The Success Center

“Of course, God wants me to succeed!” you retort, but I want to challenge you on that. It’s not a question of if He wants you to succeed, but what He wants you to succeed at.

 

Think about that scripture for a second. If you’re a successful entrepreneur and you finally “make it,” have you really made anything at all? Sure, you’ve got a killer blog, marketing materials, clients lining up around the corner, and your profits have increased year over year, but are you really making a difference? I define success not by how many come through the door, but by how many I impact on the way out. God wants us to make an impact with our businesses not just money.

Your business should be the storefront of your soul offering people an array of products and services to meet their physical needs and connect spiritually. That’s why God impregnates us with the entrepreneurial spirit;  to give birth to wealth, provision, and a way to spiritually connect with others no matter where we are.

I want to share something with you that I believe will change your entrepreneurial life. If you want to make more money, get more clients, make an impact, and not just make a paycheck, then here are 5 steps to succeeding in God’s way;

Trust Him

Once you’ve got that killer business idea dropped in your spirit you’ve got to make a decision and trust God to give you everything you need to succeed. You have to It’s making a clear decision in your mind that you’re going to give “God a try.” Did you know that Heaven roots for your success by the vary thought of you trusting God?

Have Faith

After you’ve made the decision it’s time to do something about it. Faith is one part belief and one part action toward the end result. The Bible also says that faith without works is dead. So, you can believe you’re successful all you want, but if you’re not working toward it then you might as well sit on the bench.

Follow the Blueprint

God gave us the greatest player in the game of business – Jesus and He left us his play book - the Bible. What greater tools could you possibly want in order to succeed with your business? Jesus lead with integrity, humbleness, and had incredible vision for his destiny. All we have to do is follow his example.

Use Your Gifts

You think you’re a good drawer by chance? I think not! God gave us all gifts to be blessed and to bless others. I wasn’t the best artist in the world, but I was decent enough to go to an art college. While I was there I met a guy that owned a design firm and he taught me the basics of graphic design. From our fateful meeting I started designing logos and even taught myself web design. Soon after I started my own graphic design company and the rest is history. Don’t over-look something you used to do well but don’t exercise anymore. It may be your ticket to success!

Do Your Part

That’s right, you’ve got work to do too!

• Pray – By staying in constant communication with God you’ll receive guidance, direction, and every answer you could possibly need!
• Fast – Sometimes you’ll have to starve your flesh in order to make your spirit more sensitive to hear from God. You can go on a Daniel Fast, total fast, or eat at specific times of the day. Doing so puts you in a state of spiritual awareness and makes you more productive.
• Give – A major key to being financially successful is your tithe and offering at your local church. It’s a Biblical principle and it works, trust me! By giving a tenth of your income God has to move on your behalf. What does that mean?
  It means, the doors of God’s provision, prosperity, and protection are open for your life and business. Do you realize how awesome that is?
  Let me break it down for you; A. Provision – you’ll have everything you need to succeed! B. Prosperity – you’ve got no choice but to succeed! C. Protection – nothing’s going to stop you when you succeed!

So, does God want you to succeed? Absolutely, but it’s gotta be in a meaningful way that will prosper someone else as well as yourself. Looking over the list above it may seem like God is asking a lot of you. But, is it to much to ask, for abundance of life, prosperity, and a sizable return on investment in life after death?

Let me hear from you. As a Christian entrepreneur are you succeeding like you should? Are you missing a step? Even if you’re not a Christian, I would love to hear what you think as well. Leave a comment or two below. For further reading, I found a great article at Got Questions.org that really gets to the core of How the Bible defines success.

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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Entrepreneurs are more than those actively involved in building a business enterprise. Truth be told, an “entrepreneur” is someone who takes possession of a venture or idea and assumes responsibility for the outcome; it’s someone who takes control of his or her life and assumes responsibility for it. A “Christian entrepreneur” does that to the Glory of God.

But one of the defining characteristics of great entrepreneurs is that they have a purpose that goes beyond just making money.

“Purpose? Are you kidding me,” you might be saying. “Who has time for ‘purpose’ when I’ve got sales to make, expenses to meet, market share to increase, marketing to do, prospects to convert, social media to use, great service to give, and endless hours to spend doing it??!! Not to mention some months I’m not even profitable!! Who has time for ‘purpose’”?!!

But regardless of what you believe, great entrepreneurs ALWAYS have an underlying purpose:

Whether it be a Coca-Cola:

“To refresh the world; to inspire moments of optimism and happiness; to create value and make a difference.”

