Tag Archives: Christian Business

Making Changes and Letting Go

6 Mar

I’ve been listening to God and making changes in my online business and unfortunately while I was making some of those changes this blog got neglected.  But no more!

Thanks to some great referrals my web design and development business is really taking off.  I’ve have got awesome clients and they are not afraid to tell their friends about my work.  This is great news, but it sure does keep me busy.

After talking with a good friend online I have decided that I have to learn how to let go.  Let go of those projects that are not what God is wanting me to do.  While I’ve been focusing on what God has been telling me to do, I still have some other projects that are taking up valuable time.  So I’m letting those go and boy is it hard to do!

I mentioned last week that I started a new blog, WP Geek Girl, and while WordPress is one direction I believe the Lord is leading me in, I just don’t have the time to update another blog.  So I’m moving it to this blog.  You will be seeing much more posts about WordPress in the near future.

It’s hard work to put God in the forefront of your business but it is the only way to become a success.

Does Your Family Support You?

8 Jan

Do you have your family’s support for your online business and/or blog?  Are they an encouragement or hindrance to you and your business?  My husband is supportive when I’m making money and less so when I’m not.  I don’t really blame him though.  He doesn’t understand the way the Internet Marketing world works.  I’m still learning myself.

Running my online business and blog is something I enjoy doing, even when my income takes a dive some months.  I love being able to stay home with my kids but I need something that is my own and separate from the kids.  My online business fills this need.  It allows me to be creative and interact with other adults, even if it is just online.  As along as I’m happy my family is happy.

One thing I struggle with is not letting my love of blogging and such to take over my life.  My family and kids will always come first but it is easy to let blogging and Internet marketing to take up too much space in my day.  There is a balance that I struggle to achieve at times.  That is when the support of family comes into play the most for me.   While my online business is important to me, my family is more important, and they constantly remind me of that.

Another thing that has helped me is prayer and God’s guidance.  I believe I am following God’s will in my life through my online business and that makes balancing everything so much easier.  If I feel like the Internet is over taking my world, I turn to God in prayer and ask Him for strength.  After all, God is the reason I am even able to have an online business.

So, does your family support you?  Do they understand why you run an online business or blog?

Setting Work at Home Goals for Your Christian WAHM Business

16 Dec

The Office
Creative Commons License photo credit: chrisjroos
At the end of each year, work at home moms are bombarded with information and challenges to help them set goals and create the business of their dreams in the upcoming months.

But if you’re a Christian work at home mom who is seeking God’s will for her business, you may find many of these techniques just don’t work for you. If you’ve committed your business to God, and are building your business on faith, wordly wisdom won’t hold all the answers you need, and the material goals you set often won’t be achieved.

That is not to say you won’t be successful. I believe very much that God desires for us to be successful and to prosper. It’s just that your success won’t necessarily look or come about the way you expect.

Here are some goals that I set each year that have helped me build a business that puts God first. If you set goals like these, you will be on your way to honoring God in your business and finding your success in Him this year.

1. To spend time with God each day. I have learned to not start my day without a devotional time consisting of Bible reading and prayer. On days I skip my devotions, I just feel “off” for the rest of the day and unprepared for whatever my day brings. During your quiet time, you can ask God to prepare you for the day, give you wisdom for what you’ll face, and to make you ready for any opportunities He’s bringing to you.

2. To build relationships with other Christian business owners. Fellowship together and talk about how you see God working in your businesses. You will feel encouraged and strengthened in your walk of faith.

3. To set proper priorities. It’s easy for me to be consumed by my businesses and my blogs. But I know one of the reasons God wants me at home is to care for my family. If I’m too busy to help my children with their schoolwork, or to talk to my husband about his day at work, that’s a sign my priorities may not be right.

4. To seek wisdom. Learn from experienced work at home moms about how to build a business. But don’t ever assume that what has worked for them will work for you too. Instead, talk to God about what you’re learning and ask for His direction.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Denise Willms is a Publicity and Marketing Virtual Assistant and work at home mom of two teenagers. Do you want to know more about how you can work at home too? Visit www.wahm-articles.com and search for articles on the topic you’re most interested in. While you’re there, go ahead and subscribe the the WAHM Tips newsletter. You’ll get new WAHM expert articles delivered to your inbox each week!

Understanding Christian Business Opportunities For the Newbie

12 Dec

There is so much information on how a Christian can start an online business and how they can get started by taking advantage of Christian business opportunities. Information overload is often the very thing that keeps the newbie that is new to internet marketing from starting their own home business.

If you have been seeking information on the internet for a business opportunity for any amount of time, you most likely have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of. The internet is full of online business opportunities and it can be very overwhelming for a newbie. There are so many informative programs on the internet that say they can guide the average person into learning how to run a successful business through using their marketing plans.

