We asked people engaged with BAM around the world to share how they see the sacred-secular divide affecting thinking in the Church in their country – and how this influences engagement of Christians the business sphere. Perspectives from North and South America João Mordomo – Brazil My day-to-day experience in both mission and business, as well […]
Should I shut my business down if I’m not seeing spiritual fruit? Instant milk. That’s how a Brazilian friend recently portrayed the challenge of how our contemporary church culture often trains, and equips us to think about, and plan for results. We mix the powder with the water and voila – we have instant, pat-yourself-on-the-back […]
Once a month, our panel of mentors answer your practical business questions. Send us your questions! Dear BAM Mentor, Should I shut my business down if I’m not seeing spiritual fruit? ~ In Two Minds Dear In Two Minds, I think this is far too simplistic a question. The most obvious oversimplification is “not seeing spiritual fruit”. This begs at […]
by David Stone What is the great divide? We categorize certain activities as sacred and others as secular. Orphanage ministry or business activity. Sacred or secular? We are still stuck in the divide! On a recent trip to Kathmandu, Nepal, I was visiting with a small expat short-term missions team on outreach. Two of the […]
A landlocked nation hedged in by the Himalayas, Nepal is an isolated frontier. With high shipping costs, an unstable government and corruption cascading from the top down, Nepal presents a challenging climate for incoming foreigners to start a business – to put it mildly. Yet there are huge needs and opportunities. There are deep labour […]
Insights from a BAM Practitioner ‘Julia’ has been a business owner in Mongolia for 12 years. Investing in people is challenging, but worth it My husband likes to quote his habitat for humanity friend on this: “It is easy to build houses and so hard to build people”. Houses stay put where you build them […]
Have you got any advice for me concerning HR issues that involve a clash of cultural or Biblical values? I want to pay my workers equally for doing the same job and in Nepal where I run my business, men and women don’t usually receive equal pay. It’s not so much an ethical dilemma for […]
by Mike Baer Adapted from material first published on the Third Path Blog, here and here, reposted with kind permission. I’ve consulted with a lot of business startups – usually after they’ve stalled or run into trouble. The problem in almost every case I have seen is not funding. It’s people. Not having the right […]
Once a month, our panel of mentors answer your practical business questions. Send us your questions! Dear BAM Mentor, Have you got any advice for me concerning HR issues that involve a clash of cultural or Biblical values? I want to pay my workers equally for doing the same job and in Nepal where I […]
by Peter Greer Excerpts from eBook ‘Stop Helping Us!’ reproduced with kind permission from the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics and Peter Greer. Buy eBook. Stop Helping Us! introduces a new paradigm for an evangelical response to poverty alleviation. Being effective means recognizing that there is a difference between short-term aid, which is important and […]
Insights from a BAM Practitioner Brian Albright has been involved in international development and business (in agriculture and health care) in East Africa since 2004. He currently teaches Business as Mission and Social Entrepreneurship at Hope International University in Fullerton, California, USA. Invest in your key relationships and stay teachable I’ve been blessed to partner with […]
Adapted and excerpted from the BAM Global Think Tank report on BAM at the Base of the Pyramid. The Call to Poverty Alleviation Through Business Business has a role in alleviating poverty. Christians in business have a unique opportunity, and responsibility, to address the suffering and injustice of the 2.5 billion people who live on less than US$2.50 […]
by Lauren Rahman Business is uniquely positioned to respond to the needs of this world. The Partners Worldwide global network works every day to leverage this truth for change. We recognize that business is a calling to do God’s work by creating flourishing economic environments in all parts of the world. In places where poverty […]
Once a month, our panel of mentors answer your practical business questions. Send us your questions! Dear BAM Mentor, One of the purposes of my business is to create jobs in an area where there is a lot of need. I am feeling the tension between hiring more people who are particularly vulnerable and desperately […]
Dreaming is the easy part of starting a business. Putting the pen to paper, turning ideas into action, and getting others on board to believe in the vision with you is where the real work begins. Getting financing for the business is at the crux of turning ideas into reality, where the vision grows legs […]
