries, Fort Mill, SC.

Other leaders speaking at KEYS 2010 include top-producing real estate broker, author and speaker Kenn Renner, Austin, TX; international business attorney & CEO Carolita Oliveros, president of Oliveros & Associates PC, Tucson, AZ; Al Caperna, CEO of CMC Group, Inc. and Marketplace Leader for Call2All, Bowling Green, OH; Dr. Francis Myles, pastor of Breakthrough City Kingdom Embassy, McKinney, TX and author of The Order of Melchizidek; David van Koevering, physicist, inventor and president of Elsewhen, Cleveland, TN; and John Muratori, author of Rich Church, Poor Church and President of John Muratori Ministries, Senior Pastor of Calvary Life Family Worship Center and Executive Director of Turning Point Christian Center, Cheshire, CT.

“God is moving powerfully in the marketplace,” said Cook, KEYS founder. “What’s happening is both a market correction and a marketplace reformation,” he added, “and the global financial turmoil and shaking of economies, nations, markets, institutions and currencies has helped create or trigger widespread fear and a crisis of belief in many people. In response, a growing number of business men and women are turning to God, discovering prayer and Biblical principles, choosing faith over fear, and re-examining their assumptions and beliefs about finances, investing, debt, retirement and stewardship in light of current conditions,” he stated.

Patterned loosely after the World Economic Forum, but with a Christian focus, the 4-day Summit will also feature Ken Beaudry, President of Beaudry Oil Co., Elk River, MN; Morris Ruddick, President of Ruddick Intl. and Global Strategic Initiatives Foundation, Denver, CO; Kyle Newton, President & CEO of InVision and Newton Inc, Fort Worth, TX; Shawn Bolz, president of Expression58 Ministries, Los Angeles, CA and author of several books; Robert Ricciardelli, former sales executive and President of Visionary Advancement Strategies and Converging Zone Network, Black Mountain, NC; and Teri Werner, business coach and consultant, author of Train Wreck to Triumph and former CEO, Mesquite, TX; Michael Pink, best-selling author, business coach and former sales trainer and corporate executive, Sarasota, FL; and Paul Cuny, retired business executive, author, and president of Marketplace Leadership International, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

In addition, speakers will include Dr. Peter Wagner, President of Wagner Leadership Institute and Global Harvest and author of 80 books, Colorado Springs, CO; Peter Roselle, pastor and registered securities dealer and wealth manager for a major Wall Street firm; John L. Sorenson Jr., president of Covenant Bancorp., Chicago, IL; Dr. Marlene McMillan, president, Liberty Ministries, Irving, TX; Jim Barthel, President & CEO of Metals Treatment Technologies LLC and Kingdom Business Alliance (KBA), Arvada, CO; and Dr. Bruce Cook, President, VentureAdvisers Inc., Kingdom House Publishing and Glory Realm Ministries, Leander, TX.

“KBA is very pleased to co-sponsor this year’s KEYS event,” said Barthel. “Having attended each of the previous KEYS, I know that those who attend will experience a ‘Mountain Top’ experience unlike any other and will advance in their marketplace purpose, position, passion and power for the Lord,” he added. “This event is for anyone who works or leads in a business environment, as well as ministry leaders desiring to better understand the marketplace and how to relate to business leaders.”

Venue for KEYS 2010 will be Faith Bible Chapel International, located at W. 62nd Ave. & Ward Road in Arvada, CO. Schedule is 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily February 3-5 and 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Feb. 6th. The event is also being webcast and evening sessions will be offered free after 6:30 pm nightly on a space available basis. Registration fees are $50 for webcast, $99 for students, $199 for adults, and $349 for couples or colleagues.

Group rates are also available, with a 10% discount offered to groups of 10 or more. For more information on KEYS, visit their web site at http://www.KingdomEconomicSummit.com.