If you’re a newbie to the internet, don’t wait until after you have spent a lot of money, only to discover that a lot of opportunities on the internet are scams. Scammers are popping up all over the internet. Take the time and do your homework, and make sure it is a legitimate business opportunity with a good marketing plan.

Have you ever seen those business opportunity websites with pictures of cars, boats and a lot of cash, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment of temptation.They say you are going to make an enormous amount of money over night. They even go as far as to say you don’t need any knowledge or understanding of internet marketing, they will take care of every thing for you. Don’t give them your hard earned money only to get nothing in return. There is no such thing as get rich quick programs.

To start an online business and be successful, it is going to take some time and patience, and you have to be willing to learn and work at it in order to make it a successful business. Success does not happen over night, its not the Christian way.

Starting and maintaining an online business means hard work and the ability to learn marketing. You can’t put up a website and just forget it; you need to promote your business to be successful, and this is going to take some effort on your part. The Internet is a powerful marketing tool, if used correctly, and you’re willing to work at it, you will find the reward well worth it.

If your plan was to do a search for Christian business opportunities to find some business ideas to start an online business and you don’t have a lot of money to work with, you will discover that an online business does not require a large amount of money. All you need is a website, a domain name and good way to promote it.

Today, in the world of the internet, we have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to opportunities and business ideas. To start an online business you must understand, you’re going to sell a product or provide a service that can be done online. Let us check out some business ideas for an online business.

1. You can create a digital product and make your knowledge sell. Write a book? A how-to guide? A saleable manual? Your good at cooking and have your recipes that you have been keeping all to yourself, you can create your own e-book to sell online.

Everybody has literally hundreds of starting points! What is it that you love to talk about? A hobby? Golf, fishing, hunting, and so forth? What do you do for fun and games? What do you do day after day, sewing, knitting, making quilts, rugs, without even thinking about it?

Take the time and think about what you tend to do in a typical day, and what you’ve learned from it. What sections of a book store or a magazine shop do you automatically gravitate toward? What kind of TV shows do you tend to like most? Movies? As you can see you have picked up a lot of experience and knowledge and yours is based on what you already know.

2. Start an online business using a drop ship supplier. All you would need is a wholesale supplier who will drop ship products that you want to sell in your internet store, a low cost web site and a merchant account. With an online store you have the opportunity to sell just about anything, computers, DVD movies, small kitchen appliances, jewelry, the list goes on. The wholesale supplier charges you a set price for the products and your profit is the difference between that price and the price you charge your customers in your online store. The wholesale supplier will drop ship the product to your customer with your company name on the package.

3. Start an online business with affiliate programs. There is a lot of companies with Christian business opportunities that try to encourage people to promote their products on their website, blog, or email. In return, the said company will pay you a certain percentage of every sale. You can make anywhere from 5% to 75% profit depending on what company you choose to sign up with.

4. Start your own online auction. If you are into auctions and thinking about starting an online career as an auction seller then you may want to check out eBay. There are millions of people making an income selling on eBay full or part time. You can use eBay to sell just about any item you think of, or you can create your own website. You can sell just about anything on eBay.

5. Start a Christian bookstore. With an online a book store you don’t have the hassles of stocking inventory or shipping and handling products. You will also discover in today’s economy that a lot of people find it convenient to do their shopping online. More and more elderly people are also finding it convenient to do their shopping online so they can enjoy the comfort of their home.

These are just some of the online business ideas for a newbie to keep in mind when you’re doing a search for Christian business opportunities. This will give you a better understanding of what to look for, and help you come up with some good ideas of your own.

Our Christian Site at http://www.christianideas.net helps Christians to start a online business that will enable them with the tools needed to succeed in spreading God’s Word. For more information check out our FREE educational tutorials for Christian Business opportunities

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Francis_Hirak

Books About Blogging the Bible

17 Nov

1184809_79081312I’ve been thinking a lot lately about blogging the Bible and different ways we as Christian bloggers and business owners can incorporate the Bible and Christian characteristics in our blogs and businesses.  In the course of my research I have found that may be  some books may be about this very topic, or at least the titles would make you think so.

The first book I saw is actually titled Blogging the Bible.  Amazon does not say much about this book so I’m not sure what is about.

The second book I saw is called The Blogging Church.  According to Amazon this book “offers church leaders a field manual for using the social phenomenon of blogs to connect people and build communities in a whole new way. Inside you will find the why, what, and how of blogging in the local church. Filled with illustrative examples and practical advice, the authors answer key questions learned on the frontlines of ministry: Is blogging a tool or a toy? What problems will blogging solve? How does it benefit ministry? How do I build a great blog? and Who am I blogging for?” It sounds like a very interesting book.

