Note from audio team: We experienced technical difficulties while recording these files. We have fixed as much as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience.

1.   Opening Address: Callie Swart

 

Having dealt with administrative issues, Callie jumped right on in with a talk considering some of the God-given keys for success in business (without insinuating that God guarantees business success). In partial answer to this topic a few keys were discussed:

  1.     An absence of dualism:

Dualism in this sense means a tendency to live two lives: a “Sunday-spiritual life” and a secular or business life. The extreme version of this is living in total hypocrisy – saying one thing and expecting it from others without living up to the same yourself. However, expressed as Callie meant it here, it implies seeing no relationship (or very little) between our Christian faith and our engagement in business. This is decidedly not the Christian way! Deuteronomy 6: 4,5 states: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (ESV)” If God is one, and we are to love Him totally, this means with all of our lives: our skills, gifting, and energy as well as through our spiritual practices. One of the things over time is to allow the Spirit of God to bring us to a greater degree of alignment between every area of our lives and loving God.

We are responsible for preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, regardless of our station in life. A Christian business person is not a kingdom business because it employs Christians, but because it acts redemptively towards all who are in her employ, as well as towards it clients and associates. Business is one of Gods tools for spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. Priscilla and Aquila in the book of Acts (see Chapter 18) and mentioned in Romans 16:3, 1Corinthians 16:19 and 2 Timothy 4:19, are a prime example of this – they opened up businesses in many towns in order to support the preaching of the Word of God. this is a good example of a man and woman living only ONE LIFE and serving only ONE GOD, ie No Dualism.

The subject of dualism will be returned to often in the ongoing development of the business forum as it may be one of the great keys in developing successful Kingdom ventures.

  2.     The successful business person has a right understanding of who God is – his or her God is BIG:

Many Christians have a tendency to shrink God to the size of their “manageable lives” – which is in accordance with their little faith. When God spoke with Abraham about the Promised Land, He told him effectively “as far as the eye can see – I will give to you.” And Abraham believed God. Abraham’s inheritance would be directly related to what he could see from that high vantage point as well as His revelation from the Lord and His heart’s ability to see what God had in store for him in the future. While we have taken a stand against the Prosperity Gospel on theological grounds, we also do not believe in poverty and consequently we do not believe that God intends that we should be impoverished. Our God is BIG and His intentions towards us are good! Would our view of God and our knowledge of Him enable us to lead 3 million people through the desert for 40 years? Come on, we should not think small! Yes, God apportions to some 1, 2 or 5 talents but this does not mean that the person who is given 1 talent is worth less than the person given 5 talents.

  3.   He knows something about inheritance:

Michael Eaton has stated previously that there is a world-wide revival of the revelation of the doctrine of inheritance.  This will be dealt with at another time.  

 4.     She is persistent, focused and hard working:

The Bible speaks about persistence and diligence and is full of examples of people who persisted through many difficulties and finally won through. Proverbs tells us that wealth that is obtained quickly is lost just as quickly – Lottery winnings dwindle very rapidly. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in “The Outliers” that one thing held in common by the successful in general is a minimum of 10,000 hours of hard work and input before they became successful. Most millionaires have failed at some stage in making their millions. In short, success doesn’t come to the ‘person who is lucky and happens to be at the right place at the right time’ but to those who use their God-given gifts consistently and faithfully and persist in doing so!

At some stage in Callie’s life, “the wheels came off”, forcing him to take a normal job. He describes this as one of the most valuable times in his life. This is often when we learn the hard lessons and emerge from it so much wiser and stronger.

In chasing after the expression of our gifting and pursuing success, we do well to consider the following verses:

Pro 6:6-11 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man (ESV).

Pro 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule while the slothful will be put to forced labour.

Pro 13:4  The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied (ESV).

 

2.   Stefan: The Realities of Opening a Business

Stefan highlighted the realities of being in one’s own business and the things that we should keep in mind when we are considering going into business for ourselves.

  1.     Be very clear about why you want to be in your own business

Common but often misguided reasons for going into business include:

“I like to be my own boss,” “I don’t want to work so hard,” “I want to earn a lot of money,” and “I want to write my own salary cheques”.