Press Release Distributed by Best Online Results Internet Marketing Firm, http://www.BestOnlineResults.com

About Bruce Cook

Cook, 55, of Leander, TX, is an ordained Christian minister, private investor and financial consultant, and has served as President and Founder of VentureAdvisers Inc. since 2000. Previously, Cook was Research Director for The University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) (focused on private equity), and was a marketing communications executive for 12 years for several universities and a software company and technology incubator, and a bank manager for five years. Cook holds a PhD in Higher Education Administration from The University of Texas at Austin (1994) and wrote his dissertation on fundraising theory.

About the Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS):

Patterned loosely after the World Economic Forum, but with a Christian focus and perspective, KEYS will feature a number of internationally-known speakers. Christian business and financial representatives from at least 15 nations and 40 U.S. states are expected to attend the 3rd Annual Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit (KEYS) February 3-6, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, in the midst of one of the worst financial crises in modern history.

Media Contact:
Ben Goss
6250 Wright Street
Arvada, CO 80004
(303) 456-6977

Video Links:

2010 KIngdom Economic Yearly Summit 60 Second Promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJtFnzFOYX4

Dr. Myles – Order of Melchizedek — KEYS Invitation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpgD15bmsVM

Dr. Cook and Kyle Newton — 2010 Kingdom Economic Yearly Summit Overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytuwLqrOrnI

Dr. Cook and Kyle Newton –Purpose Of Kingdom Economic Summit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfBEPKbux6w