Or the early Ford:

“To democratize the automobile.”

Or a Google:

“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Or what about Apple? Steve Jobs was so driven by the purpose for his company he lured away John Sculley (then Pepsi CEO in 1983) with these now famous words:

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?

Other great organizations such as Wal-Mart, the U.S. Air Force, Southwest Airlines, Charles Schwab, and BMW  are all purpose-driven. In fact John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, recently stressed the importance of companies having a core purpose.

These entrepreneurs do more than make money…they “change the world!”

What is Purpose?

I’m glad you asked! It’s defined as:

“The object toward which one strives or for which something exists.”

We’re all guided by it. Everyone one of us.

The Bible says,

“The noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.” (Isaiah 32:8 The Bible in Basic English)

Without it, we’re like children “tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine.” (Ephesians 4:14 The Amplified)

In other words, where there’s no purpose, we go everywhere and end up nowhere!

Entrepreneurs of Purpose

Entrepreneurs that have a core purpose do more and go further than their counterparts. These “Purpose-Driven entrepreneurs” (please don’t sue me Rick Warren)  know who they are and where they’re going. They’re internally driven.

But let me ask you: how important is purpose to you? Do you have one?

What are your thoughts?

Rod’s Recommended Video: What’s Your Entrepreneurial Purpose in Life?

Mike Holmes is the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness. He’s also a blogger that writes on business and leadership development from a Biblical perspective. When he’s not writing blogs or speaking he can be found writing bios in the third person. Check out his website/blog here. Mike is also working on his second book: “Biblical Stratgies for Marketing Success.”

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When it comes to principles of entrepreneurial success nothing is more proven than sowing and reaping. It’s more effective than any business, marketing, or social media plan you’ll ever come up with. Why? Take a look at this short verse from Genesis 26:12 (amplified);

“Then Isaac sowed seed in that land and received in the same year a hundred times as much as he had planted, and the Lord favored him with blessings.”

This scripture is pretty self-explanatory, Isaac sowed a seed and received a great harvest. However, to understand why Isaac received a harvest we have to take a step back to verses 2 & 3.

²And the Lord appeared to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I will tell you.

³Dwell temporarily in this land, and I will be with you and will favor you with blessings; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

You see, anyone can sow a seed but there are certain variables that must align before you see a harvest. It all comes down to being in the right season to plant seed, giving it time to grow, and reaping your harvest. Isaac was in the right season to be blessed, he obeyed the voice of the Lord, planted his seed, and reaped a great harvest.

What does this have to do with your business? Everything! When you sow a seed you exercise your faith that the seed will grow. You anticipate growth without knowing what the full harvest will be. This is where favor sends you a harvest a hundred times more than you planted.

To get a full grasp of this principle let’s first define what sowing and reaping does for you and your business.

• It blesses you by taking care of present and future needs (God’s obligation for your sacrifice).
• It blesses others because your business was destined to be a blessing and not just make money.
• It gives freedom for God’s will being done through you and your business (our obligation to God for giving us the vision).

Now that you understand what it is and how it benefits you, let’s talk about “what to sow.”

• Tithes & offering – The Bible says to give a 10th of your income. I’ve always been taught to give a 10th plus a little extra. Why? If you give God your best you’ll receive the best from Him. Giving a 10th is your obligation as a Christian entrepreneur and giving an offering is your sacrifice. Combined, God is obligated to do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ask or think.
• Time & effort – In order to receive a harvest a hundred times as much as you planted you have to do your part. Meaning, you have to be willing to put your hands to the plow and work the land (or vision) God has given you. That means not giving up, staying persistent with the dream, and sticking with it when times get tough.
• Products & Services – Sometimes it’s strategic to sow products and services to organizations, people, or businesses that need them. This is a  great way to build credibility, relationships, and generate buzz for your business. God honors your sacrifice and will definitely make it worth your while.

A Short Story

I haven’t always been a faithful tither but when I give I never worry about needing anything for my life or business. It’s interesting how God honors the financial sacrifice and gives us back more than just money. Ideas seem to flow freely, favor from others enters my life, and I lack nothing to accomplish my goals.

It’s really awesome how it all works in the supernatural to enhance our natural lives.

I remember needing a place to host my monthly seminars on business leadership and I couldn’t stand to pay my local library anymore (non-profits could host events free but for-profit organizations couldn’t). I remember challenging God to make something happen and He challenged me to sow a seed. I started bringing my tithes and offering on a consistent basis to church. Before the end of the month I got an offer from a pastor, who’s church I didn’t belong to, to host my seminar series – free of charge – at his church!

