We interviewed Timothy, a consultant with a mission sending organisation that has been developing a metrics tool to evaluate businesses across their organisation globally. How did this metrics tool come about? I work as part of a team that consults to and supports BAM-type entities across Asia and we were looking for a way to […]
‘Every Crystal Has a Story’, is the tag line of Forever Crystals. Every person also has a story. Here is the story of Merari Pena and her business Forever Crystal Jewelry. It started with her father. Merari, a native of Puerto Rico, was raised in the church and at the age of 16 she became […]
How are we doing? How do we know how we’re doing? These are two important questions for all businesses! One of the most commonly mentioned fruitful practices for BAM practitioners is to have solid input from either mentors or an advisory board, or both. These are the people that will help keep a BAM company […]
We asked our team of BAM experts to give some practical advice for BAM practitioners in the beginning stages of business planning. For this post we asked them to share ideas about developing goals and vision. Mats Tunehag, Larry Sharp and Garry all actively mentor frontline BAM companies – as well as teach and write on […]
We asked a team of BAM experts to give some practical advice for BAM practitioners creating business plans. For this post we asked them about key stakeholders in the business planning process. A stakeholder is anyone with an interest in a business. Stakeholders are individuals, groups or organisations that are affected by the activity of the […]
We are exploring the integration of business and mission, and the tensions this integration can produce. In Part 1 I introduced two different models of connecting mission with business: ‘Hitched Together’ and ‘Pushed Together’. In Part 2 I unpacked some of the tensions that occur when you ‘Hitch Together’ business and mission. Here is more about ‘Pushed […]
We are exploring the integration of business and mission, and the tensions this integration can produce. In Part 1 I introduced two different models of connecting mission with business: ‘Hitched Together’ and ‘Pushed Together’. Here is more about ‘Hitched Together’ and the tensions that tend to arise with this model. The ‘Hitched Together’ Model ‘Hitched Together’ is when […]
Business as mission is all about the two I’s: Intention and Integration. In BAM we take the innate God-given potential of business to produce innovation, resource multiplication, job creation, community development, and so on, and intentionally leverage that power for ‘missional’ goals. Business as mission is demonstrating what the Kingdom of God is like in […]
We’ve been taking an in depth look at BAM companies in the IT Industry in the last few weeks. Here’s what two BAM company owners said about how IT is strategic for business as mission: The advantage of an IT company for a B4T is that programming is a skillset that transcends borders and language. […]
IT Jobs Project Manager – Software Development Company in Vietnam We are an IT outsourcing company located in SE Asia and are currently looking to hire a Project Manager to join our growing team. This person will help us plan, schedule and control all project activities to ensure project requirements are met, and provide leadership while building positive professional […]
Interview with Joseph Vijayam Joseph Vijayam founded Olive Technology 18 years ago. He is the CEO and Managing Director of the company, now based in Colorado, USA and Hyderabad, India. We asked Joseph what got him started, what are some pros and cons of being in IT, and what advice does he have for up-and-coming BAMers looking […]
The sacred-secular divide is one of the most serious barriers to business as mission engagement. It is the reason, given again and again, that business people do not feel affirmed in their call to business and do not realise the good their business could do. Here are two books to help you, and the business people […]
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 Asia and Australia Rod St.Hill – Australia The sacred-secular divide is alive and well in Australia. A common complaint […]
We asked three BAM practitioner at different stages of their BAM journey to share how their thinking has changed enroute. Carlos in West Africa My wife and I initially came to West Africa as ‘traditional missionaries’. After 3 years of pastoring a church we came across some real challenges. The country where we live is […]
The Church worldwide has been mobilized to pray and give generously to Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake there ten days ago. The worst earthquake in Nepal since 1934, this disaster has already claimed over 7000 lives, with fears of more to come as disease, isolation and displacement take their toll. As you […]
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. Here are some of their responses and we will be posting more in the coming two weeks. Patrick Kuwana – […]
by Larry Sharp Post first published on the IBEC Ventures Blog, reposted with kind permission. This question is sometimes asked me by North American kingdom business persons who own or manage businesses: “What can I offer as consultant, advisor, mentor or coach?” It is a natural question for business persons living and working in a very […]
Interview with Peter Shaukat – Part 2 With 15 years of experience recruiting for, mentoring, and investing in BAM companies all over the Arab world and Asia, Peter has a unique perspective into Human Resources for business as mission. Continuing our interview, we asked him to share what he sees as essential characteristics of a […]
Last week we unpacked the Top 3 biggest HR issues in business as mission – as related to us by 25 BAM Practitioners. We asked them: What have been the most important HR issues in your BAM business experience? Here are the rest of the Top 10 most frequently mentioned Human Resource challenges and some of the […]
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 […]
What have been the most important HR issues in your BAM business experience? That is the question we put to 25 BAM Practitioners. These are the three most frequently mentioned Human Resource challenges and some of the comments that business owners shared with us. 1. Finding the complete package The issue that kept coming up again and […]
We asked 25 BAM Practitioners one simple question: What have been the most important HR issues in your BAM business experience? Here are the Top 10 issues that they mentioned the most: 1. Finding the complete package Recruiting and hiring people with the right mix of business skills, character formation and mission-motivation. 2. Cultural […]
As we introduce this new series on ‘Business Fights Poverty’ on The BAM Review blog, we want to recommend the documentary Poverty, Inc. as a great resource to understand more about this issue. We believe enterprise is the way God designed communities to rise out of poverty and develop. Business is integral to human flourishing. […]
Interview with Dr. Steve Rundle Steve, I know you have been doing some interesting research on BAM in the last few years, can you briefly describe what you have been looking at? As an economist, I’ve always been interested in the relationship between the structure and governance of a company and its performance. Since the […]
Click image to open PDF, save or print. With thanks to Larry Sharp and Dwight Nordstrom.
Interview with Dwight Nordstrom Dwight, you have been in business for 25 years in China, and not just any business, you’ve been involved in manufacturing in big industries, like chemicals and telecommunications, regularly importing supplies and exporting products. How big has the issue of corruption been? Well let me just start by saying: This is […]
Corruption is defined as the misuse of power by someone to whom it has been entrusted, for their own private gain. The most common form of corruption is bribery, which is defined as the giving or receiving of money, a gift or other advantage as an inducement to do something that is dishonest, illegal or a […]
Read our short introduction to business as mission: Business is a God-given vocation and institution in society, with the potential to bring multiple benefits to people, communities and nations. Business as mission intentionally leverages this intrinsic power of business to address spiritual needs, hand in hand with social, economic and environmental needs. Business as mission is demonstrating […]
Living in Thailand, we are surrounded by houses built on pillars. This picture hangs in our house, a constant reminder of the importance of strong foundations. I think of a BAM business being like a house built on pillars. No matter what shape the house is, what it looks like on the outside, the pillars […]
Getting stirred up for business as mission? Wondering how to get started, here are our top five tips: 1. Seek the Lord Take time to pray. If God is calling you to serve Him in business, ask where, when, how, with who? What path of preparation is He leading you on? 2. Connect with BAM […]