Decision Making – The Point of Leadership

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:28:35 +0000

By now it should be obvious that Barak Obama lacks leadership skills. But this should come as no surprise given Obama came into office with no leadership, business or military experience. Why is he such an ineffective leader? What’s missing? Why can’t he transform the power of his personality and office into leadership skills? And more importantly what can we as business owners and managers learn from this. Nick Schulz at the American Enterprise Institute blogged that the Obama administration has less than 10% of its officials with private sector experience. Yet Obama and his team believe they are able to make better decisions on war, the economy and business than those who live and work in the “real world”. This arrogance is costing us dearly as a nation and a people. I’m writing this article on Decision Making – The Point of Leadership to show one of the most critical skill sets needed if you plan on successfully running a country, company, ministry or for that matter any organization. I want to compare President Obama and his team’s decision making process with how business schools and war colleges prepare leaders to make decisions. Business schools have an ongoing debate as to whether leaders are born or made. It’s no surprise that most business schools make the case that leaders are made and the best ones are made at there high priced institution. To me this is like the question, which came first the chicken or the egg. Anyone who has read the book of Genesis knows the answer, the chicken came first. To prove my point, Marshall Goldsmith’s Ask the Coach blog on the Harvard Business Publishing website posted on January 14, 2008 an article entitled Great Leaders Are Made, Not Born . It’s interesting that both President Obama and ex-President George W. Bush have advanced degrees from Harvard. President Bush attended the Harvard Business School, where he earned an MBA. He characterized himself as an average student and is the only U.S. President to have earned this degree. All MBA students take courses on quantitative analysis and strategy. These courses are designed to teach students how to solve problems, make decisions and think strategically. But just because you’ve been to business school doesn’t make you a leader or a great decision maker. President Obama graduated with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991. He returned to Chicago where among other things he taught constitutional law for 12 years at the University of Chicago Law School. My personal opinion is that President Obama is an unconstitutional lawyer, but that’s another topic . Just because you’ve graduated from law school and are smart doesn’t mean you’re a leader or can make an intelligent decision in a reasonable amount of time. General McChrystal and his senior staff are graduates of West Point, the Command College and have general war experience and specific combat experience in Afghanistan. The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth mission statement reads, “The US Army Command and General Staff College educates and develops leaders for a full spectrum joint, interagency and multinational operations; acts as lead agent for the Army’s leader development program; and advances the art and science of the profession of arms in support of Army operational requirements”. McChrystal and his staff know what it takes to win a war, Obama and his staff are clueless. Now let’s compare President Bush’s decision to implement “the surge” strategy in the Iraq war with that of the decision not to make a decision now decision of President Obama in regards to sending more troops to Afghanistan. Bush, and I’m sure President Obama, consulted their staff and advisers on the problems and opportunities being faced in the war on terrorism. The difference is Bush backed his military commanders not his political, domestic and foreign policy advisers on the surge in Iraq which obviously worked. President Obama’s approach is to try and appease everyone by giving a little something to everyone. In his desire to offend none and take his time in making a decision he has left friend and foe with the impression that he is not up to the job of Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world. If President Obama is as smart as the liberal media says he is, why is he such an ineffective leader? What’s missing? Why can’t he transform the power of his personality and office into leadership skills. Arrogance and book knowledge is never a substitute for wisdom and real world experience. One trait that all great leaders have is the ability to know just how much information or facts they need to make an informed decision. They know how to “pull the trigger”, execute the decision, and they know how to sell their decision (we call this buy-in) to their team. Leaders avoid what plagues President Obama which is paralysis through analysis . Leaders learn from experience and learn from the classroom. Business schools and war colleges can teach leadership skills that make better leaders, but they can’t make everyone a leader. Leaders also understand that not all decisions and plans are perfect. In fact one of the key lessons taught at war colleges comes from a famous quote from Helmuth von Moltke, that “no battle plan survives contact with the enemy” . In business we can modify von Moltke to read, no business plan survives contact with the market place . Helmuth von Moltke’s mentor was Carl von Clausewitz. Clausewitz’s book On War , published after his death in 1831, is being used by both the military and many business schools. It is just as relevant today so I’ve included some key quotes that all business and political leaders should read and learn. “Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity” – Karl von Clausewitz “We must, therefore, be confident that the general measures we have adopted will produce the results we expect. Most important in this connection is the trust which we must have in our lieutenants. Consequently, it is important to choose men on whom we can rely and to put aside all other considerations. If we have made appropriate preparations, taking into account all possible misfortunes, so that we shall not be lost immediately if they occur, we must boldly advance into the shadows of uncertainty.” – Karl von Clausewitz “a certain grasp of military affairs is vital for those in charge of general policy.” – Karl von Clausewitz “The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish . . . the kind of war on which they are embarking.” – Karl von Clausewitz All business schools and war colleges teach some type of the Traditional Six-Step Problem Solving Process : Identify and Select the Problem Analyze the Problem Generate Potential Solutions Select and Plan the Solution Implement the Solution Evaluate the Solution And I’m sure the President intellectually understands this process, but an intellectual understanding is no substitute for basic leadership skills. In conclusion we need to know how long we have to plan and implement the solution. President Obama took too long, as one democrat strategist said about Obama’s Afghan strategy, it was too little, too late. Don’t let this happen to you. If Winston Churchill were alive today, he might paraphrase himself when describing Obama and his administration, never has so many know so little about so much .

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Decision Making – The Point of Leadership

What Is Strategic Planning?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:04:35 +0000

