"In China, an entrepreneur's top responsibility is to keep his own business sound, to fulfill taxation payments, and create jobs. This is also out of a philanthropist heart." -billionaire Guo Jinshu, China
What's this about? Well, evidently Bill Gates and Warren Buffet had a meeting with some of China's richest today to talk about philanthropy...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100929/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_gates_buffett
Personally, I don't think it's either/or, but certainly Mr. Guo has a point.
Other thoughts?
-skye
Showing posts with label marketplace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketplace. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
RCE's Entrepreneur-in-Residence spearheads new venture
Tom Stansbury, RCE Entrepreneur-in-Residence, is spearheading a Kingdom business initiative in a joint venture with Nelson's Food Service Corporation and a residential men's ministry called The Refuge - working with men struggling with alcohol, drug and homeless issues that create barriers to employment.
RCE is making this project our primary domestic initiative, with Tom assisting with capital acquisition, business model development and implementation, and on the ground entrepreneurial support building the Nelson's brand with men from The Refuge in markets throughout Ohio. Men who were once on the street struggling with addictions, homeless, and cast-off, are being transformed into responsible men of God who find healing and are mentored and discipled in a Kingdom business; they will be trained to ultimately operate Nelson's Catering locations much like the Chick-Fil-A model.
We will be expanding this unique catering and fundraising business model throughout the state of Ohio in Phase 1, and if the speed to market strategies prove successful, national opportunities exist to expand into additional states and cities across America.
RCE is making this project our primary domestic initiative, with Tom assisting with capital acquisition, business model development and implementation, and on the ground entrepreneurial support building the Nelson's brand with men from The Refuge in markets throughout Ohio. Men who were once on the street struggling with addictions, homeless, and cast-off, are being transformed into responsible men of God who find healing and are mentored and discipled in a Kingdom business; they will be trained to ultimately operate Nelson's Catering locations much like the Chick-Fil-A model.
We will be expanding this unique catering and fundraising business model throughout the state of Ohio in Phase 1, and if the speed to market strategies prove successful, national opportunities exist to expand into additional states and cities across America.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Entrepreneurship for Artists
Artist Scholarships to Ei Forum
http://www.faithandwork.org/artsei
This April, the Arts Ministry of Redeemer Church, NYC, is highlighting entrepreneurship for artists in collaboration with Redeemer's Entrepreneurship Initiative (Ei), which culminates with the annual Ei Forum, April 16-17. The Arts Ministry is offering several full scholarships to the Ei Forum for artists who are serious about being entrepreneurial about their careers.
Whether pursuing free-lance careers or starting business ventures that support their creative work, all artists are entrepreneurs. The Ei Forum welcomes artists, and in fact has speakers and a special breakout session for artists and arts ventures.
Catch a vision for how gospel-centered entrepreneurial thinking might impact your kingdom creative work by attending the Ei Forum!
To apply for a scholarship, answer the following questions (2-5 sentences for each section, with as much detail as necessary) and email to Luann Jennings, luann@redeemer.com, by April 9. Recipients of scholarships will be notified by April 13. Priority will be given to those who have not been given financial support in the past to attend the Ei Forum. Applicants need not be Redeemer attenders.
What kind of creative work do you do and how is your career going?
What is your training and professional background?
How do are you approaching your work entrepreneurially?
What innovative methods are you using or ideas are you pursuing in your arts career or business?
How can attending the Ei Forum help you implement those methods or ideas?
How does your faith in Christ impact how you are thinking about and pursuing your creative work?
Also please include the following (briefly):
Name, email address, telephone, mailing address
Church affiliation Involvement in church (small group attendance, service, etc.)
Questions? Contact Luann Jennings, luann@redeemer.com or (212) 808-4460 x1343.
http://www.faithandwork.org/artsei
This April, the Arts Ministry of Redeemer Church, NYC, is highlighting entrepreneurship for artists in collaboration with Redeemer's Entrepreneurship Initiative (Ei), which culminates with the annual Ei Forum, April 16-17. The Arts Ministry is offering several full scholarships to the Ei Forum for artists who are serious about being entrepreneurial about their careers.
