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Last week’s blog presented four reasons that I have observed for Kingdom business failures.  These businesses were all in the high risk corridor in Africa and Asia (10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator).  We talked about the business having the right person, being in the right place, with the right product and the […]

I recently returned from a conference where I was speaking on themes related to BAM (Business as Mission).  I shared some factual data, some principles and best practices and, of course, some successful case studies.  I always welcome audience participation and one well-informed and experienced business man raised his hand and asked, “What about the […]

Yesterday was Mother’s Day.  I always think about my mom who passed away 15 years ago; and I often remember my mother-in-law, who also is long gone from this life. I learned many things from my mother-in-law business owner. Doris was the founding owner of a seafood company in Kenai, Alaska.  I worked for her […]

I am writing this on an airplane while on my way to Phoenix to speak at a conference about Business as Mission.  Also tonight my youngest daughter is flying to Nepal as part of a First Response Team for World Vision.  Certainly the results of the earthquake there have produced a humanitarian crisis of gigantic […]

Incubators, accelerators, business developers, startup weekends, coaches, consultants… Do these terms confuse you?  Some people use these interchangeably; others make a distinction that’s important to them.  Where do these business efforts fit in relation to a consulting group like IBEC? First, we define IBEC Ventures as a consulting group offering a variety of coaching, mentoring, training […]

Our blog content often focuses on business–related themes such as ethics, poverty, innovation, business leadership, management etc.  But mission is also a fundamentally important part of a Kingdom business.  IBEC helps start and grow businesses which become profitable and sustainable, create jobs and share the “Good News” of Jesus. Sometimes I get a little angry […]

Last week we listed six things entrepreneurs do and gave examples from Business As Mission (BAM) businesses we know.  This week we will look at five things they do not do – in and out of the BAM world.  Steve Tobak of Fox Business (and author of Real Leaders Don’t Follow) suggests in a March […]

While on a recent flight I picked up the Spring 2015 issue of Startups magazine.  An article by Marcia Layton Turner caught my eye: Get started: 12 signs you’ve got what it takes to start your own business. You can read the online version (12 Signs You Have an Entrepreneurial Mindset) in full on Entrepreneurs […]

I have recently been listening to Clay Christensen (Harvard Business School) describe his idea of disruptive innovation.  He calls it a theory and has some amazing examples from the steel and auto industry, tech examples and even education.  The definition below comes from Christensen’s website which I highly recommend. “Disruptive innovation, a term of art […]

We have written some thoughts in recent blogs about ethics, corruption and bribery.  Because IBEC serves businesses in countries that are the most corrupt in the world (see www.transparency.org), we hear stories like this from time to time.  This story gives a glimpse of what it is like to make ethical decisions in the real-life […]