On the other hand, some of the right reasons and attributes pertaining to being a successful businessman include the following:

“I am a born entrepreneur,” “I am self-driven,” “I don’t need to be supervised,” “I enjoy making things happen,” “I enjoy different complexities of being in business,” “I have strong management skills,” “I am willing to take calculated risks,” “I enjoy challenges,” “I’m  enjoy working hard,”  and “I can get passionate about a product or a service.”

In a small business, the owner has no place to hide and has to major in doing everything, from selling product to collecting debt. One needs to have the attitude that says “The Buck stops with me” and you are responsible to find the relevant solution. At times it becomes very lonely in one’s own business so it is important to get a number of mentors or good friends around you as a small business owner to use as a sounding board.

  2.     Building sustainability

He emphasised what Callie had told us, namely that quick money is lost just as quickly. There is no such thing as quick success. This comes with many failures along the road. It requires that one remains focused in the light of discouragement and that one is not set on becoming a millionaire overnight. As we remain faithful, God often puts us in exactly the right place at the right time.

Therefore, don’t give up and don’t become despondent.

  3.     Get your hands dirty

It is important to understand all aspects of your business and therefore the fastest way in learning this is to get involved in all areas of your business and doing it yourself until you understand it fully and are in a position to manage someone else doing it. A good entrepreneur is never too good to get his hands dirty and jump in and make things happen when needed. It is not about sitting behind a desk the whole time and giving orders.

4.     Keep both hands on the till

We can learn here of the local café or veggie shop owner, who is always at his till. It is of utmost importance that you are in control of all aspects that will influence the money aspects of your business. At all times you should know what impact each decision will make on your cash flow.

 5.     Design systems and procedures as if you trust no one

This may sound like un-Christian advice – it makes good sense to trust people, but when it comes to managing our business we must design systems and procedures as if everyone around us is not to be trusted. This protects us and our employees. Good procedures and disciplines in business keep everyone honest. It is a good idea to learn this early on in our business. Stefan got his fingers burned early on in his forays into the business world through only trusting employees instead of first designing procedures to protect the business and then trusting employees accordingly.

 6.     Guard against greed

It is often a good idea to bring in partners and to share our business, but this must be done judiciously and strategically. Bring in people who complement your own skill set and who will contribute towards your business growing in the right direction. We will look at ways of doing this – how to structure the deal, how to draw up agreements – in future sessions.

 7.     Get corporate experience

It is a good training ground. You will get skills and experience that will stand you in good stead in the future. It will teach you discipline and you will learn about the value of systems and procedures. This is particularly helpful with the more artistic among us who are often not very strong in the administration department.

You may pick up management skills and obtain valuable mentorship. Stefan speaks fondly of the mentor he had in the corporate world who taught him a simple concept like using a “to-do” list effectively.

 8.     Guard your cash-flow

Cash-flow is the most important part in any business. One needs cash in the bank to keep the “doors” open. The majority of businesses that don’t make fail due to cash-flow problems.

This is one of the pillars of business you can invest time in to learn about. I know of many business owners who have been in business for 10 years or more just surviving because they don’t understand the effect of cash flow. A good entrepreneur ensures that his cash-flows are healthy and manages the correctly. A good cash flow model will show you what impact a transaction will have on your cash flow over the next 1 – 5 years.

  9.     The four pillars of business

I.         Cash-Flow;

II.         Stock – too much or too little stock is potentially harmful to your business;

III.         Debtors – make sure you collect money timeously; and

IV.         Expenses – keep a close watch on your expenses.

Keep business expenses and accounting separate from your house expenses and income. Pay yourself a salary that your business can afford and manage your house budget accordingly. When your business eventually starts being successful doesn’t start splashing out.

 

10.  Service

This is one of the major areas where businesses miss the mark. It is more important than one would think as word of mouth advertising is one of the most successful marketing tools. Communicate with your customers or clients. Deliver quotes promptly and once accepted, keep them updated about timelines. Manage their expectations realistically and don’t mess them around. Postpone starting dates or delivery dates not more than twice. Communicate!