That’s how I know it really works. If you don’t believe me, then challenge God for yourself and watch Him work on your behalf. If you need financing to start or grow a business, need new equipment, investors, etc. – this is how you get it. Try it . . . I dare you!

Has anyone else experienced this level of success from sowing and reaping?

Further Reading

Does God Want You to Succeed?

Are Christian Entrepreneurs Supposed to be Wealthy?

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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The new year brings about new resolutions, goals, and opportunities to take our businesses to the next level. However, it also brings about the tax season . . . a time notorious for causing many entrepreneurs new levels of stress. Today, I’m pulling all the stops when it comes to small business taxes and your business’s success.

I’m not a tax guru or anything so I decided to ask Ron Ratliff, a certified public accountant, a few questions about entrepreneurs and taxes. Ron has been a CPA for over 25 years with a career that spans both public and corporate accounting in a broad spectrum of businesses and industries. He’s also a certified Dave Ramsey counselor so he knows what he’s talking about.

There were 6 major things I took from our conversation;

• Define your company structure – you maybe a Blogger or a solo-preneur, but how is your business defined legally?

• Separate your business from your personal life – you may work from home, but you still need a separate bank account from your business.

• Organize and track income – keeping good records of where your money comes from is key to staying out of legal trouble.

• Prepare and organize your tax info – take the time out of the week to get yourself organized. It’s hard to do when you’re constantly “working” the business, but doing so will save you tons of time and money!

• If you get audited, don’t ignore, communicate immediately! – “nuff” said!

• Seek professional help when the business starts to grow – really, you should seek a trusted tax adviser throughout the life cycle of your business. It only helps you “get back to work.”

For more golden nuggets of tax wisdom for your business, listen to our full 30 minute conversation below. Show Ron a little love by visiting his website as well. As a bonus from Ron, check out his article, “4 Ways To Grow Your Business”

Here is a collection of resources that will help you survive tax season;

Videos

Home Office Deduction – find out everything you need to know when it comes to deducting that garage of yours you call an office.

Hobby or Business – do you know if your entrepreneurial activities are a hobby or a full fledged business? Do you know when you should start filing your taxes? Get the answers here!

Watch more small business tax videos straight from the IRS, here!

Articles

Top 10 Tax Tips for Small and Growing Businesses

14 Last-Minute Small-Business Tax Tips

Other Resources

IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center

IRS – A-Z Index for Business

I hope this information is helpful to you as it has been for me. This tax season, be bold, courageous, and tackle it head on. Don’t wait to the last minute and be confident in filing your small business taxes. Did I miss anything? Do you know of any other resources that could help an entrepreneur out? Feel free to share them and your thoughts in the comments below.

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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I stumbled upon this video for what appears to be a European bank or something. I honestly don’t know what kind of company it is, but that’s not important. What is important is what the video implies and how you fill in the blanks. It truly is a very inspirational video and I had to share it. As I watched it, it made me think on something that I share a lot with my followers on Twitter – live your life on purpose, not on default. Do you know what your purpose is on this earth? Most of you are entrepreneurs, do you know why God gifted you in such a way to start your business? What’s your entrepreneurial purpose in life? Keep that in mind as you watch this video, when you’re done, let me know if you’ve come up with the answers in the comments below.

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Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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Another weekend has passed and the work week is in full swing. This poll sparked some pretty interesting comments. Let’s review the results and few of those, shall we?

Looks like 75% of you spend the weekend, “Planning and Going Over Business Strategy.” For those of you who don’t work over the weekend, then it’s a very strategic time for you. However, let me give a bit of advice. Don’t over work on the weekend. Give yourself time to relax and recharge your entrepreneurial batteries. Connect with family and friends. It’s ok to get things ready for the week ahead, but not at the expense of those you love or your sanity. With that said, I’m going to leave you with a great quote I found. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts on how your entrepreneurial weekend strategy below.

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t
own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep
it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it
you can never get it back.”

P.S. - This week’s poll is for all of my Success Tips! subscribers. “When Would You Like to Receive the Success Tips Newsletter?” I want to make sure that I’m delivering it when you’re most likely to have time to read it. I’ve been sending it out on Friday’s which works fine but I also realize that if it goes out later on Friday you’re less likely to read it because it’s the weekend. So, you tell me when do you want it? It really is all about you!

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About The Author

Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company, Kirby Enterprises. Follow Rod on Twitter here.

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