How being a Christian entrepreneur should shape your business
Being a Christian business owner doesn’t mean you should have Bible verses splattered all over your walls. Also, being a Christian in business doesn’t mean you only sell Christian products, have only Christian customers, or hire only Christian employees.
Doing business as a Christian goes beyond all that. Instead, it’s the way you run your business. It’s how you make business decisions, or whether you incorporate Christian values into your business. This is what makes you different as a Christian entrepreneur.
I know many of you are uncertain how being a Christian business owner should shape your business. So in this post, I am going to show you some practical ways your faith can influence how you run your business.
If you’re ready to honor God in your business, and need some tips for doing business as a Christian, let’s jump right in!
Related: 7 Essential Christian Business Tips for Beginner Entrepreneurs
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7 Ways Being a Christian Business Owner is Different
1. YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS
If you look around this blog, you’ll see I have talked a fair bit about taking care of your customers. I am sorry if I sound like a broken record, but now more than ever, it’s really important to take care of your customers.
We live in uncertain times right now, and many businesses are struggling. Keeping your customers satisfied and happy is more important than ever before (especially if you want to survive or thrive).
We live in a world where it’s getting harder to meet our customers’ expectations because a lot of them have become very demanding. With lots of options available to them, some customers are becoming more difficult to please.
So what’s a Christian business owner to do?
Here’s what you can do. You show your customers you care about them. Which means you go out of your way to understand their needs and pain points. You use every interaction with your customers to extend the love of Christ. If possible, provide personalized service to your customers and clients. That’s one way to keep them happy and to ensure they come back for more.
When your customers cease to be just numbers to you, you’ll find it much easier to serve them and care about them.
As a Christian business owner, caring for your customers should be something you focus on, and something you do joyfully because you know you’re truly helping people, and enriching their lives.
2. YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYEES
A key part of being a Christian business owner is how you treat your employees, contractors, virtual assistants etc.
Do you treat them with respect? Do you pay them a fair wage for the work they do, or do you make sure you pay the minimum amount you can get away with?
Are you kind and understanding when they are faced with challenges? Do you provide your employees with benefits, support, and holiday time, if necessary?
If you want to build a strong team and keep your employees motivated, you have to start by caring for them. Treat them with respect, and incentivize them, so they can do their jobs more effectively.
I know some Christians who think their employees don’t deserve anything more outside their wages. But, it doesn’t do any harm to do more for them, if you are able to.
For example, if some of your employees have kids, you can buy presents for them on their birthdays or at Christmas. You can give them back-to-school gift cards to help with their education expenses.
This all starts with getting to know your employees, and letting them know you care about them, and what’s important to them.
You don’t have to hold Bible study at work or pray every morning to show you’re a Christian. There are other ways you can do this, and they can be a bigger and more powerful testimony to your faith.
So check your heart. How do you treat your employees, contractors, or other people you do business with? Do you really care about them? How can you make a difference in their lives?
3. YOU ARE GENEROUS AND REWARD LOYALTY
One of the ways being a Christian business owner is different is, you are generous and reward loyalty.
This means you are generous with your time and resources. You appreciate the people who stood by you (and continue to stand by you) when you were just starting out. This includes your customers, friends, employees, and family members.
Far too often, I see so many companies ignoring their old customers in their bid to win new customers. They change their products, their marketing message, and maybe even their prices. What happens is, they end up losing some of their loyal customers in their quest to gain new business.
Yes, it’s true your business needs to grow and evolve, but there’s a way to do it without alienating some of your loyal customers.
Customer loyalty is crucial to your business, so find ways to keep your customers loyal to you and your business. Did you know it’s easier to get an existing customer to buy your new products? Did you also know it’s cheaper to retain your existing customers than it is to acquire new ones?
So find ways to keep your customers happy. Start a customer reward or loyalty program. Offer your loyal customers discounts or deals that are only available to them.
There are lots of ways to reward customer and employee loyalty, so put on your thinking hat, and come up with some ideas for your business.
Here are a few helpful posts to get you started.
25 Rewards That Great Employees Actually Love to Receive
4 Ways To Inspire Employee Loyalty In Your Business
Ten ways to reward loyal customers
4. YOU KEEP WORKING ON BECOMING A BETTER LEADER
One of the things you should focus on as a Christian business owner is becoming a better leader. As an entrepreneur, you are a leader, especially if you have employees and other people you manage.
