Excerpts on Entrepreneurship

A Few Moments in the Limelight Can Boost a Small Business - SmartMoney.com, March 12, 2007 BUSINESS OWNERS EAGER for exposure can only dream of the celebrity attention that Stacey Griffin of New Orleans is getting. Griffin started a new business in December selling eight-ounce boxes of purified water called Aqua2Go. The product, designed for kids and adults alike, is convenient like a juice box (and even comes with a straw) but contains water instead of a sugary-sweet beverage. With limited resources for marketing, "I started sending emails to everyone and anyone I could think of," she says.

The Entrepreneur's Challenge In Nigeria - Forbes.com, March 7, 2007 Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has set an ambitious goal: He wants the country to become one of the world's top 20 economies during the next two decades. To hit that target by 2020, Nigeria will need to increasingly globalize education in two key areas: Information and communications technology, and entrepreneurship. In fact, Obasanjo has mandated that all university students in Nigeria, regardless of their major, will need to study entrepreneurship.

Need Ideas Marketing A Small Business? - NewsReleaseWire.com, March 7, 2007 Just starting out doesn’t have to mean spending on expensive marketing and branding activities. New business opportunities will be missed if new business owners spend all their start-up money outsourcing these activities, but they can learn to do marketing and branding themselves.

New investment fund for startups - suntimes.com, February 26, 2007 A new $10 million investment fund for early-stage startups, the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund, backed by state taxpayers and local investors, will be unveiled today.

Entrepreneurship Week USA - What's Your BIG Idea? Take It On! - The Public Forum Institute, February 7, 2007 From February 24 to March 3, 2007, EntrepreneurshipWeek USA will be a collection of thousands of activities, ranging from high school competitions to academic gatherings and local town halls to a national policy summit. More than 700 organizations throughout the country have answered the call, planning activities in all fifty states.

Attack of the mini-Googles! - Business 2.0, January 20, 2007

Subject-specific search engines are proliferating like mad. But the smartest, like Mobissimo, are following the lead of the master.

How To Reap The Rewards Of Your Innovation - Forbes.com, January 17, 2007

A new book by two Boston Consulting Group gurus addresses the fundamental challenge of chasing new ideas.

Will My New Business Ever Make Money? - Forbes.com, January 16, 2007

Prepare a break-even analysis before laying out on a complete business plan. Here's how.

From the Technology Entrepreneur Center.

Welcome to a Vital Community Resource

Central Valley Christian Network is a great asset to the Christian community in Fresno and the Central Valley and is a fine example of entrepreneurial initiative. I was able to post an announcement for The Entrepreneur's Table meetings of our church on their site with great ease and a link back here. We'd like to welcome anyone coming from that link and congratulate CVCN for a job well done.

By the way, when you are near Fresno, drop in on one of our meetings:

The Entrepreneur's Table is a educational, support, and encouragement ministry as well as a leads group for believers who wish to apply biblical principles to their businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Participants are welcome to bring their own dinner and share together while they eat.

We meet in the Fellowship Hall at Baptist Temple, the Fellowship of Joy, 4141 N. Fresno St. between Ashlan and Dakota.

It is a small and energetic group.

The Entrepreneurial URGE

The entrepreneurial urge is the motivational edge of men and women who love to develop bold initiatives and who change the world little by little.

When Steve Jobs approached John Sculley, then C.E.O. at PepsiCo about coming on board at Apple, he posed this question:

"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?"

No doubt, Jobs knew that the question would go to the heart of Sculley's "urge" and elicit the desired response.

Do you want to change the world?

That is what entrepreneurs do every day. They change it person by person, idea by idea, perception by perception, piece by piece. They do it the way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

Here is an acronym for URGE. I am making it up as I write it here:

1. U = Urgency. That is what an urge is, an inner sense of urgency that says that something has to be done and it has to be done now and by YOU!
2. R = Resources. The entrepreneur may or may not have adequate resources, but she is willing to invest whatever she has and look for the rest. She is, after all, resourceful and sometimes that means being very creative.
3. G = Grandiosity. The entrepreneurial urge is to think big - bigger than is practical, vaster than the present reality, greater than others can imagine. You see it when others don't.
4. E = Energy. This is so vital to the entrepreneurial mindset and spirit. Energy flows and is directed toward the point of focus. The entrepreneur makes other people tired because he is tireless and does not quit.

