Business teaching 3/92

Business teaching 3/92

Personal Success Series

Jim Durkin

1. Mark 10:43 - 45 The servant principle.
2. Luke 6:38 The giving principle.
3. Proverbs 10:4 & 22:29 The diligence or efficiency principle.

I. The Establishment of a New Business

A. What questions are to be asked in any business to be successful?

1. Does it really serve a useful purpose?

2. Does it give value to those to whom it serves?

3. Can it be put together in a fashion that our level of skill and knowledge will produce an efficient organization?

II. The Problem Stated
We had at the Lighthouse Ranch in 1970-71 a group of new Christian members. They were called "hippies". Many of them had fair to excellent educations, but no particular skills. Many were young and had no work experience. They were held in suspicion by many in the community (anything unusual is sometimes viewed this way). This perception must be overcome in a large part or acceptance will never take place.

We needed to create an income source for these people. Work in the community was not viable because of the rumors that the people were "strange". Some could work, most could not because of the latter problem of suspicion and non-acceptance.

Here were the problems that had to be overcome. In your own business, please make notes how the questions we asked and the answers we arrived at were governed by the three stated principles:

A. The Servant Principle
1. It must serve a useful purpose.
2. It must serve our people who need work and income.
3. It must open the door so that perceptions of us would change .
4. It must meet a real need in the community and be of value to the end user.

B. The Giving Principle
1. It must be perceived by the work force as a giving of real value.
2. They also wanted to impact their views to the community (i.e. religious views).
3. It must contribute to a sense of growth personally and collectively.

C. The Diligence Principle
1. It must be of a nature that, for the level of skill available, we could perform efficiently and diligently.

D. Other Principles

1. We cannot comment on those now, they are the subject of the next sessions.

A. Multitude of counsel principle.

B. Establishing profit margins that work.

C. The "start where you are with what you have" principle.

III. We Arrived at Three Business Ideas
A. Home handi-person service, which included lawn work, clean up, as well as some skilled craft service, such as painting and minor repairs.
B. Bake Shop on Wheels
C. The Tri-City Weekly (then called the Tri-City Advertiser).

IV. The Establishment Of The Tri-City Advertiser
A. Home delivery - provided wok for total Ranch force, including men and women. Skill not the point here.
B. Every home delivery, plus pick up points, met needs of advertisers.
C. Produced a sense of self worth and togetherness (teamwork principle). We together have made this work.
D. Pay only if you sell. Met needs of poorer classified advertisers. also said, "We trust you to pay if you sell."
E. Caused the Ranch people to be seen as diligent, friendly, safe people. Produced a greater measure of acceptance.
F. Provided a training ground for increased skills in both business principles, character development and craft skills (i.e. layout, printing, advertising know-how).
G. The paper was delivered free (no subscription cost making acceptance mush easier).
H. It gave a forum to minister quietly our views on life.

Next Month: The application of these principles to your business, whether it be a bakery, auto repair, insurance, or service businesses (such as janitor or carpet cleaning) or any kind of profit making enterprise.

I hope you have learned something valuable and find the four prosperities God wants for you. 3 John 2: "Brethren, I pray above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers."

In modern language, here is what God wants for you and what
the Bible will teach you:
1. How to materially prosper.
2. How to physically prosper (have good health).
3. How to be stable emotionally and spiritually.
4. How to have great relationships with family, friends and community.

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