December 2024

Merry Christmas!

This morning I’m diving into the C’s in the A,B,C,D’s of glorifying God with your business. 

As we begin to look at how having the right attitude and practicing spiritual disciplines bear spiritual fruit in a Godly character, we start with love. This is a very appropriate place to start since love is the ultimate source of all of the other character traits in the fruit of the spirit.

When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment he said that love is the summary of the entire Bible (at least what was available at that point in time) — He said that “love God” and “love your neighbor” are the two great commandments. Love can summarize all of scripture because all scripture points to God (“God is love”) and tells of His great love for us.

As we grow in Christlikeness, we will naturally grow in our love for God and our love for our neighbors.

But what does love look like in business?

Read the full article here.

I’m in the middle of a long series on the “A,B,C,D’s of Glorifying God with Your Business”. So far we’ve talked about five attitudes (A’s) and seven behaviors (B’s). Each of these mindsets and habits are honoring to God on their own, but the real impact they have on your business is realized through how these changes shape your character to be more like Christ.  The five attitudes prepared our hearts for the hard work and discipline of the behaviors, and to receive and respond to God’s truths that those behaviors would deliver. The seven behaviors or habits or disciplines largely deliver the raw materials (God’s truths in His Word) that the Holy Spirit uses in changing our hearts and our character to be more like Christ.

With the A’s and B’s behind us, we look forward to the C’s (Godly character traits) that enable the D’s (God-honoring decisions). In the next nine articles, we will explore this God-glorifying character through the lens of the nine-part Fruit of the Spirit outlined by Paul in his letter to the churches in Galatia.

This article reviews where we’ve been and looks forward to where we’re going.

The importance of documenting processes in businesses cannot be overstated. Creating and maintaining a playbook can significantly reduce time and effort by ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in alignment with the company’s culture and vision.

“The Business Playbook” by Chris Ronzio is a valuable resource that guides businesses on developing effective documentation. As a growing business, having a clear playbook is essential, particularly for those anticipating ownership changes. A well-structured playbook not only enhances operational efficiency but also instills confidence in potential buyers regarding the business’s continuity and profitability post-owner transition.

I highly recommend “The Business Playbook” to businesses seeking to streamline their operations and prepare for future transitions.

Read my full review here.

Ed Gehres, Jr. is an attorney and businessman who has been involved in many mergers and acquisitions. He has written “Acquire Before You Exit” specifically to help business owners increase the value of their business by growing their business by buying up and integrating other small businesses. 

Gehres wrote “Acquire Before You Exit” because of the many mistakes he had seen business owners make as they prepared to sell their businesses. The book reads very much like a conversation with a trusted advisor sharing from his broad experience. In it, he walks the reader step-by-step through the process from thinking about growth through achieving it and then preparing to exit.

Every company and every deal is unique, so it’s impossible to provide a generic step-by-step that will cover every situation, but the author does a great job of providing a general approach and then talking about the exceptions. He includes practical advice on when and how to leverage external resources, and he tells lots of stories of companies that have done it well (and others that made mistakes to avoid).

To cap it off, Gehres includes nearly 100 pages of additional resources including example documents, agreements, checklists, etc.

Bottom line, “Acquire Before You Exit” is an excellent resource for anyone involved in mergers and acquisitions, on either side. Although not as polished as books from major publishers, the author’s style is very approachable and the content provides a comprehensive and practical guide to the entire process of growing through acquisition. As with input from any advisor, the reader should consider the author’s insights within the context of their specific situation, but I strongly recommend the book to anyone planning on buying or selling a business.

Read my full review here.