Another book I found is titled Blogging for God Devotional but Amazon does not tell me anything about this book either.

Have you found any books on the topic of blogging the Bible?  If so, I would love to hear about them.

courtneyspeakssignature

Let’s Talk Integration

16 Nov

Grunge style retro microphoneToday my friend LaTara had her first show on Blog Talk Radio. She did a great job and hit on some great points about following God’s will for your life in regards to your online business.

LaTara’s show is called Let’s Talk Integration and will be aired lived every Monday at 12:00pm CST.  You can also listen to a replay of today’s  show over at Blog Talk Radio as well.  I highly recommend listening to the relay.  LaTara gives out some great information and a listener who called in, JoJo, chimes in with great food for thought.

What the Bible Says About Blogging as a Business

27 Oct

hard workNot to long ago I wrote a post titled, “What Does The Bible Say About Blogging.”  Of course the Bible doesn’t blogging by name and for many people blogging means different things.  For some it is just a hobby and for others it is a business.  For me it is both.  I have my hobby blogs such as A Mom Speaks and then I have my business blogs like this one and Christian Mom PLR.  I also have a ministry blog with a fellow sister in Christ, Faithful Bloggers.  So for me, blogging means a lot of different things.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us, “The thing that hath been, it [is that] which shall be; and that which is done [is] that which shall be done: and [there is] no new [thing] under the sun.“  Since there is nothing new under the sun, I wanted to know what the Bible would say about blogging.  I started by doing a topical study on business since I have a couple blogs that I operate as a business.  The Bible has a lot to say about business and working.

One verse is Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter [leads] only to poverty.“  Labor in this context means “painful diligence.”  Basically this is saying that if you work hard there will be a profit.  You can’t be lazy and just expect the money to start rolling in.  Pray, work hard, and pray some more and that will bring profit.

What Does The Bible Say About Blogging?

14 Oct

1 Corinthians 13
Creative Commons License photo credit: carmen zuniga
While the Bible does not specifically talk about blogging it does tells us how we should run as business.  For a lot of us blogging is a business and thus the same principals can be applied.  One verse in particular that sticks out to me is Psalms 112:5, “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.“  We should show favor, lend help, and deal with issues discretely.

I’m sure you have heard this saying many times, “It is greater to give than to receive“.  Sometimes we receive a greater blessing by simply helping someone.  Not only does it help the person but it also helps affirm your testimony with that person.  If you have helped someone in the right manner, not for yourself but out of pure love with a cheerful countenance, you can be rest assured that people  more than likely will come back to you the next time they need something done.

This can be a fine line to walk because you don’t want people to take advantage of you kindness and loving heart, especially if you are in a service based business, such as web design or content creation.  However, I truly believe that if you deal with issues discretely and in the right Biblical manner, than God will bless you and your blog and/or business.

courtneyspeakssignature

Christian Home Business Creations

28 Aug

i'm trying hard not to loose my internet connection
Creative Commons License photo credit: bengi gencer
Sometimes, as a Christian, you would prefer to have your business centered around Christian products, activities that are Christian in nature, or work with other believers.  However, when you look for an existing business opportunity that fits the bill, you may come up short.  So, what is the solution?  Create your own Christian home business.

There are many ways to create your own Christian home business.  How about running a Christian daycare where you offer activities and an environment that are centered on God’s Word?  Have Bible crafts and puppet shows.  Pray with the kids and teach them praise and worship songs.  Read them Bible stories and teach them about loving each other as God loves them.  What an opportunity to share God’s love and truths with kids that may not have this influence elsewhere.  Just make sure you present to the parents exactly what you are offering and let them choose whether they feel it’s the right environment for their children.

Do you like to write?  You can write Christian material for kids, parents, singles or any other group of people you feel led to minister to.  Articles, books, ebooks are all ways you can share about God’s truths.

Greeting cards – either writing the verses for the cards or doing the artwork – is another business you can use your Christian beliefs in.  By the cards I have seen in the stores, it’s apparent that we need some new talent!

Maybe you have a creative flair and would like to use it making Christian gift baskets.  Include some scripture tea, journals, devotionals and Christian music cd’s.  These can be offered to churches and would give them an alternative to flowers and the standard type of gifts for get well gifts, or for special birthday and anniversary presents.

Making Christian crafts and jewelry is another business you could start.  Or, create some Christian t-shirts, purses or other articles of clothing. Sell them at craft sales, churches for fundraisers, and Christian books and gifts stores. Also, set up a website and sell them online.

A Christian home business can bring honor to God and an income to you and your family.  Do your research, choose carefully, and enjoy!

Laurie Neumann offers coaching to help you choose a home based business that’s right for you.  Visit http://www.christianhomebusinessconnection.com/small-business-consulting.html