Whether pursuing free-lance careers or starting business ventures that support their creative work, all artists are entrepreneurs. The Ei Forum welcomes artists, and in fact has speakers and a special breakout session for artists and arts ventures.
Catch a vision for how gospel-centered entrepreneurial thinking might impact your kingdom creative work by attending the Ei Forum!
To apply for a scholarship, answer the following questions (2-5 sentences for each section, with as much detail as necessary) and email to Luann Jennings, luann@redeemer.com, by April 9. Recipients of scholarships will be notified by April 13. Priority will be given to those who have not been given financial support in the past to attend the Ei Forum. Applicants need not be Redeemer attenders.
What kind of creative work do you do and how is your career going?
What is your training and professional background?
How do are you approaching your work entrepreneurially?
What innovative methods are you using or ideas are you pursuing in your arts career or business?
How can attending the Ei Forum help you implement those methods or ideas?
How does your faith in Christ impact how you are thinking about and pursuing your creative work?
Also please include the following (briefly):
Name, email address, telephone, mailing address
Church affiliation Involvement in church (small group attendance, service, etc.)
Questions? Contact Luann Jennings, luann@redeemer.com or (212) 808-4460 x1343.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Why Sit Here and Die?
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?" II Kings 7:3
A story is told in II Kings of a crisis that fell on the nation of Israel after it was invaded by the King of Syria. This crisis created a famine that was so dire that a woman, out of desperation, ate her own child (II Kings 6:26-29). During this crisis, the prophet Elisha prophesied that God would restore the city, but because of unbelief, the officer of the king did not believe him.
Meanwhile, there were four leprous men who were at the entrance of the city gate, hungry and afraid to enter the city because of the famine. Lepers had a contagious skin disease that made them unclean according to Old Testament regulations. They were isolated from the population until they were healed (usually miraculously) or until they died. The only place these lepers could find food was at the Syrian camp, but they were afraid to go there because they might be killed by the Syrians. They realized that whether they stayed where they were, entered the city, or went where the Syrians were, they would die.
They mustered up their courage and took the path with the most chance for them to survive. They approached the outskirts of the Syrian camp. To their surprise, there was no one there. There was plenty of food and treasure, but no people. The Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and horses; the noise of a great army which caused them to flee. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired the king of the Hittites and the Egyptians to attack them. After eating and getting their share of the treasure, the lepers went to the king of Israel to inform him about what had happened. This led the Israelites to plunder the tents of the Syrians, and the prophecy that was told by Elisha came to pass. The courage of the lepers and their refusal to die prematurely not only saved their lives, but made them heroes and saved the lives of others.
It can be easy to take a defeated posture during a crisis. With decreased revenues, unavailable credit lines, high interest, unemployment and the uncertainty of when all this will end, you may be tempted to throw in the towel. These are times when the entrepreneur should be most alert and ready for action. These are times of great risks and great rewards. Like the lepers, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Do not simply rely on what you see; trust in a God who can do more than you can hope, think, and even imagine. Trust in a God who can part the Red Sea, open blind eyes and raise the dead- a God who is still performing miracles in the life of the believer.
Do not sit there and die! Rather, with great courage, seek the Lord for wisdom and direction, adjust your plan to reflect the reality of the times, and like the lepers, press forward toward the direction where there is provision. Make those phone calls to prospective clients, send out those promotional materials, visit those customers, and call those creditors and vendors. What is the worst thing that could happen? Give it all you've got, and I guarantee you the Lord will meet you more than half-way. Who knows? Your success may lead to God using you to save the lives of others, or at least cause them to turn to the God who saves.
