By Muriithi Wanjau
Every Kingdom Business has four distinctive Quadruple Bottom Line features of Purpose, People, Profit and Planet that sets them apart in the market.
Whereas the aspect of Purpose is that a business must represent God’s agenda, in this article we will discuss the second distinctive of a kingdom business which is People.
Unlike other businesses that are profit or passion-driven, Kingdom businesses must be people-driven. You must be intent on being a blessing and making people’s lives better. Whenever God blesses people, He does so with the expectation that they will in turn be a blessing to others. See this play out in the passage below:
Genesis 12:2-3 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
God blessed Abraham so that he would bless others. The same applies to us as Kingdom entrepreneurs. Your business must be a blessing to its different stakeholders. This is how:
- Staff
Your business must make the lives of your staff (both full-time and part-time) better. Pay them fairly, treat them with dignity and invest in their welfare and care. They should see and experience elements of God’s nature through you.
Working for you should make your staff better.
- Suppliers
Your vendors too, should blessed after working with your company. Employ Kingdom values such as honesty and integrity, be open with them and treat them with respect.
Your vendors should feel valued after interacting with your business.
- Shareholders
These are all those who have invested or have a stake in your business- including your spouse and children. They give you support and make sacrifices to afford you the time to work. Don’t take this for granted then, and neglect them. Work hard and play hard as a unit. As for your other investors, make it a point to keep your word, always be transparent and make time for them.
Your shareholders should be excited to be partners with you.
- Shoppers
These are your customers or clients- the main target of your business. Your product/service must make their lives better, so invest in market research and be a solution provider. Listen to feedback, be gracious and helpful, and always endeavour to learn how you can serve them better.
Your business must address your clients’ needs.
Over the past few months a lot of needs have risen. See this as your opportunity and position yourself. Rather than dwelling on conversations that discuss how bad business is, use the same energy to address a current need and invent! The better you get at solving other people’s problems, the more you flourish.
I pray that you will desire to serve and create solutions to people’s problems. May your stakeholders thank God for you.
REMINDERS:
- Your business must be about blessing others.
- Kingdom entrepreneurs do not vent, they invent.
- Create products the market needs, not products you love.
- Your business motivation must be problem solution, not just profit making.
- The better you get at solving people’s problems, the more you flourish.
- Don’t take it personally. A person rejecting your product is not rejecting you.