5 Principles of Financial Wisdom:
- God owns it all. Psalm 24:1
- Set Long Term Goals. Proverbs 16:9
- Spend less than you earn. Proverbs 13:11
- Avoid the use of debt. Proverbs 22:7
- Avoid a consumptive lifestyle. Ecclesiastes 5:10
This month’s blog comes from where I live on a day to day basis; consulting with people and small business. What can a big business learn from a small business? Anything? Heck, those big businesses used to be small right? Well, just like when you grew up from a kid to an adult, you forgot some of the most important life lessons.
One of my small business owner’s every time we talk about a decision reminds me that he does not make the decision just for his balance sheet. He does it with his 20 plus families that he employs.
Another of my small business clients makes sure his workplace is an enjoyable place to be as well as paying a solid wage and free health care to all his employees. It’s a small company so the costs are rather high but he figures that it’s his job to care for his employees because they take care of him and his customers.
One of my other fellas sold his business to go to work in big business and totally transformed the workplace. It was a toxic place with no budget for traditional workplace benefits and within one year, production results improved over 200%. How? He just treated every employee he was in charge of like a human by asking a simple question, “How are you doing today?” and here is the important part…he asked with authenticity and sincerity. Over that year he built into his people by just listening and being human with them. The only cost: time and attention to others.
Chuck (you know Chuck Proudfit, our leader for AWOP..like Madonna, The Pope..ChuckJ) always taught us about the most important line on the balance sheet. The bottom line right? Nope. Top Line? Not even close. Well, which line then? It’s the Center Line which is your people who you serve as an owner; your clients, vendors, employees, and local community. If you care for others beyond yourself, it’s amazing the impact you can have. So, focus on serving others this week, not with the attitude of getting back but giving your all.
Acts: 20:35: In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
1 Peter 4:10-15 : As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Mark 10: 44-45: And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Just Jason