Copyright © 2008 Patrice Tsague
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
A story is told in II Kings of a crisis that fell on the nation of Israel after it was invaded by the King of Syria. This crisis created a famine that was so dire that a woman, out of desperation, ate her own child (II Kings 6:26-29). During this crisis, the prophet Elisha prophesied that God would restore the city, but because of unbelief, the officer of the king did not believe him.
Meanwhile, there were four leprous men who were at the entrance of the city gate, hungry and afraid to enter the city because of the famine. Lepers had a contagious skin disease that made them unclean according to Old Testament regulations. They were isolated from the population until they were healed (usually miraculously) or until they died. The only place these lepers could find food was at the Syrian camp, but they were afraid to go there because they might be killed by the Syrians. They realized that whether they stayed where they were, entered the city, or went where the Syrians were, they would die.
They mustered up their courage and took the path with the most chance for them to survive. They approached the outskirts of the Syrian camp. To their surprise, there was no one there. There was plenty of food and treasure, but no people. The Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and horses; the noise of a great army which caused them to flee. The Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired the king of the Hittites and the Egyptians to attack them. After eating and getting their share of the treasure, the lepers went to the king of Israel to inform him about what had happened. This led the Israelites to plunder the tents of the Syrians, and the prophecy that was told by Elisha came to pass. The courage of the lepers and their refusal to die prematurely not only saved their lives, but made them heroes and saved the lives of others.
It can be easy to take a defeated posture during a crisis. With decreased revenues, unavailable credit lines, high interest, unemployment and the uncertainty of when all this will end, you may be tempted to throw in the towel. These are times when the entrepreneur should be most alert and ready for action. These are times of great risks and great rewards. Like the lepers, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Do not simply rely on what you see; trust in a God who can do more than you can hope, think, and even imagine. Trust in a God who can part the Red Sea, open blind eyes and raise the dead- a God who is still performing miracles in the life of the believer.
Do not sit there and die! Rather, with great courage, seek the Lord for wisdom and direction, adjust your plan to reflect the reality of the times, and like the lepers, press forward toward the direction where there is provision. Make those phone calls to prospective clients, send out those promotional materials, visit those customers, and call those creditors and vendors. What is the worst thing that could happen? Give it all you've got, and I guarantee you the Lord will meet you more than half-way. Who knows? Your success may lead to God using you to save the lives of others, or at least cause them to turn to the God who saves.
Copyright © 2008 Patrice Tsague
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Launch Out Into the Deep
When He had stopped speaking He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch" (Luke 5:4).
I recently had the privilege to visit the beautiful city of Freetown; a small city in Sierra Leone, West Africa that is wrapped by an ocean where individuals come as far as Asia to fish. While I was there I had the opportunity to visit the ocean and watch fishermen carry out their business. When we arrived, there were two groups of fishermen standing by the ocean shore pulling in their nets. I was so excited.
I always read in the bible about fishermen but never saw a live fisherman in action.
Immediately I asked them if I could take their picture. They gave me their permission only after I agreed to buy them something to drink. They explained that they had been there since 4 o'clock in the morning and the time was now about 2 PM. As I waited to see what they would catch, I enthusiastically offered to assist them in pulling the net from the ocean. I asked them how long it would take for the net to be completely pulled from the ocean. Their response was probably another 2-3 hours. The net they were pulling extended itself to a relatively deep part of the ocean. The deep is where the best catch is found.
As I waited, the first group of fishermen finally brought in their net. Unfortunately, however, they had not caught anything. I felt really bad for them. These fishermen had been working for the past 12 hours and caught nothing. Without a catch, they would not be able to provide for their families, nor for women in the market who depended on them to supply them with inventory. I thought maybe the second group would experience better fortunes, so I waited another hour and even helped to pull the net out of the ocean only to discover nothing but ocean dwellers and trash out of the ocean.
Wow, I now understood how Jesus felt as He saw Peter and his buddies having worked all night without a catch. He had compassion on them and offered them some assistance.