 

11.  Only some products or ideas will succeed in the market

Not all great ideas or products will be successful. Use your friends and mentors as a sounding board to bounce new ideas and products off them before making any major decisions. Test the market and do proper market research.

 

12.  Small beginnings are good

Start your new small business after hours if you must. Don’t steal your employer’s time.

Small beginnings teach you valuable lessons for future business ventures.

 

13.  Make Decisions!

Not all of your decisions will be right, but don’t debate matters for months or years. Rather make your decisions based on the information on hand and take calculated risks – Sometimes God will work even with the poor decisions you make. It is about making decisions and moving forward. People often lose out on opportunities by taking too long in making decisions.

 

14.  Lead your Passion

Remember that not all people will share your passion for your business – including your staff. Do make an effort to get your employees on the same page as you but accept the fact that for some of them, this is “just a job”, whereas for you it may feel like your life. Manage your business around that. Pray for wisdom, and lead passionately as best you can.

 

15.  “Square pegs for square holes”

The youngsters of today have different drivers and motivators compared with you or your parents’ generation. They need to be entertained almost constantly in order to keep them engaged. It is not all bad and may be a bit tricky, but make sure that you employ youngsters into the right position for their personalities – square pegs for square holes and round pegs for round holes.

 

16.  Finally: Just Get Going!

Business is not always easy but it is fun. When you have ideas, do your market research, make a decision and if you discern a green light (or if there is no red light), get going!

 

3.   Piet Lindeque: The Importance of Cash-Flow

The Cost of Discipleship

Piet spoke briefly about the cost of discipleship as illustrated by Jesus in Luke 14:28 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (ESV)” Jesus here compares the cost of discipleship to a physical thing – the cost of building a tower. Drawing this out into the physical world of planning and designing and costing the materials and labour, it becomes clear that planning is an important consideration in any project – especially the lifelong “project” of being a disciple.

Piet considers four aspects of a business to be crucial pillars for success:

1. The idea itself – the reason for the existence of your business – must be translated into action through careful planning;
2. The entity through which you accomplish your aims in business – the company, cc., sole propriety, etc.
3. The marketing of your product or service; and
4. Cash Flow which is extremely important. Many businesses go under simply because of poor cash flow planning. This aspect must be carefully considered and then managed in order to keep your business healthy.

Another important area that often leads to the downfall of a business is poor administration. This is an area that requires diligence and care. If it is not one of your strengths, then gather people around you who can assist.

 

Starting your business

• When starting a business, don’t go out as a Lone Ranger. At the very least, get advisors in the form of trusted friends, planners or professional business coaches. This will help you with the many unseen areas that can trip up the new enthusiastic businessman.
• Look out for greed. Stay close to the Lord. Guard your heart.
• Relationships are extremely important. Therefore get your staff on your side from the beginning.
• Collect your debts in time. Don’t let things ride because this affects your cash flow.

 

Work out a business plan

• “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
• This highlights the problem areas. You will address issues such as capital expenditure, cash flow and income-expenditure forecasts.
• A well written business plan considers every detail of an idea. Through this careful consideration, God directs us in and through the detail in structured ways. If you have put together your business plan and it looks like a “No!”, this does not necessarily mean that you should not run with the idea. More likely the Lord wants you to reconsider some aspect of your planning. Remember God is a God of detail.
• Plan to start off lean and mean. Don’t overextend yourself in the beginning. Small beginnings are good!

 

Cash flow and financial planning

• Make sure you put together a financial plan.
• Understand your cash-flow situation well in advance. Examine it in detail. Get someone to help you.
• In putting together your financial model, remember that some customers who stand to benefit from your product or service will put money up front in order to help you start off.
• Another part of your financial model may include a loan from a bank. Judicious debt can be good as long as you have a workable plan to pay it back.
• Make sure you provide for your family for a decent time period until your business is generating enough income.
• Plan to get a financial person to help you out. Make use of the skills and resources around you to get help.
• Don’t leave where you are currently working, even if things are a bit difficult. Sometimes the Lord leads us through difficulties into a new place or plan. Sometimes you simply need to work things out where you are before you can move on.