Do you have the urge? Do you want to change the world?

From Crown Ministries

Managing time with a home business

by Crown Financial Ministries

According to several recent surveys, more women than ever are seeking to leave full-time jobs and return home to become stay-at-home moms or to operate home-based businesses. However, many of these stay-at-home moms who have chosen to start an at-home business have discovered that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done. Read More! In fact, some feel as if they are busier than when they worked full time outside the home. 10 tips for managing time Working at home requires a certain level of flexibility and liberty, but daily abandoning scheduled work can lead to an unhealthy business. “The Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body…for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good” (Deuteronomy 30:9-10). The following are 10 tips that will help any stay-at-home mother manage her home business.

Carving Out the Time

A minority of the people who have great dreams and the drive to to live them have the time necessary to build what is in their heart. Hearty souls do it anyway. They carve out time in small segments. They build their businesses in the cracks and crevices of their schedules. They get up early and go to bed late. They turn off their televisions. They consolidate trips. They do more than one thing at the same time.

They are creative with time and committed to their vision.

Do you waste time? Is it possible that some of you who said "no" might not realize that you do? Have you carefully considered how to be more time efficient and still have time for rest and family?

Sometimes it is a matter of optimum time. There are rhythms and tides in your day and week that, when fully appreciated and managed, allow you to do the right thing at the right time and get more done. Pay attention to the tides.

No one has done anything great just because they had a lot of time on their hands. No one has been hindered from greatness just for a lack of time.

5 Vital Signs of Healthy Leadership

Written by Mike Tucker

Vital signs help medical professionals assess the health of patients under their care. Vital signs are a quick and effective way of diagnosing a patient’s health. Assessing leaders in a local church is more difficult. How can church leaders know if they are leading their churches in a healthy way?

Spiritual Leadership

The Apostle Paul was a healthy leader. In his letter to the church at Philippi we discover five vital signs of healthy leadership.

Vital Sign #1: Healthy Leaders Demonstrate Spiritual Vitality
Paul was a healthy leader because he was spiritually vibrant and alive. In Philippians 1:21 Paul stated: “For me, living in Christ and dying is gain.” Paul shared the secret to spiritual vitality: We must move from a self-directed life to a God-directed life. Ministry leadership in the church is not about us. It’s not about buildings, budgets, or baptisms – healthy leadership is all about God’s presence in our lives.

Paul’s’ leadership was rooted in healthy theology. His leadership was spiritually vibrant and alive because he had a healthy perspective. Because Paul surrendered all he had to Jesus he didn’t fear death. He was able to demonstrate courage regardless of circumstances. Paul’s example reminds us that spiritual vitality begins with surrender, gains a proper perspective, and is lived out in courage.

Vital Sign #2: Healthy Leaders Are Motivated by a Compelling Vision
Paul was consumed by a compelling vision. He understood his mission to share the gospel and nothing could stop him. Even being under house arrest couldn’t stop him. In Philippians 1:12 he shared: “How I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advancement of the gospel.” He shared the gospel with prison guards.

Healthy leaders are passionate and motivated by a compelling vision. Healthy leaders know who they are and what God wants them to do. Vision propels them forward. It’s always about tomorrow, never yesterday. Healthy leaders are “tomorrow people” – reaching, serving, and leading to grasp and obey the vision God has for them.

A compelling vision simplifies matters. It cuts through the fog of activity and takes hold of us. Healthy leaders with a compelling God-sized vision have no trouble getting up in the morning. They look forward to the ministry God has in store for them. Ministry isn’t a chore – it’s a calling.

Vital Sign #3: Healthy Leaders Commit to Ongoing Learning
In Philippians 3:10,12 Paul prayed, “ My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…Not that I have already reached the goal…but I make every effort.” In this passage Paul stated that he wanted to know Jesus. He knew he has more to learn.

Healthy leaders look for regular opportunities to “sharpen the saw.” They are lifetime learners who continue to study and grow. Healthy leaders give time to learning new skills that enhance their ability to lead.