I asked the fishermen why they had not caught anything. Their response was that they had not gone deep enough. These fishermen were the locals; they did not have the machinery that would enable them to take their boats into the middle of the ocean, cast their nets and pull the net right there from the boat. As a result they have to extend their nets from the shore into the ocean as far as they could in hopes of getting the net as close to the deep as possible. What it would take for them to get into the deep is capital so they can invest in the machinery that will enable them to go into the deep. It costs to launch out into the deep.
This explains why Jesus' instruction to Peter was that he should launch his net into the deep. Though Peter was discouraged and uncertain about Jesus request, he nevertheless obeyed His instructions and was rewarded for it greatly. The deep is a place that extends far below the surface and is potentially full of danger.
Launching out into the deep requires double efforts and the willingness to take greater risks. It is moving beyond your comfort zone and what you are accustomed to.
Like the fishermen in Sierra Leone you may be currently experiencing low productivity or no productivity. You may be wondering what else you can do to change the course of your business or your life. You tried everything without results, and like those fishermen the lack of success for your business not only impacts you but your employees, your family and your vendors. What else can you do? Unfortunately it is during these times when entrepreneurs pull back, play it safe and protect themselves from further losses. However, this is the time when you should do the opposite. It is the time to launch out into the deep. Yes, revise your strategy, increase your efforts and give it all you have. If you keep doing what you have been doing you will keep getting the same results so you have to do something different.
The deep is the place of personal insecurity and require complete reliance on the Lord. Launching into the deep may require a greater spiritual commitment on your part, working longer hours, increasing your capital investment or making reductions in certain areas. Whatever the implication for your business, you cannot afford to stay in shallow waters. The deep is where the best catch is found.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
I recently had the privilege to visit the beautiful city of Freetown; a small city in Sierra Leone, West Africa that is wrapped by an ocean where individuals come as far as Asia to fish. While I was there I had the opportunity to visit the ocean and watch fishermen carry out their business. When we arrived, there were two groups of fishermen standing by the ocean shore pulling in their nets. I was so excited.
I always read in the bible about fishermen but never saw a live fisherman in action.
Immediately I asked them if I could take their picture. They gave me their permission only after I agreed to buy them something to drink. They explained that they had been there since 4 o'clock in the morning and the time was now about 2 PM. As I waited to see what they would catch, I enthusiastically offered to assist them in pulling the net from the ocean. I asked them how long it would take for the net to be completely pulled from the ocean. Their response was probably another 2-3 hours. The net they were pulling extended itself to a relatively deep part of the ocean. The deep is where the best catch is found.
As I waited, the first group of fishermen finally brought in their net. Unfortunately, however, they had not caught anything. I felt really bad for them. These fishermen had been working for the past 12 hours and caught nothing. Without a catch, they would not be able to provide for their families, nor for women in the market who depended on them to supply them with inventory. I thought maybe the second group would experience better fortunes, so I waited another hour and even helped to pull the net out of the ocean only to discover nothing but ocean dwellers and trash out of the ocean.
Wow, I now understood how Jesus felt as He saw Peter and his buddies having worked all night without a catch. He had compassion on them and offered them some assistance.
I asked the fishermen why they had not caught anything. Their response was that they had not gone deep enough. These fishermen were the locals; they did not have the machinery that would enable them to take their boats into the middle of the ocean, cast their nets and pull the net right there from the boat. As a result they have to extend their nets from the shore into the ocean as far as they could in hopes of getting the net as close to the deep as possible. What it would take for them to get into the deep is capital so they can invest in the machinery that will enable them to go into the deep. It costs to launch out into the deep.
This explains why Jesus' instruction to Peter was that he should launch his net into the deep. Though Peter was discouraged and uncertain about Jesus request, he nevertheless obeyed His instructions and was rewarded for it greatly. The deep is a place that extends far below the surface and is potentially full of danger.
Launching out into the deep requires double efforts and the willingness to take greater risks. It is moving beyond your comfort zone and what you are accustomed to.