Excerpt from the recently published BAM Global Think Tank report on Business as Mission Funding. Transformational SME – BAM Investor Profile Transformational SME (TSME) was established in 2001, after two and a half years of market research and business plan development. Their goal is to capitalize growth-stage SMEs with patient, strategically integrated financial, intellectual and human […]
Insights from a BAM Practitioner Peter has lived and worked in a professional and business capacity for over 30 years throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South and North America and is a pioneer in the business as mission movement. He currently consults on business as mission all over the world and is the CEO […]
by Mike Baer Post first published on the Third Path Blog, reposted with kind permission. The still famous line from the movie Jerry McGuire is “Show me the money!” Some of you have been thinking that as you’ve read the rest of this series. How do I get money to launch my startup? I’m going to outline […]
What would you say were the most important things to prepare or think about as I approach a BAM investor? What are some typical pitfalls or mistakes I could avoid? Before you walk down the road of approaching an outside investor, why not consider the possibility of self-funding – also known as “bootstrapping” – your company? If you decide to bootstrap, […]
Excerpt from the recently published BAM Global Think Tank report on Business as Mission Funding. The word ‘funding’ refers to the spectrum of financial resources required for a business venture through the normal life-cycle phases of every business: start-up, growth, maturity, and decline. It includes a range of monetary sources, each with attributes unique to each […]
What would you say were the most important things to prepare or think about as I approach a BAM investor? What are some typical pitfalls or mistakes I could avoid? Funding for your new business is obviously crucial – no cash, no business. So let’s think about this from an investor’s perspective. What is it that interests him or […]
Twice a month, our panel of mentors answer your practical business questions. Send us your questions! Dear BAM Mentor, What would you say were the most important things to prepare or think about as I approach a BAM investor? What are some typical pitfalls or mistakes I could avoid? ~ Getting Prepared Dear Getting Prepared, Funding for your new business is […]
by Kevin White Kazakhstan is one of the top ten fastest growing economies in the world. This multicultural developing nation is home to 140 various ethnicities and 17 religious groups. The capital city Astana is slated to host the Expo 2017. Kazakhstan’s ambitious 2050 plan is to become one of the top thirty most developed […]
Insights from a BAM Practitioner Dwight Nordstrom is a veteran of doing business in Asia for almost 30 years. He is on a continuing journey of learning how to deal with bribery and corruption as he leads Pacific Resources International, to expand manufacturing operations in China. Don’t make blanket statements about bribery and corruption. This […]
Twice a month, our panel of mentors answer your practical business questions. Send us your questions! Dear BAM Mentor, My customs broker tells me I have to give a gift to the customs officials to get our materials out of customs. He said it’s standard, no big deal. I asked the pastor at our local church […]
Post first published on the IBEC Ventures Blog, reposted with kind permission. Some people find it confusing to read about socially conscious business, social entrepreneurship or values-driven business. Isn’t business just business – driven by profit margins acceptable to shareholders? What’s all this talk of values, social impact and community development? For the past decade […]
Mats Tunehag has been speaking, writing and convening on business as mission for nearly 20 years. When he visited The BAM Review office recently, we asked him a few questions about the business as mission movement. Mats, what have you seen changing in business as mission in the last 15-20 years? We are seeing a reawakening […]
Who is a BAMer? What does ‘business as mission’ really mean? Not very much without a human face and real stories of the blood, sweat and tears that it takes to build a business. At the heart of every Kingdom-focused business there is that small team of dedicated human beings, carrying their personal passions and […]
Insights from a BAM Practitioner ‘Ben’ has spent a decade and more of his life in the specialty coffee industry. He has an unwavering passion for quality in coffee that has grown into a pursuit of quality in all aspects of his life – in business, in mission, and in relationships. The quality of relationships in the […]
What are the most important questions to ask myself when evaluating a business opportunity? When I first heard this question my reflex response from 30 years experience of running a business was… When will I get my investment back, what is the percentage return on investment and what is the risk?! My more considered response is to […]