Rethinking Business Success from the Bible’s Perspective.
The series will focus on how Entrepreneurs and Business leaders can employ Bible principles to grow their businesses. We shall examine two commandments in this week’s article.
COMMANDMENT # 1
THOU SHALL DEVELOP A WINNING
PRODUCT OR SERVICE.
“Some people say give the customers what they want,
but that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out
what they're going to want before they do. I think
Henry Ford once said, 'If I'd ask customers what they
wanted, they would've told me a faster horse.' People
don't know what they want until you show it to them.
That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is
to read things that are not yet on the page.”
– Steve Jobs, Co-founder, Apple
The essence of business is to solve problems for people. Uber is
solving transportation problems. Airbnb is solving
accommodation problems. Samsung is solving electronic and
technology problems. If you desire to succeed in business and
stay long in the game, you must develop the skill for identifying
and solving problems. Tencent Holdings, a-$650 billion
Taiwanese Semi-conductor Manufacturing Company, Alphabet,
Alibaba, Facebook, Amazon.com, Apple, etc. are all solving tech
problems for the world and they are getting huge returns for their
hard work. In fact, someone said that money is the reward for
solving problems, and that could not be further from the truth. It
does not matter what kind of business you may be involved in; if
you are not solving problems for the customer, it will just be a
matter of time for you to be thrown out of business.
Wealth is created by solving problems.
Often, people try to cheat and steal their way to wealth but there
is a simpler way. That way is to solve problems for people. Men
have many problems. Women have their own, and children are
not left out of their own problems too. Old people have needs and
young people also do. Both boys and girls do have problems as
well. If you focus on creating a need to help any of these groups
of people, you will never lack money.
In as much as solving problems is key to creating wealth, it does
not happen automatically. You may be talented, but you need to
learn how to convert your problem-solving ability into skills that
can earn you income. There are too many talented and gifted
people who have not yet mastered the act of converting their
problem-solving skills into business. There is a time to do things
for free, and there comes a time when you must learn to convert
all your ‘free craft’ into a business that people can pay for. As an
entrepreneur, your success depends on your ability to translate
your problem-solving abilities into an enterprise. You can do this by either integrating it into an existing service or make it standout as a separate product or service on its own.
GOD WANTS TO BLESS THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS.
Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in
the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will
bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands,
so that you surely rejoice. – Deut. 16:15
Believers are expected to do more business because God has
promised to bless whatever we do. This is good news! We cannot 51
do less in business. We should establish more businesses. We can
create technology businesses. We must create businesses in real
estates, manufacturing, electronics and more! Why? Because,
God has promised to bless whatever we do! We have no option
than to do more!
WITTY INVENTIONS.
I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty
inventions.” – Proverbs 8:12 KJV
Intricately connected to developing a winning product or service
comes the idea of witty inventions. We must appreciate the fact
that God can indeed give us an idea for a product or service which
could lead to our breakthrough in business. Can you imagine the
joy and influence of the creators of iPhone, Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Uber, etc.? How about products like the smartphone,
video games, electric cars and the likes? And other game-changing products and services that we have in the world today?
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?
“Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not
believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has
not appeared to you.’ ” 2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in
your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
– Exodus 4:1,2 NKJV
Peter had in his hand the anointing to heal the sick. He had no
money to give to the crippled man as indicated in Acts 3:6. Steve
Jobs had Apple in his hand. Jeff Bezos had Amazon.com in his
hand. The problem is that, too many of us discount what we have
in our hand. You should invest your own resources into a
business before you invite others to do so. In business, it is
important to start with what you have before asking for more from
either God or man. Everyone has something to offer the world. Business is all about
solving problems for the customer and so you should not discount
what you have once it can make life better for the customer. There
is something God has put inside you as a gift or talent that can be
translated into a product or service to bless the world.
Get this right about your products or services.
In developing products or services for your business, there are
two things you need to take notice of:
1. The product or service must be something of value
that meets people’s needs.
If you have a product that can meet the needs of the customer, you
will be in business for good. Business thrives on meeting
customer needs. In fact, as an entrepreneur, you must be asking
questions on how best your products are helping customers.
