I was fortunate (and challenged) to have owned and operated a moving and storage business for 17 years between 1984 and 2001.  Over these years, our company moved more than 30,000 households and offices, with $3,000,000  in annual sales.    We gave each employee an employee number, starting with 001.  When we sold the business we were at 750.   I got fooled many times. Even if this happens to you, don’t give up and don’t become a doubting and critical person.

I can tell many stories related to moving people, starting with Noel S. who tricked me into delivering cases of BBQ sauce to locations throughout Oklahoma.  We also moved his entire household twice and at one time I had everything he owned under my control in my trailer.  But, he got away without paying me more than $10,000. That hurt! Don’t be fooled! Learn to check the credit and pay history of customers before you extend a lot of credit.

Reportedly, construction workers in NYC were huddled around a small fire keeping warm.  Office workers in an office above them posted a sign in the window saying, “72 degrees up here”.  The next day, the construction workers waited until they knew the office workers were watching and posted their sign, “$55 per hour down here”.  Don’t be fooled! Many of the better paying jobs are not glamorous.

I believe God’s Word teaches that God wants us to prosper!  But I hear some Bible teaching implying it is automatic.  Don’t be fooled!  God wants us to prosper but He can only respond to the faith and effort we put into this quest.  A person that pursues riches will be very disappointed.  A person that utilizes money for the Kingdom of God will have great satisfaction.

Planning for retirement is not a bad thing. Don’t be fooled! This may not be enough.  It seems that a lot of people run out of money before they run out of month.  This seems to be true at all levels of income. I encourage people at a young age to consider exploring multiple revenue streams.  If one stream dries up then income can come from an alternate source.  This could be as simple as mowing grass in the neighborhood.  Hobbies and side jobs many times grow into something that will supply revenue in your later years.  A couple rental homes may be worth considering.

A job that guarantees a forty hour week seems to be all one might need.  Don’t be fooled!  Most people can see there are not many guarantees when it comes to employment. I read in the Bible that we are designed to work six days then rest/refresh one day of the week.  I am not suggesting one becoming a workaholic, but I suggest people look at what they can do on “the sixth day”.   But, don’t sacrifice your church and God commitments.

A situation could present itself where a little lie might help one get ahead. Don’t be fooled!   The truth will always come out and unfortunately those closest to you are the ones that know you the best.

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Those that might want to travel internationally and share your business wisdom, please let us know.   Some of the destinations and dates  are listed in this link.

 

 

 

 

 

All of us have used the term, “let’s get on the same page”, either in business, with our kids, with our spouses, on a sports team, or with someone at work. At times, it seems that part of the team is going one direction while the other part is going the opposite direction.  Usually, this is a good time for someone to call a meeting or time-out so everyone can get on the same page.

As owner of a machine shop with about 65 fulltime employees, we normally have a weekly staff meeting to help us all stay on the same page.   Our staff consists of eight people and it has been exciting to see our staff pull together to continually improve the way we do business and develop our operating systems.   Most recently, we are making changes to insure that orders arrive to our customers on-or-before the agreed delivery date.    OUR GOAL IS 100% ON-TIME DELIVERY.  This is not an easy task because of the volume of jobs that are going through our shop and the details that are required before a shipment can go out the door.

I want to be sure that I am on the same page with God and His Word, as I make business decisions.  I get the feeling from some people that they want God to get on their page, but that is not how God works.   I believe these two things must agree as I make decisions and guide my company:  1) Word of God 2) Spirit of God.

I also believe that God responds to faith and not need.  We show faith with our words and our actions.

Applying the Word does not take the place of good research and planning.  It pains me when I hear someone blame God for not helping in a business situation, when in fact that person didn’t follow sound business practices. Large volumes of Bible study and prayer will not overcome someone that does not understand and apply the basics of business.