The word “strategy” is originally from the Greek word strategia which refers to an act, device, or plan employed by a general or leader to achieve a specific goal. Aristotle said, “…as there are many actions, arts and sciences, there ends are also many; the end of the medical art is health, that of shipbuilding a vessel, that of strategy victory , that of economics wealth.” Thus, strategy early on was thought of in military or diplomatic terms but today strategy is also used in business to produce a competitive advantage or achieve a stated goal. To be successful the strategy needs to be written and this is called a strategic plan. To produce a strategic plan requires the ability to think strategically (strategic thinking). Today most business owners and managers do not think strategically thus the reason for so many business failures. So how do we go about learning to “think strategically” so we can produce strategic plans. Most strategic plans are created to solve problems first, and take advantage of opportunities second. Strategic plans are built to implement the vision of the organization. Strategic plans need to be fact based, rigidly structured and hypothesis driven. But most important, no matter how good the strategic plan is, no matter how well researched, how thoroughly analyzed, how flawlessly structured; it is worth nothing if the people that have to implement the plan have not bought into the plan the plan will fail. So what is the strategic planning process that produces a successful strategic plan followed by implementation? Without implementation (execution) the plan, again, is worthless. What follows is the basic methodology used by the best strategic planners. 1. Framing the Problem/Opportunity: S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis may be used to assess those aspects of the organization that are important to achieving the objective of the strategic plan. Strategy-development is a creative step that answers these four questions: How can we use the Strengths, stop the Weaknesses, exploit the Opportunities and defend against the Threats in pursuit of the organizations selected objective. A truth in problem solving is that defining the problem is not the hardest thing to do. The real expertise comes in plotting or crafting the solution and then producing the implementation. Too often in many organizations the “problems” the organization believes are the problems that need to be solved, aren’t the real problems after all (take “new coke” which we will deal with in a minute). The problems/opportunities defined have to be put into the context of the whole and then prioritized. Strategic planning is about taking a holistic approach to problem solving. 2. Designing the Analysis: Plan your work – work your plan. Find the key drivers so that it does not take so long to produce the plan and update the plan. Strategic plans need to be updated and published annually to be considered a valuable tool. Look at the big picture. Remember, once you think you have the answer – you still have to prove it. 3. Gathering the Data: To gather the data you need to write an Interview Guide. Strategic planning is about interviewing the key people in the organization and any vendors, bankers, customers (clients) that are willing to participate. Strategic Planning is not about focus groups yet many companies have used focus groups as the basis of fact finding to produce their strategic plan. Focus groups are not the tool of choice for strategic planners. It is the Interview Guide. The Interview Guide should be sent down the chain of command. Asking the right questions is of the utmost importance. 4. Interpreting the Results: Here’s where it get tricky. In 1985, after 99 years with essentially the same taste, Coca-Cola decided to switch to a new, high-fructose corn syrup, to make Coke taste sweeter and smoother–more like its arch rival, Pepsi. This historic decision was preceded by a top-secret $4 million survey of 190,000 people, in which the new formula beat the old by 55 percent to 45 percent. In its survey and focus groups Coca-cola never bothered to ask the question, “Do you want a new coke?” Also Coca-cola apparently neglected to take into account that many of the 45 percent who preferred old Coke did so passionately. The 55 percent who voted for New Coke might have been able to live with the old formula, but many on the other side swore that they could not stomach the New Coke. If the process of gathering data has been flawed, then maybe the interpretation of the results is flawed. Even if the data is correct, the interpretation can still be wrong. That is why in the best companies the results are not left to be interpreted solely by the data gatherers. 5. Presenting the Solution There are two key elements to successful strategic planning. The first is the “BUY-IN”, the second is IMPLEMENTATION. There should be no rollout, no launch of new ideas nor attempt at change without getting “buy-in” from the people responsible to implement the plan. It is important to get “buy-in” at every step of the strategic planning process. 6. Implementing the Plan: Create an implementation guide or operation plan. In analyzing why strategic plans fail, it is not always that the strategies were bad; it is mostly that the execution or implementation of the plan failed. In the real world there is too often a gap, often extremely wide, between the strategic plan and its outcome. Many organizations are filled with bright, hardworking people but that doesn’t mean they are effective. Ready – Fire – Aim is obviously not the correct launch sequence. 7. Managing the Process: Leadership, leadership, leadership. The main job of leadership should be to learn the process and direct the process of strategic planning. The purpose of the strategic plan should be to implement the vision of the organization. But what is the vision? This needs to be clearly defined and should be part of the strategic plan. In conclusion: No strategic plan survives contact with the market place. Strategic plans need to be monitored and updated frequently. And as we said earlier, strategic planning requires strategic thinking, which requires strategic thinkers. May the Lord richly bless your planning. S8E45M4ZYCEC

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What Is Strategic Planning?