Focus on developing leadership qualities that are necessary for building and running your business. As a small business owner, you may not consider yourself a leader, or think you need a lot of skills to make your business work. But, trust me, you are a leader and you need lots of skills if you want to succeed.
Some leadership qualities you should develop (if you don’t already have them) include: honesty, accountability, humility, good communication skills, business management, organizational and planning skills, how to create a vision, and the ability to influence others to buy into your vision.
Even if you’re a new business owner with no employee, you’re still responsible for making decisions and building a sustainable business. So having great leadership qualities is a positive for your business no matter what stage you are in right now.
5. BEING A CHRISTIAN BUSINESS OWNER MEANS YOU HAVE A STRONG WORK ETHIC
A strong work ethic is an essential part of becoming a successful business owner. As a Christian, you must understand, and appreciate the importance of hard work and discipline.
While you don’t have to be a Christian to have a strong work ethic, it’s a desirable trait for you to develop, since the Bible warns us about the dangers of laziness and slothfulness. These are habits you should shun at all costs. Instead, embrace diligence, perseverance, staying focused, and motivated.
Being a Christian business owner with a strong work ethic means you don’t waste your time procrastinating or idling away. Instead, you work on your business as unto the Lord.
I know many people choose to become entrepreneurs because they want to be their own boss. They want to work when they feel like, without someone breathing down their neck. However, you can’t have that attitude and expect to be successful.
If anything, being an entrepreneur is probably harder than being an employee because your business fails or succeeds with you.
Now, some ways you can develop a strong work ethic includes:
- Being organized and focused
- Being consistent and disciplined
- Producing high-quality work and taking pride in your work
- Avoiding procrastination and increasing your productivity
The above are all qualities of someone with a good work ethic. So if you need some inspiration, this is a good place to start.
6. GOD IS YOUR HELPER AND THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRENGTH
“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” (Psalm 54:4)
It doesn’t matter how many times I have seen God work in my life, I still find myself thinking I am solely responsible for my success, and I am the only one who determines the outcome. I am sure some of you can relate to that.
But as a believer, I know this isn’t true because the Bible says in Romans 9:16 “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy,” and in Deuteronomy 8:17-18, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ” My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.“You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.“
So we must constantly remind ourselves of these truths, so our boast is in the Lord, and not in our abilities. Because without him, we can do nothing.
Yes, you have a part to play if you want to succeed in business as a Christian, and you can’t expect God to do the work for you. However, your hope and trust should be on God. You should be thankful to him for the abilities and skills he’s given to you to get wealth.
And remember, he’s your helper. So when things are not going well, don’t think you have to figure out everything yourself because it’s your business, and you’re responsible for everything. Instead, lean in, and lean on him. Ask for guidance and direction. God is always willing and able to help.
7. YOU REFLECT CHRIST IN YOUR BUSINESS PRACTICES
When I am asked what is a biblical way of doing business? My go-to answer is always “reflect Christ in your business practices.”
How would Jesus run a business? What kind of values do you think he’d embrace or eschew? When you start thinking like this, then it’s easy to run your business in a way that pleases and honors God.
You don’t have to overthink this.
Reflecting Christ in your business practices means marrying your faith and business. Seeing your faith as a vital component of your business, and not something you drop or pick up when you feel like.
It means having a belief and value system that’s different from non-Christian entrepreneurs, even if that means you end up earning less money. A biblical way of doing business requires a willingness to say no to temptation because you don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose your soul in the process.
So my advice to you is to be yourself. Stay true to your convictions, and keep leaning on the Lord.
Final Word on 7 Ways Being a Christian Business Owner is Different
With the information shared in this post, you can start incorporating your faith into your business and making a difference. It all begins with a willingness to trust and honor God in your business, no matter the cost.
So step out in faith, take action and believe that if you do your part and keep your end of the bargain, you will be rewarded in due course. Go out there and make a difference to your business, and the lives of anyone you come across. Because your business matters and God can use it to change lives for his glory!
Related Christian business advice posts
Top 9 Tips for Christian Entrepreneurs (To Improve and Grow Your Business)
20 Qualities of a Good Businessman (Every Entrepreneur Should Learn)
How to Be Successful in Business As a Christian
7 Essential Christian Business Tips for Beginner Entrepreneurs
7 Ways Being a Christian Business Owner is Different