Listed below are some lessons I believe to be critical to Marketplace Ministry:

1. God wants us to succeed:  God has made us more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus.
2. God wants us to prosper:  Money is only a medium of exchange. It cannot control us, we must control it.
3. God sent us the Holy Spirit:  Our Helper does not make our decisions but helps.
4. God responds to Faith:  Need has never moved God and never will.

I trust that you are enjoying this lesson.  Please give us some feedback and comments below.

Those that might want to travel internationally and share your business wisdom, please let us know.   Some of the destinations and dates  are listed in this link.

 

 

 

 

 

In the early part of my business career my pastor at the time, the late Dr. James Zirkle, told me something that I tried to apply in my life.   He observed that many Christians at the end of their days wished they had taken more chances in life.

Maybe I have always been a little crazy, so risks may have been a little easier for me to take than others.  While attending college in Golden, Colorado my roommate and I decided we would try to hitchhike from Denver to L.A. over spring break.  We started with a total of $40 and made the trip in 9 days including a ride on a flat car of a freight train.  It is probably best that I don’t tell the entire story, since this was when I was age 20, single, and not a Christian.

Then, in 1982, my wife and I took the risk to take a one-year leave of absence from my good paying engineering job to move to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to attend a Bible College.  Looking back, this was one of the best things we could have done even though it was a little risky.

At age 55, I felt the Lord leading me to become active in business again, by purchasing a business. The business He led me to buy was much bigger than I was expecting but looking back, I can say I am extremely glad I took that risk.

I regularly book flights to China, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Turkey and other countries around the world.  I fully intend to visit my missionary friend who is moving to Muscat, Oman.  Some people think I am foolish to take these risks in travel.

Lessons I learned about “taking a risk”:

1. The things of God are progressive. Each time I took a risk it was a stepping stone, not a leap.  Don’t try to copy anyone because you may not be at their same step. There is no glory in risking and failing.  Taking the wrong step could cost your financial future, marriage, and family.
2. Do your homework to be ready.  The steps I took came in line with things I was already thinking and praying about.  I had done a lot of research, prayer, and thought prior to the opportunity coming my way.   When the opportunity came my way, I was ready.
3. Whenever I had the peace to move ahead and took a financial risk I had the attitude of “no turning back”,  “whatever it takes”, “no quitting”, and “with God’s help, I will make it”.
4. It is true – the bigger the risk the bigger the reward. But don’t act in foolishness and presumption.

Will you share where you took some risks and succeeded and/or failed?  Will you share when you think you may have missed it by not taking a risk in your life, now that you look back?

Consider sharing  with a foreign audience on a business topic by joining us on a www.BusinessMissionTrip.org.

I trust that you are enjoying these video lessons.  Please give us some feedback and comments below.

Those that might want to travel internationally and share your business wisdom, please let us know.   Some of the destinations and dates  are listed in this link.

In the reality show “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump the phrase, “You’re Fired” has become a common saying.  Many times it is used in a joking fashion, but dismissing employees for any reason is a very serious matter.  It is not a joke!

In 2009 after owning Auto-Turn Manufacturing, Inc. for less than 2 years, the world economy suddenly slowed down and I had to make sure our company made it through this down-cycle.  I stopped taking a paycheck for most of 2009 and cut every variable expense possible. With tears in my eyes, I had to call in 40 of our employees and explain that I must let them go.  It was no joking matter and we all knew that most shops in the area were laying off workers as well.  Each person qualified for unemployment but this only paid 70% of their former pay.

 

Over the past 35 years, with two companies, I have been responsible for more than 1,500 employees.  In this process, I have learned a lot about our employees and their needs.  Most people do not have a large cash reserve because of poor spending habits or unexpected expenses.  Saying, “you’re fired” is not a joking matter. Especially in these difficult times, the fear of  losing a job is a very real fear for many people.  Praise God for people like Dave Ramsey, who is committed to helping people be wise in their personal spending.