The Time Has Come!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:10:09 +0000

The Time Has Come! Today more and more people are going into business for themselves. It’s currently reported that over 25% of all adult Americans are self-employed, with many more considering going into business for themselves. People work out of their homes today because technology has brought us to a place where we no longer need an office environment to be productive. A wide variety of jobs can can be worked from remote locations. The computer, email, and cellular telephones have changed forever the way businesses operate. And with the low cost of equipment and technology it has become more affordable to go into business for yourself and compete with the big corporations. I believe there are three main reasons why people go into business. First, some just want to create a job for themselves, especially in this uncertain economy. Either they were unable to find a job or they were tired of working for someone else or they were terminated, which is a common scenario these days. Second, some people go into business to get rich. Greed is their motivation. There is nothing wrong with making money, but going into business just to make money is selfish and self-centered and rarely, if ever, works. And third, some go into business because they have a desire to be in business, to offer a better product or service. They have a vision, they’re on a mission and they won’t be stopped. These people see themselves as servants. These are the people who will succeed. Most of the people who go into business for one of the first two reasons will fail. It’s a fact that nearly 62% of all businesses dissolve within their first six years and only 20% of all businesses survive ten years. Why do most businesses fail? I see four main reasons. First, the owner(s) lacked sufficient knowledge. They lack knowledge of God’s Word; knowledge of legal, accounting, and financial principles;and of marketing; purchasing; employee relations and the business side of business. A second reason is that the owner entered the wrong business either by entering an overcrowded market or offering something people didn’t want to buy. Third, the owner failed to keep pace with a changing marketplace. And fourth, they didn’t have enough capital to complete what they’d started. All the reasons for failure listed above can be avoided if you know how. For Christians the keys to success in business are: You must know that you have been called by God to be in business. Without that knowledge, you’ll not be able to withstand the tests that are certain to come. We’re all tested. You must have a vision of what the Lord has called you to do. You must be committed to being the best. You must have a servant’s heart, one that is customer oriented and values your employees. You must be a wise steward and a good overseer. You must be realistic as to what you can and can’t do. You must be consistent and self-motivated. You must learn to persevere and trust the Lord. You must learn as Jesus did, not to “make decisions based on what your eyes see and your ears hear” but rather on what the Lord tells you. You must learn to let the “joy of the Lord be your strength.” My desire is to help Christian Business Owners and Christian “would be” business owners navigate the often rough and uncharted territory of business ownership. So, if you’re thinking of starting a business, or if you have a business that’s struggling, this website is for you. This website will not make you a success, but listening and relying on Jesus will. May the Lord richly bless you as you follow the path He has called you to. Richard Fox

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The Time Has Come!

Successful Entrepreneurs

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:00:26 +0000

Success is a state of mind, just like happiness. One person’s definition of success might be different from another. To one, success might be paying bills and providing for family, to another success might be growing a business to 100 million dollars in annual sales. Success is relative. And at times, the more successful you are, the more you see and hear from your relatives. Called by God If you have not been called by God to be an entrepreneur you’ll never be successful. No matter how well you do in the eyes of this world, you’ll still have an empty feeling; an unfulfilled feeling deep inside. Have a Vision “Where there is no vision the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 Have a Plan “Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain.” Exodus 26:30. Committed to Being the Best “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God. ” Exodus 23:19. ” And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him ” Colossians 3:17. “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress’” Numbers 18:30. “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines” Isaish 25:6. “Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now. ” John 2:7-10. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15. Good Servants— “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28. Customer Oriented “Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.” Leviticus 19:35-36. “Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.” Deuteronomy 25:13-16. “Honest scales and balances are from the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.” Proverbs 16:11 “Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights?” Value employees “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” James 5:4. “For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading ou the grain,” and “The worker is deserves his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:18. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.” Luke 10:5-7. “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to the foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’” Matthew 20:8. Values suppliers A good business owner values those who supply products and services to his business. He does what he can to foster and keep good relationships. It means keeping open lines of communication. It means paying bills on time (or when emergencies arise making arrangements to pay).

