When I was a banker, I met with hundreds of entrepreneurs. It was not uncommon when I asked how much they needed to fund their new business, to hear, “How much will you give me?” This usually meant they had no plan. Kent was different. He knew exactly how much it was going to cost to build his manufacturing business, ...
If you don’t count the greeting cards, ice scrapers or Grit newspapers I sold as a child, my first business startup was a car rental agency. After I liquidated that business, I made a commitment to myself to never launch another startup. If you want to give God a good laugh, tell Him your plans. Since that time, I have ...
Anyone who has been in business for long knows that there are business cycles. There are bull markets and bear markets. There are seasons of prosperity and there are recessions. With over 10 years of prosperity, we recently ended the longest run of economic expansion. If there was ever a time to have been prepared for an economic famine, it ...
In her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou said one should be “hoping for the best, prepared for the worst and unsurprised by anything in-between.” In most business environments, positive thinking and hoping for the best are talked about, as is being prepared for the future. But being unsurprised is seldom talked about. The concept of ...
25 miles north of Yellowstone Park you can see evidence of how quickly life can change. Late on August 17, 1959, the second largest earthquake of the 20th century struck the Hebgen Dam area. In less than two minutes, an 80-million-ton landslide stripped the Sheep Mountain of trees and boulders, damaged the dam and stopped the Madison river. A 125 ...
Over the years, between my banking and consulting career, I’ve helped many businesses become more profitable. In this series, we’re talking about five steps to move from struggling to thriving in business. The second step is to Raise Cash. Struggling businesses are always cash starved. Many businesses have unproductive or underproductive assets. Let me share two ways to raise cash. ...
When Congress passed the CARES act, they made some aggressive provisions to provide additional amounts of unemployment funds to those who lost their job. Although their intentions seemed pure, their generosity came with some unintended consequences. For some employers, bringing employees back to work has proven difficult. Many employees are now making more money staying at home on unemployment than ...
Many people who invest time in budgeting give thought to worst-case scenarios as a minimum for their budget. But few worst-case scenarios likely anticipated the coronavirus pandemic. Planning for the future during dramatic change can lead us to error on the side of extreme caution. Slashing payroll to stop the bleeding is often a necessary reaction. But people of faith ...
Twenty-five years ago, I left banking to begin a vocational ministry to business leaders. My first step was to spend a day in reflection and repentance before I began this reset of my career. My next step, however, was to pray and listen for God’s plan. My new adventure required divine insight which I knew would only come if I ...
2020 has become a reset for many people. Millions of newly unemployed workers are rethinking their career paths, and many business owners are resetting their business plans. College seniors are also adjusting to cancelled starting positions or new careers. Resets and change can be difficult, but they do give us an opportunity for fresh starts. Zacchaeus had a reset of ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