Like the fishermen in Sierra Leone you may be currently experiencing low productivity or no productivity. You may be wondering what else you can do to change the course of your business or your life. You tried everything without results, and like those fishermen the lack of success for your business not only impacts you but your employees, your family and your vendors. What else can you do? Unfortunately it is during these times when entrepreneurs pull back, play it safe and protect themselves from further losses. However, this is the time when you should do the opposite. It is the time to launch out into the deep. Yes, revise your strategy, increase your efforts and give it all you have. If you keep doing what you have been doing you will keep getting the same results so you have to do something different.
The deep is the place of personal insecurity and require complete reliance on the Lord. Launching into the deep may require a greater spiritual commitment on your part, working longer hours, increasing your capital investment or making reductions in certain areas. Whatever the implication for your business, you cannot afford to stay in shallow waters. The deep is where the best catch is found.
Copyright © 2010 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Unconditional Obedience
"But Simon answered and said to Him Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down my net" (Luke 5:5)
Would you like to know the secrets to overwhelming blessing and favor beyond your wildest expectations? Of course we all would. The reality, however, is that this "secret" is not really a secret at all but a well-known principle that we know but struggle with its application. This principle is called unconditional obedience. We have all heard of obedience, which is defined as listening with a desire to act. True obedience is about submission; it is the act of completely yielding oneself to the person giving the instruction. It is about rejecting our will and embracing His will. Unconditional obedience takes it a step further; it is not just completely submitting our will to the will of God but it is doing so without reservations. Unconditional obedience is listening with the desire to act without reservations.
This principle is demonstrated in the first encounter between Peter and Jesus. After Peter allowed Jesus to use his boat to preach the Gospel, Jesus, in his desire to bless Peter, instructed him to "launch out his net in the deep". Peter, a professional fisherman, had been fishing all night without success but his response to Jesus was that at His Word he would let down his net.
Though Peter was not certain of the outcome of his action, he unconditionally obeyed the Master and as a result he was extremely blessed beyond measure. He caught so many fish that day that he needed help to pull the net out of the water and the net even broke. This demonstrates that Peter had never caught that many fish in his professional career and had not planned on it, because if he had, he would have had a stronger net to handle such a harvest.
How long have you been toiling without real success? Fortunately we are at a time when the fate of our economy has been removed and we are all facing the real consequences of our actions. Our disobedience and inefficiencies can no longer be hidden in the abundance of the economy because it has been exposed by the current crises.
Like Peter you have recognized Jesus as Savior of your life. However, it is time to recognize him as Lord. You trusted Him with a part of your assets but it is time to trust him with all of your assets, including your profit centers. It was easy for Peter to let Jesus use his boat since this act did not impact his profit center. Taking operational advice from Jesus would impact his profit center; it was recognizing Jesus' Lordship over everything he had. What does a rabbi know about fishing? What does the Bible really have to say about business?
Peter obeyed Jesus unconditionally even though he did not know what the outcome would be. Will you turn everything to him? Will you obey Him unconditionally? Will you allow your business, your life and everything you do to be guided by the Bible? Of course your outcome may not be like that of Peter where he experienced immediate blessings. It may be like Daniel's, where His unconditional obedience led him into the lion's den or like Joseph, where his unconditional obedience led him to prison. Whatever challenges you may face as a result of your unconditional obedience will be nothing compared to the surpassing weight of Glory that awaits you. So go ahead and obey Him unconditionally and watch Him perform a miracle in your life and in your business.
Copyright © 2009 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Would you like to know the secrets to overwhelming blessing and favor beyond your wildest expectations? Of course we all would. The reality, however, is that this "secret" is not really a secret at all but a well-known principle that we know but struggle with its application. This principle is called unconditional obedience. We have all heard of obedience, which is defined as listening with a desire to act. True obedience is about submission; it is the act of completely yielding oneself to the person giving the instruction. It is about rejecting our will and embracing His will. Unconditional obedience takes it a step further; it is not just completely submitting our will to the will of God but it is doing so without reservations. Unconditional obedience is listening with the desire to act without reservations.
