Fundamental principles for building a successful kingdom business
It’s good you have decided to build a kingdom business for the glory of God, but you need some principles to guide you.
I have seen a lot of business principles come and go, and I have tried quite a few of them myself. Like a lot of things, I have had success with some business principles while I have been unlucky with others. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with trying and failing as long as you figure out what works for you and your business, and what doesn’t.
Kingdom business principles are timeless business principles you can use forever because they work if you stick to them. Here are some business principles you should master if you want to become a successful kingdom entrepreneur.
Related: 11 Habits of Kingdom Entrepreneurs That Drive Business Growth
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Top 6 Kingdom Business Principles You Need to Master
1. FOCUS ON ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE
“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (Proverbs 18:15)
As a business owner, you’re competing with other entrepreneurs whether you like it or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Christian entrepreneur or not, other businesses in your industry are your competitors.
A Shrewd businessman or woman wants to stay ahead of the competition, and one way to stay ahead is to continue to acquire knowledge so you can become better at what you do.
One thing successful kingdom entrepreneurs know is learning never stops. You have to keep working at gaining more experience and more knowledge in your field.
You need knowledge to improve your products or services. Similarly, you also need knowledge to make good business decisions, hire the right people, and fix problems that arise in your business. So focus on getting knowledge and never stop learning and growing.
Knowledge increases your competitive advantage and makes it easy for you to stand out from the competition. You can see this in Proverbs 24: 5, where the Bible says “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.” Knowledge is also pleasant to the soul and should be desired. (Proverbs 2:10)
Remember your quest for knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord as the Bible says in Proverbs 1:7. Because knowledge without the fear of God is pointless.
2. PUT OTHERS FIRST
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)
Another timeless kingdom business principle all entrepreneurs should master is the principle of putting others first.
As a kingdom entrepreneur, you’re in business not only to make money for yourself but to impact lives. Your business is a powerful tool or avenue to reach people so you can make their lives better. It’s difficult to really help people or provide a solution when all you think about is yourself or something benefits you.
The Bible in Acts 20:25 tells us that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. That’s the attitude you should have if you really want to be a blessing to your customers, employees, or anyone else you come across. When you put others first, you show that you really care and that people aren’t just numbers to you or something to be exploited for your own gain.
Your customers or clients can tell if you really care about them especially if you’re a small business owner who personally interacts with them. So before you ask your customers for that sale, or ask your employees and customers for loyalty, ask yourself “have I earned it?”
The easiest way to put others first is to put yourself in their shoes. If you can feel their pain and identify with their needs, you can easily create a solution for their problem.
The goal of your business should be to connect with the people who need your products or services and to inform them you have the solution to their problem. But, never start with asking for what you want. Instead, focus on what they want and what you can give.
Giving before receiving is the best way to establish a lasting realtionship with your customers and everyone else.
3. BE A DOER
“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)
While there are lots of kingdom business principles you could master as an entrepreneur, becoming a doer is one you should definitely embrace.
The world is full of people with good ideas, the problem is a lot of these ideas never see the light of day because of inaction. As kingdom entrepreneurs, we should be focused on executing our plans if we want to achieve our goals.
Taking action means being consistent and disciplined in the execution of your goals. You should learn how to be consistent over a long period of time if you want to build a business that lasts. One of the things that prevent many Christian entrepreneurs from reaching their goals is inconsistency. They can’t focus or take action over a long period of time.
Building a kingdom business is a marathon, not a sprint, so you have to be prepared to work hard over a long period of time. Successful kingdom entrepreneurs know the importance of perseverance and persistence. They know taking action and executing their plan is the only way to accomplish your goals.
Instead of talking about all your big ideas and all the things you’d like to accomplish in your business, go out there and actually do it. Taking action is the only way you can know what works and what doesn’t.
Become disciplined and consistent in executing your ideas, or you may end up burying your goals and vision. Remember James 1:12 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Don’t let the fear of the unknown or fear of failure stop you. Put your faith to work.
4. SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY
I have talked about the importance of managing your time and using it wisely in some other posts, but it’s worth talking about again. Unfortunately, time is one of those rare things you can never get back when it’s gone, so you have to spend your time wisely.
I can’t tell you how much time I have spent on things that didn’t enrich my life in any way. There are so many time sucks in our lives that it’s easy to spend a lot of time doing nothing or achieving nothing. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a time to work and a time to play or rest. What I am addressing is the mindless use of time.
To grow a successful business, you must know how to manage your time effectively. You can’t afford to get involved in everything or try to do everything yourself since that only leads to burnout. Knowing how to spend your time wisely is one of the keys to success and longevity in business.
So get rid of distractions and get help for the things you aren’t good at so you can focus on the things you do well. Outsourcing is a legitimate way to grow your business.
Don’t get bogged down by every little detail in your business when your time could be better spent elsewhere like marketing your business or creating new products.
Managing your time well isn’t only about getting rid of distractions or procrastination, it’s also about focusing on your strengths and the things you do well, and delegating other tasks to people who are better at it.
5. BE ACCESSIBLE AND AVAILABLE
Are you accessible to your customers, employees, or other people interested in doing business with you or do people have to jump through hoops to contact you?
Do you make it easy for your customers to reach you when they have a complaint? How responsive are you to inquiries or requests from your customers, vendors, or business partners?
How accessible or available you should depend on the kind of business you own, but it’s really important to make it easy for your customers to do business with you.
Don’t overcomplicate your business with unnecessary layers that make it difficult for people to do business with you. Be like Jesus who was available for everyone. He was a companion to the poor and sinners. Jesus treated everyone with compassion and was very accessible. One could say Jesus made it easy to do business with him.
So take a look at your systems, processes, and procedures. Are they easy to navigate? Would they discourage people from doing business with you because of all the steps they need to go through?
I have had instances where I was interested in a product but I couldn’t find a way to reach the business owner. If you have a website for your business, make sure you have your contact information somewhere really visible so people can contact you if they need to.
Simplify the process of doing business with you so your customers don’t lose interest before they actually purchase from you.
6. PREPARE FOR THE UNKNOWN
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs:27:1)
Preparing for the unknown is probably one of the most overlooked kingdom business principle, but it’s also one of the most important.
Sadly, none of us knows what tomorrow is going to bring, that’s why we have to be prepared.
I have seen fortunes change overnight. While we pray and hope for the best, it’s good practice to be prepared for the unknown since there are so many things that could happen to change your financial fortune. If you’re prepared, they don’t have to ruin you.
For example, you may lose a lucrative project or customer, or the government may introduce some legislation or rules that affect your business negatively. What if a major equipment malfunctions? Can you replace it? What if you have health issues? Do you have a plan for your business?
Since there are so many things that could go wrong, it’s wise to take some precautions and be prepared. For example, you could take out insurance to mitigate the risk of financial loss, diversify your business, and more importantly, have an emergency fund for your business.
I know some entrepreneurs who don’t think they need emergency savings for their business because they assume they can fix things when they happen. You can’t really be certain of that.
I understand if you don’t want to think of negative scenarios, but burying your head in the sand isn’t a winning strategy. It’s always better to be overprepared than underprepared.
Hopefully, you can be prepared for anything that comes your way, so you can continue to thrive using God’s business principles.
Final Thoughts on Top 6 Kingdom Business Principles You Need to Master
Following kingdom business principles isn’t always very easy, but it can be very rewarding. Knowing you are operating a business in a way that honors God is a reward in itself, but it can also lead to financial blessings.
You may not need all the principles in this post, so feel free to ignore anyone that doesn’t apply to you. Hopefully, you can use some of these principles to build a successful business and also further the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Which of the kingdom business principle do you thinks you need to master?
Related Christian business advice posts
Building a Kingdom Business? 8 Critical Areas to Focus On
11 Habits of Kingdom Entrepreneurs That Drive Business Growth
Why You Need a Kingdom Business Plan and How to Create One
Top 6 Kingdom Business Principles You Need to Master
This is helpful and an eye opener