Vital Sign #4: Health Leaders Are Relationally Connected
Paul cherished his relationship with the believers at Philippi. In Philippians 1:3 he said, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you.” As a healthy leader Paul has established a partnership with this church. It was based on their common experience together. There are times when leaders must face loneliness, but leadership does not happen in isolation. Healthy leaders resist the temptation to push or pull. Healthy leaders are connected to those they lead.

Unhealthy leaders distance themselves from people. This leads to a lack of fellowship and accountability that can be fatal for a leader’s ministry. Unhealthy leaders let relational problems fester by refusing to deal with them. Repairing relationships is hard and exhausting work but absolutely essential for a healthy leader.

When leaders are vitally connected to others, there is accountability. Healthy leaders surround themselves with people who are willing to hold them accountable. Everyone in leadership needs those who love him or her enough to tell him or her when he or she has blown it. Without accountability, pride erodes our ability to lead.

Vital Sign # 5: Healthy Leaders Serve with a Sense of Divine Empowerment
In Philippians 4:13,19 Paul declared: “ I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me…And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Paul knew that the epicenter of his leadership was Jesus Christ. Paul knew that only when we are totally dependent on God and empowered by His Spirit are we genuinely sufficient.

Healthy leaders know that when their lives are linked with God’s purposes, we share in His resources. Healthy leaders give up their small ambitions because they know God will supply all they need to do His will. They look beyond themselves to see His grand purpose in their lives. And they stimulate others to join them in the greatest adventure of life – serving God and seeing His will unfold before them.

Consider your present ministry. How do you ministry vital signs compare with these of healthy leaders? Are there areas of your life and ministry in which you want to improve? Determine today how you can become a healthier ministry leader.

Use A Healthy Leadership Self-Examination Checklist to evaluate the evidence of healthy leadership in your life and ministry.

Mike Tucker serves as a LifeWay Church Consultant in Flower Mound, Texas.

Related Articles:

1. Insights in Christian Education
2. The Minister of Education As a Strategist
3. Equipping Leaders in a Fast-Break World
4. Education Ministry in Changing Times

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LifeWay Christian Resources

Darla's

It is always good to see our folks posting new blogs. Introducing Darla's latest offering. Read it!

I like the title: You Only Get One Dress Rehearsal Anita Pili

While you are at it, check out Beamon's Emporium.

Because of my disposition, interests, and access, I will seldom consider a business venture anymore that does not have strong internet capabilities for marketing, communication with ones organization, and immediate access to resources, tools, and information.

This may not be the case for everyone, but it for me and I suspect it is for you since you are reading this on the internet.

The link below meets my criteria for this concern. If their web presentation is attractive to you, it will also be so to those you may refer:

We gathered around the table last night at the Fellowship of Joy to study "Chasing Daylight" and do our Entrepreneur's Table study. I had assigned some dreaming and got more than I expected. The groupo came back with a big, really BIG dream. In fact, it was one that I had had and expaned.

It just goes to show you what can happen when you re;lease people with sanctified imaginations.

Bill Tucker has ventured into the world of blogging. His first offering is Copier Expert and he does a fine job.

Bill owns three companies:

Toner Overnight
Advancedofficemachines
www.crochetmart.com

He is no stranger to the world of internet web hosting and writing as evidenced by these ventures:

His Toner Forum
The Temple Skate Church Website -
Bill is pastor of the Baptist Temple, Fellowship of Joy Skate Church

What Is Your Widget?

As an entrepreneur, you are peddling a big idea. It may be concrete or ethereal, but it is, nevertheless, real.

Can you explain it with enthusiasm, passion, and clarity? Can you describe your "widget" in a few sentences or 30 seconds? That may be all the time you have and you need to be ready.

Whether your widget" is the product of your mind or your hands, you need to be able to communicate "what it is" as with compelling brevity.

We are all selling something: ideas, products, services, ourselves.

There are three necessities in any form of selling and I have coined the terms.

We need digits, widgets, and fidgets.

Digits are about numbers. Some will; some won't; so what! So we need to do big numbers in getting our messages out.

Widgets are what we have to offer and it better be good.

Fidgets represent the n ervous energy and enthusiasm that just can't keep quite about what we have.