This principle is demonstrated in the first encounter between Peter and Jesus. After Peter allowed Jesus to use his boat to preach the Gospel, Jesus, in his desire to bless Peter, instructed him to "launch out his net in the deep". Peter, a professional fisherman, had been fishing all night without success but his response to Jesus was that at His Word he would let down his net.
Though Peter was not certain of the outcome of his action, he unconditionally obeyed the Master and as a result he was extremely blessed beyond measure. He caught so many fish that day that he needed help to pull the net out of the water and the net even broke. This demonstrates that Peter had never caught that many fish in his professional career and had not planned on it, because if he had, he would have had a stronger net to handle such a harvest.
How long have you been toiling without real success? Fortunately we are at a time when the fate of our economy has been removed and we are all facing the real consequences of our actions. Our disobedience and inefficiencies can no longer be hidden in the abundance of the economy because it has been exposed by the current crises.
Like Peter you have recognized Jesus as Savior of your life. However, it is time to recognize him as Lord. You trusted Him with a part of your assets but it is time to trust him with all of your assets, including your profit centers. It was easy for Peter to let Jesus use his boat since this act did not impact his profit center. Taking operational advice from Jesus would impact his profit center; it was recognizing Jesus' Lordship over everything he had. What does a rabbi know about fishing? What does the Bible really have to say about business?
Peter obeyed Jesus unconditionally even though he did not know what the outcome would be. Will you turn everything to him? Will you obey Him unconditionally? Will you allow your business, your life and everything you do to be guided by the Bible? Of course your outcome may not be like that of Peter where he experienced immediate blessings. It may be like Daniel's, where His unconditional obedience led him into the lion's den or like Joseph, where his unconditional obedience led him to prison. Whatever challenges you may face as a result of your unconditional obedience will be nothing compared to the surpassing weight of Glory that awaits you. So go ahead and obey Him unconditionally and watch Him perform a miracle in your life and in your business.
Copyright © 2009 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Whole Foods CEO
This post may not have so much to do with BAM, but here is a CEO with a mission for his business for sure. Whole Foods CEO John Mackey gave an interview earlier this month to the WSJ, and references to it have popped up in a variety of places. I just think it's worth a read.
Among other things, Mackey says business has a noble purpose: providing needed goods and services, and also providing jobs--this is good for individuals and also for the economy. It's refreshing to hear of a CEO who is not taking an outrageous salary and who is concerned for the good of his employees (Whole Foods has been on the 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 12 years straight).
Among other things, Mackey says business has a noble purpose: providing needed goods and services, and also providing jobs--this is good for individuals and also for the economy. It's refreshing to hear of a CEO who is not taking an outrageous salary and who is concerned for the good of his employees (Whole Foods has been on the 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 12 years straight).
Monday, February 4, 2008
Center for Global Strategies
I receievd an email from Johncy about an hour ago, with the info that there was a presentation here at Regent today by the Center for Global Strategies. Their "vision is to see a world connected to the global marketplace through personal, trusting, cross-cultural relationships."A growing number of visionary, non-military Americans and Western friends are rising to go into welcoming nations, or to act from within them, in order to “wage peace.” We want to honor in our own lives the courageous sacrifices that others, from the West and the East, are making to build a better world.
We yearn to do something meaningful and productive – even if it puts our own sense of comfort and insulated, suburban security at risk. Individually, we are driven by a variety of motives: duty, profit, humanitarianism, adventure, altruism, ambition, charity, etc. Yet, diverse as we are, we’re uniting through CGS to embrace the dual aims of connecting the world to the global marketplace, while developing the personal, trusting, cross-cultural relationships crucial to that task. We are Americans and Westerners ready to do our part. We are ready to do something real, something right now, to build a future worth creating for coming generations."
I'll ask Johncy to tell us more about what they do when he gets back. :)
Have a great day!
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