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Successful Entrepreneurs

How to get the Vision

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:38:01 +0000

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. Exodus 24:15-16. The blue print “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:8-9. The building Chapter 26 of Exodus describes in detail how the Tabernacle is to built. The material that is to be used, and the size and dimensions are given. In verse 30, the Lord tells Moses, “Set up the tabernacle according to the plan shown you on the mountain.” Chapter 27 goes on to describe the courtyard, the construction of the alter and the oil for the lampstand.” The equipment Exodus chapter 25 covers not only the offerings for the Tabernacle but the design and construction of the Ark, the Table and the Lampstand. Chapter 30 covers the altar of incense, basin for washing, anointing oil and incense. The clothing Chapter 28 of Exodus deals with the priestly garments. “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecretion, so he may serve me as priest” Exodus 28:1-3. The Workers Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts— Exodus 31:1-3. “Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and its stand— and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons who serve as priests, and the anointing oil and gragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.” Exodus 31:6-11. Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—….” And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. Exodus 35:30-34. Financing The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive an offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them:…” Exodus 25:1-3a. Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. Exodus 36:2-7 Rules & Regulations Starting in Exodus chapter 19 and through the end of the book in chapter 40, are written the rules and regulations by which the Lord would be in covenant with his people.

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How to get the Vision

Planning for Success

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:45:17 +0000

Business plans or better yet, strategic plans are very important for every business. Although they’re very important, most business owners have never actually written one. So, what’s a business plan? A business plan is composed of two main elements: A narrative that describes your business in detail and a financial summary that shows how your business can profit and grow in the coming years. Specifically, this document should describe your vision, the product or service you sell, the market for your product or service, and then explain how your business provides and sells the product or service. Typically, the second element of the business plan includes a budget that forecasts annual profits, annual cash flows, and shows your end-year balance sheet for three to five years. This section should also include historical financial statements, a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet, and cash flow statements, for the last few years of the business’s operation. If you’re writing your business plan for a start-up company, the financial will be all pro-forma financial statements. You can take as many pages as needed to describe and document this information. These days, a standard length is probably 20 to 25 pages. This could include as many as half a dozen pages of financial information and around 15 or so pages of the narrative portion. No business plan A good business plan does not guarantee success, nor does it guarantee that you won’t experience failure or set backs, but it does reduce the number of things that can go wrong. Many times ideas, products, game plans are changed because of the planning process. The planning process forces us to think through, hopefully to a logical conclusion, the different premises that we are using to start or build our business. Types of Financial Plans Planning is a process not a document. The planning process should produce a document, but the document should not be the goal of the planning process. The written document makes it easier to distribute the ideas, facts and figures assembled. This enables everyone who is a part of the planning process, or the execution of the plan’s ideas, to literally be on the same page. Sometimes, just the exercise of planning gives us the answer to questions or solutions to problems that we didn’t know before we began the planning process. Personal Financial Plan In addition to a business plan, it’s important to develop a personal financial plan. This plan should spell out the goals and objectives that you have for your family. The plan takes inventory of where you are currently financially, and measures that against where you want to be. The personal financial plan will tell you if you’re on track, ahead of schedule, or behind. The personal financial plan should also give detail as to how you’ll achieve your personal goals and objectives. Strategic Plan Strategic planning are those actions that lead to the definition of your company’s mission, the formulation of its goals, and the development of the specific strategies that will be implemented to meet those goals. There are four basic characteristics of strategic planning: It involves decisions by managers at all levels. It deals with the allocation of large amounts of resources, such as capital, labor, or capacity. It focuses on the long term, but increasingly, strategic planning focuses on both the short and the long term. It deals with a company’s interaction with its environment. Strategic planning should be done for five-year periods. Planning For Success “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those that love him” but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” 1 Corinthians 2:8-10. Plans for good, not evil “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11. God’s plan cannot be thwarted “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 Jesus taught on planning “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” Jesus planned & prepared “In my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3.

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Planning for Success