Practicing Christian Principles in Your Business by Laurie Neumann

Practicing Christian Principles in Your Business
by Laurie Neumann
http://www.ChristianHomeBusinessConnection.com

Practicing good Christian business principles is essential to having a business that honors God.  As a Christian business owner, don’t you want God to be pleased with how you do business?  After all, your business is a gift from God, and it is only right that you run it in a way that gives Him honor.

As you look around today at businesses, especially those on the internet, I think you will find many that do not adhere to Christian business principles.  They may not even know what they are.  You will see businesses that make false claims or are run in way that is totally self-serving.  Not to mention all the scams that take people’s money and promise them things that they cannot follow through with.  It’s very sad.

However, we have a chance to be different and to stand out from the rest in our business dealings.  Don’t ever think that your business is separate from the rest of your life and doesn’t need to follow Christian principles.  This is not so.

We need to be honest and fair when we are dealing with others in our business, whether it be customers or employees.  We should treat them with kindness and respect and go the extra mile to help them.  Offering excellent customer service is a basic Christian business practice that you should consider.  Don’t be surprised if you see your business take off as a result.

Other business principles that we, as Christians, should be exhibiting are looking out for others’ needs, even at the expense of making a sale.  If we cannot give a customer what they really need, we should be happy to recommend another product or solution. “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

Giving is another area where we can please God with our business.  God wants us to share and help each other when there is a need.  Giving part of the income from your business is one way you can be obedient and help others in the process.  However, don’t let people take advantage of you.  Some people believe that, as Christians, we should give everything away and not make money on it.  I do not believe this is Biblical.

Adopting good Christian business principles will not only honor God, but will also bless your business.

Want more insight into Christian business ethics?

Laurie has created a 34-page eBook that gives Scriptures and insight into running your business in a way that honors and pleases God.  You can pick it up at http://www.christianhomebusinessconnection.com/christian-business-ethics.html at a discount until Feb. 3 – only $9.95! Don’t miss it!

Think Positive Live Positive

Positive thinking may sound like mumbo-jumbo to some people, but other people firmly believe in it.  Positive thinking is the act of staying optimistic, even when faced with difficulties or challenges.

Staying positive, even in the face of adversity, can help you conquer challenges.  When you think positively, you are envisioning your success.  Failure will not be an option; you will move past the obstacles in your way.  When a person thinks positively, they will attract positive people and positive outcomes in their life.

When you find yourself facing a roadblock, try to find a way around it.  It can be easy to give up.  Giving up will not bring you any closer to accomplishing your goals.  In fact, giving up can make you feel even worse and cause more stress.

Finding a way to forge ahead and reach your goal or accomplish your task will help you grow as a person.  You will feel more confident and able to take on new, more difficult challenges. Read more

Ready for a Business Coach???

Often times we actually know the steps we need to take with our business, but systemizing those steps into “do-able” chunks can be a lot more difficult. There are also many “small” questions that come up as we build our business, and having someone to turn to can be a great help. Even just having a person to run your idea by for vetting can be a life saver. In these situations, one-to-one coaching can really help.

How do you decide if coaching can benefit you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

#1 – Could I use an impartial person to run my ideas by?

Your friends and family may be great to turn to for help, but remember they are slightly biased. You have heard it said that they will tell you what you want to hear–this is not the time for that! Even if they gave great ideas, it doesn’t help if they don’t specifically understand the inner dealings or your business or market.

Having an impartial person dissect your ideas and plans can be very beneficial, particularly if that person is in your field and has already achieved the success you hope to achieve. Read more

Getting Started (or RE-STARTED) Blogging!

Blogging. Ready to begin your own blog, but totally overwhelmed? Not sure where to begin or even what to do? Have no idea of how to get started (or restarted) on the right track? Well, dear friend, this article is FOR YOU! Let me take you by the hand and share some ideas that have worked for me…

1. Get a vision. First things first. Who are you? What are YOU all about? What is YOUR message? When others come to you, what do they ask you? Take some time to really think this one out.  Your blog will only be a success when you find YOUR voice. Pull apart and get a vision. Keep your blog simple, clear, uncluttered, and focused. Stick to who you are. Don’t change up every day. Don’t add in content that does not go along with your message. Get a vision for what you are to be all about and be ONLY that.

