Companies rarely experience 30% growth year over year, but that's precisely what was happening for one organization I worked with. Each year output for the production department increased nearly 30%. And each year, the company struggled to handle the flow of that much activity. The resulting struggle created significant conflicts in the organization: organization: criticism from customer-facing teams, demand for more operational staff, and many, many customer complaints. It was an untenable situation for a billion-dollar organization.
Strategic planning for small business can be a useful exercise but doesn’t have to be complicated.
One day, after a long, offsite, eight-hour strategic planning meeting, Dina and Kevin ran into each other in the hotel lobby after dinner. Physically and mentally exhausted from all of the discussions and interactions, Kevin sank into one of the plush red chairs in the hotel lobby and sighed, “I can’t believe we are doing this again.” Dina, a relatively new member of the team, asks “What do you mean?” The startup phase is all about testing ideas and getting your business or ministry off the ground. You are the key person and the success of the business or ministry often depends on you and a few employees. But, as you consider where you want to be in the future, how might you position your company for growth?
The bible is full of good insight for running or growing a business. Believers who embrace Godly principles have the opportunity to shine as a light in a sphere of influence most often driven by the darkness of greed. The key distinction of a Christian in business is reflected in Psalms, "Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly." Psalms 112:5 NLT
Jesus often used examples of business and trade in his parables and discussions on the Kingdom. In a way, he used them to describe expectations around the role of his followers in the earth. Today, there are several common characteristics of businesses that embrace the Kingdom in their day to day operations. Following are several ways that you can embrace the Kingdom in your business or ministry. Your strategy is a calculated thoughtful approach to accomplishing a goal, establishing a competitive advantage, or entering uncharted territory. This free resource offers five ways a strategy can help your business or ministry.
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