Though I can’t say I’ve always done what I am suggesting below, but I am committed to improving on them:

No employee should be surprised they are being let go – a) If the person is being let go because of a matter of discipline or lack of performance, we have a long line of documentation leading up to the point of dismissal. b) If the dismissal is because of economic reasons, the person should not be surprised because the economic trends are public knowledge.

1. As owner, I am not normally involved with the discipline or dismissal process because I am not directly involved with their daily performance.   I feel responsible to give my key managers the tools and freedom they need to do their job.  Before a dismissal, we try to make sure this person does not have a better place to serve in the company.
2. We must ask ourselves if we did a good job in training the person and have we been fair, impartial, and honest with the person?  We have constant modification and improvement in our training.  We have hired professionals in specific areas to provide training to our employees. This has cost our company a lot of money but the payback has been great.
3. The way you handle discipline with one person will be judged by the other employees.  In most cases, we have had several of our key employees tell us after someone was fired, “it is about time”, or “it is amazing you didn’t do this sooner”.

Please share some of your experiences as an employee or owner regarding this subject.

For those that are willing to travel, consider joining us on a www.BusinessMissionTrips.org.

 

In 2006, I purchased a machine shop with $6 million in annual sales, 41 employees, and a 15,000 sq. ft. building.  We finished 2014 with $11 million in annual sales, 70 employees, and a total of 46,000 sq. ft. of buildings.  I have been blessed to travel more than 10 weeks per year and average only about 15 hours per week at the office.  The reason this is possible, comes from continually improving our systems/processes and having “good employees”.   But how did we get such good employees?  My opinion may surprise you!

When I tell you that God brought these workers to us, you are going to say, “sure” but will He do it for me and others?  Yes, because God established the law of  “Seedtime and Harvest”.  There is no surprise if you plant a corn seed and you reap corn.  I look back and can document that, I have planted seeds of “helping Christian leaders with their vision or mission”.  If what I am saying is true, I should reap the harvest of people that “help me with my vision and mission”.

To bring this into reality, let me share some of the things I have done for the last 40 years in planting seeds from which I now am reaping a harvest:

1. Mid 70’s, as part of a smaller church in Wyoming –  I was the church treasurer, taught Sunday School, was in charge of doubling the size of our church building without going in debt.
2. Mid 80’s, as part of a smaller church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma – I regularly mowed grass and weeds on Saturday workday, helped in the physical construction to enlarge our building, and was youth leader for several years.
3. Mid 90’s, as part of a Mega church in Tulsa Metro area – We opened our home as a gathering point for Wednesday night church events for youth.  We normally hosted 90 teens with a record 146 at our house one week.   I taught junior high church class for the Saturday evening church service as the master teacher.
4. Mid 90’s, as part of our high school band program – I drove one of my semi-tractor and trailers containing band instruments and props on several trips.  This added up to thousands of miles.
5. Late 90’s, as part of a teen missions program, Teen Mania – As owner of a moving company, I volunteered and moved 10 families from Tulsa to east Texas. This really cut into my revenue because it was on one of the biggest weekends of our season (July 4th weekend).  At one time, I had all 5 of my over-the-road units tied up with this free move.
6. Currently – I have been a lead Auditorium Host (formerly called Usher) for our mega-church, now for about 12 years.  Traveled to more than 40 countries to teach on business to help those called to business in these countries to take their place in the Body.

I trust that you do not think that I am bragging but I felt like I needed to make a list so you realize that I am not talking about volunteering just a few times.  It is my opinion that it is vitally important to give of your time and effort with no expectations of anything in return.  And it is my opinion that this life style needs to extend over a period of years.

“Seedtime and harvest” is a law of God that will work for anyone and everyone in all cultures.

Naturally, we use several tools to help evaluate the people who apply to work with us.    These tools help us locate the person that fits the open position.  We also help the applicant to find their unique skills and abilities even if we do not hire them.

Give us your comments about being a good employee and/or hiring good employees.  Do you believe in seed time and harvest?

Consider joining us on a trip to a foreign land to share your business skills. www.BusinessMissionTrips.org