2. Set it up right. Don’t take short-cuts. If you want to build a successful business, invest in your “home on the web.” This is not an area to skimp by or put off. Read more

Where to Use Your Logo for Maximum Results

Think the only place a business logo can be used is on your website and business card?  Not true.  There are many creative and effective places to use your business logo for maximum results.

Let’s begin by looking at the basic or ordinary places you can place your logo:

- Your website. This is kind of a no brainer. If you don’t have your logo on your website then where to you use it?  Your website is quite often the first place people become aware of your business – it’s their first memory and your first opportunity to brand your business.

- Your blog. Again, this is a chance to link your blog brand with your website brand.

- Your business cards. Business cards are becoming less and less common however you still don’t know when you’re going to run into your next great customer.  Keep a few up to date business cards in your wallet and make sure they have your logo on them. Read more

NEW SHOW: Creating Characters with Character with Novelist, Holly Lisle

Creating Characters with Character with Novelist, Holly Lisle

Novelist Holly Lisle walks you live through the creation of your own characters in this 2-hour workshop: at the end of the workshop, you’ll have a deep, fascinating protagonist, an exciting antagonist, a secondary character or two…and maybe even a plot. Bring a notebook and a pen, write while you listen, and participate in the workshop discussion. Get to know Holly better online: http://HollyLisle.com and http://HowtoThinkSideways.com/

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Want MORE Help Get Started (OR RE-Started) Writing On the Right Track? Join Our Ultimate Writer’s Expo!
http://www.Ultimate-Writers-Expo.com/

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How To Create A “Buyers Only” List by Jimmy D. Brown

How To Create A “Buyers Only” List
By Jimmy D. Brown
http://Writers-Nook.com/PLRSO.html

Content is king. It gets to wear the crown. And sit on the throne. And rule the world. When it comes to establishing credibility, gaining trust and producing sales, content is royalty.

While I would never suggest abandoning the concept of delivering high quality content to your subscribers, there is another type of list composed of subscribers who couldn’t care less about content.

“What is this type of list?” you ask.

- > The “announcement list.”

I’ve been teaching about the “announcement” list since at least 2002 (on record at an event). And, yet, it’s a widely untapped asset in most email marketing circles.

The main reason is: nobody’s teaching it. And so, nobody knows anything about it, let alone how to effectively create one of these lists. Read more

Yes! Writers MUST Learn About Graphics!

You may not realize it, but graphics are everywhere.  They’re on the packaging of practically every product you find in a store, on businesses’ promotional materials, and on web pages.  Quality graphics are important to a business’ image.

Graphic design is defined as any discipline which focuses on visual communication and presentation.  It can be the creation of an original font that is used to create a logo, a pictograph used on a road sign, or a cartoon character used in promotional materials.  Even the arrangement of shapes and use of complementing colors on a package of cookies is considered graphic design.

The History of Graphic Design

Although graphic design today is commonly associated with computers, it existed long before they did.  Cave drawings could be considered graphic design by its strictest definition.  But graphic design did not become a discipline until some time after the invention of printing. Read more

It’s a NEW YEAR! Get a NEW Commitment!

Becoming an entrepreneur requires a certain amount of drive and enthusiasm.  If we didn’t believe in ourselves and our businesses, we would still be working for someone else.  But when the going gets tough, it’s easy to lose sight of why we started in the first place.  This can cause us to become unmotivated, and it could be the demise of the business we’ve worked so hard to build if we’re not careful.

Businesses are like relationships:  commitment is an absolute must if they are to succeed.  Here are some tips for staying focused and pulling through the hard times.

* Write a mission statement if you haven’t done so already. It should concisely detail the purpose of your business and its key philosophies.  Many entrepreneurs neglect to do this unless it is required to obtain funding.  But a mission statement can help you remember why you wanted to start a business in the first place. Read more

Writing for SEO Without Losing Readability

Copywriting is one significant factor when you want to achieve excellent search engine ranking. Yet, a lot of times website owners think that all that they have to do is to incorporate keywords in page tags and include some keyword mentions in their articles. While SEO copywriting not exceedingly hard, writing for search engines is more complex than that.

“Search engine optimization copywriting” or SEO, is a method of writing viewable or easily scanned text on your web page which is very acceptable and readable for the internet user as well as targets certain or exact search terms, having the purpose of ranking high in search engines.
Read more

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