Whatever you are offering customers must seek to meet a specific
need. Your product or service must address a specific need in the
market.
2. Your products or services must improve human lives.
Sometimes, the quest for financial success makes some
entrepreneurs go to the extreme to develop products that do not
solve the problems they claim or end up destroying the lives of the
users. Human lives matter! Your products and services should
not destroy human lives. This is unfortunate! It is worth noting
that, in cases where products do not meet the communicated
needs of the consumer, some companies have taken bold steps to
withdraw such from the market.
COMMANDMENT # 2
THOU SHALL BUILD A KNOWLEDGE-DRIVEN BUSINESS
“You are your greatest investment. The more you store
in that mind of yours, the more you enrich your
experience, the more people you meet, the more books
you read, and the more places you visit, the greater is
that investment in all that you are. Everything that you
add to your peace of mind, and to your outlook upon
life, is added capital that no one but yourself can
dissipate.”
–George Matthew Adam
The impact of knowledge on business cannot be overemphasized.
That is the reason why serious organizations invest a lot in
research and development. This principle applies to any kind of
business, be it trade and manufacturing, telecoms, education,
real estate and construction, etc. Lack of adequate knowledge
about certain details of your business can make you lose money
and opportunities. Ignorance is tantamount to darkness. The
most dangerous thing about darkness is that it prevents you from
seeing opportunities. The most successful companies in the world are constantly
looking for ideas to develop new products and services. Indeed,
it is their research and intelligence that sets them apart from the
crowd.
Sony, for instance, invests a lot into research and development.
They do this to satisfy their teeming consumers worldwide. In
fact, there is a stipulated mandatory financial quota that goes into
research. Interestingly, this has kept them at the top of their game
as an electronics company. Arguably, Sony is one of the most
innovative companies in the world today.
Below is a statement on the R&D Center at Sony Corporation:
“The R&D Center is a research and development organization at
Sony's headquarters, which plays an innovative role to create
KANDO and social values through technology and expertise. It is
driving cutting-edge research and development in various
locations around the globe, including the laboratories in Japan,
the United States, Europe and Asia. We are striving to create new
technology, products, and services while at the same time,
sustaining Sony Group's diverse businesses in electronics,
entertainment, and financial fields.”
LET THERE BE LIGHT!
And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there
was light. And God saw the light, that it was good…”
– Genesis 1:3 KJV
There are five areas of enlightenment that every business needs:
1. Product and Service Innovation.
Can you imagine how Alphabet, Facebook, Apple, Samsung,
Boeing, Japan Motors and other multinational firms can
successfully churn out new products if they were not constantly
researching? That’s the power of intelligence in business.
2. Leadership Excellence.
Entrepreneurs who desire to lead their organizations successfully
through any season must learn about the rudiments of
organizations. Leading an organization is not the same as leading
a family or a church. Every entrepreneur needs light in organizational leadership.
3. Financial Management.
Lack of wisdom in proper financial management has been the
bane of several organizations. There are companies that make a
lot of money but lack the needed financial wisdom in managing
these financial resources. It is vital that entrepreneurs must take financial management very seriously if they intend to chalk continuous success with their organizations.
4. Human Resource Management.
People matter in business, and how you treat them will go a long
way to determine the extent to which you will succeed. The
success of Amazon, CNN, Facebook, Twitter, Tesla and
Microsoft is based on the teams they work with. Honestly, as an 58
entrepreneur, you cannot treat your team anyhow and expect to
make strides in business.
5. Marketing and Sales
In business, it is never enough to have the best product; you must
tell everyone about it. Even if everyone knows you as the best, you
must still re-echo the message. The essence of marketing is to let
the world be aware of the existence of your product or service. The
better your appreciation of the concept of marketing, the better
your results. Irrespective of the field of business you may be in, a
strong knowledge of sales and marketing can make a great
difference. Entrepreneurs are expected to teach a culture of
marketing within the rank and file of the organization.
NELSON SEMANU & ELIZABETH BOANDOH-KORKOR (CA) are Bestselling Authors, Entrepreneurs and Christian Business Coaches. They can be contacted on +233 549 762 233.
