tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37493754039672153842024-02-07T21:19:12.440-07:00Faithventure ForumExploring the intersection of faith & entrepreneurship for disadvantaged communities.James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.comBlogger364125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-32576395427818879352019-09-09T15:49:00.001-06:002019-09-09T15:49:49.845-06:00For a long time there has been a hole in international development and business as mission in the area of sales training.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was excited to be introduced to
the <a href="http://wrpartnership.com/">Whitten & Roy Partnership</a> recently over lunch by one of its
consultants. There are so many great organizations implementing ideas in
the developing world that are not realizing their full marketing
potential because of a lack of training in sales tactics or a sub-par
sales plan. I've had many
long conversations with a sales professional friend discussing the need
for high-quality help in this area. A well thought out sales approach in developing
communities can even be a force for bringing about systematic change in
disadvantaged communities:<br />
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<a href="https://www.devex.com/news/this-company-is-redefining-sales-tactics-for-the-base-of-the-pyramid-94531">This company is redefining sales tactics for the base of the pyramid</a> </h3>
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SAN FRANCISCO — Scott Roy, co-founder of an international sales
consultancy, was doing research for a potential client in Cambodia when
he heard about a sales tactic he found appalling. </blockquote>
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A team tasked
with selling toilets to families would roll into villages with a set of
latrine components. In order to close the sale, one person made up a
threat, warning that government inspectors would fine the family if they
did not have a toilet, Roy said. Toilets are just one of the products
and services that can deliver real benefits for rural households in low-
and middle-income countries, but all too often organizations overlook
the importance of the sales approach. </blockquote>
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Many
people think sales is about talking someone into buying an item they do
not want or need, but those strategies are neither ethical nor
effective, say Scott Roy and Roy Whitten, founders of the international
sales consultancy <a href="http://wrpartnership.com/">Whitten & Roy Partnership</a>.<br />
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have seen worst case scenarios. But they have also seen how sales done
right can help organizations that seek to improve the lives of the poor
get their products and services to the last mile. That is why they are
working with clients in the international development community on an
important shift from product-led pitching to problem-led selling. </blockquote>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-91913542275339766112019-03-13T15:37:00.000-06:002019-03-13T15:37:10.427-06:00Belay Venture Partners Program Selects First Founder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>I’m excited to announce that Belay Enterprises has chosen Brittany Marlett as our first participant in the Venture Partners Program. Brittany's business, A Child’s Best Interest, is a home-based day care facility that started last year while participating in the Change Agency, a community development program of Denver area <a href="https://www.crosspurpose.org/">Cross Purpose</a>. After completing that program, she quickly grew her company to its max capacity where she is serving six kids a day in her home. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>And now she has big plans for her business. Over the next year, she wants to expand from her house into a day care facility. That will require her completing additional state-mandated training as well as obtaining financial investment in order to secure a new center.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Belay’s Venture Partner’s Program is excited to help her through this process. We have identified five mentors who have agreed to meet with her monthly to coach her on the various aspects of running a growing business. They plan to start by assisting her in refining the business plan for strategic growth into the new facility. I am especially excited that one of the mentors has significant experience running her own day care center and is also a certified trainer for the State of Colorado. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are you interested in being a mentor? Though Brittany’s cohort group is full, we are close to selecting other participants for the program that will be matched with coaches. This will be a unique opportunity for business leaders to use their business gifts and talents to impact the community for the gospel. We are looking for entrepreneurial Christ-following business people with a track record of success and a desire to use their talents to assist kingdom start-up businesses. Business mentors will also be encouraged to make an investment in our revolving donor advised fund that will be used to resource the founder business loans. Let us know you are <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">interested by visiting here.</a></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are also continuing to accept applications for our new program. Do you know an early-stage founder who might be interested? We are seeking Christian entrepreneurs with new ventures from the idea stage to up to 2 years old, that desire to transform lives. If you are interested in learning more, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">visit here</a>.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">At Belay Enterprises, we are passionate about the life-changing potential of start-up businesses being founded by followers of Christ. Join us as we seek the flourishing of our communities through gospel-centered businesses.</span></span></div>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-981928071411143242019-03-07T14:19:00.000-07:002019-03-07T14:25:39.749-07:00If You Are a Creative Person You Need to Create.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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And if you are an entrepreneur, your creativity is your superpower.
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But as your venture grows, your time for creativity declines. The tyranny of the urgent takes away your ability to think up new approaches and work "on" the business instead of "in" the business.
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The flip side of this problem is the creative entrepreneur who has a million ideas and is always planning something new but never able to start. Over and over, I’ve seen that the most creative people have the hardest time focusing and deciding which idea to pursue.
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So for any entrepreneur running a business, there is a creative sweet spot where one continues to be innovative but not paralyzed by the abundance of possibilities.
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There are three things you should do to stay in that zone:
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<b>Schedule time to be creative every day: </b>You need to fight daily for space where you can explore, dream and think. I like spending an hour in the morning with my coffee and my ideas. And then I try to schedule quiet blocks of time where I can work uninterrupted on new ideas.
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<b>Stay focused on your mission, your purpose:</b> It is so important to have an understanding of your own personal and organization mission as you play in the arena of your creative ideas. These give the freedom to explore new things without devolving into activity without impact or execution. Ideas are not things to be admired but concepts to guide us to further growth and new opportunities.
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<b>Finally, every idea finds it's power in concrete action steps:</b> What is the one thing you are going to do today about your idea? Who are you going to call? What are you going to write down? What small step is going to bring about the future today?
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-42995667423064266672019-02-27T16:04:00.001-07:002019-02-27T16:04:48.981-07:00There Are Two Ways You Can Kill a Startup: Too Little Business and Too Much Business. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span>A couple of years ago, our five month old custom cabinet
business, New Beginnings Custom Woodworks, was featured on our local news station. In our exuberance, we
signed up too many customers with an unrealistic view of how quickly we
could complete jobs. In less than a month, we had upset
customers and significant cash flow problems as we made mistakes in our
rush to complete jobs while also missing deadlines.</span><br />
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<span>For any new venture, I believe there are three top factors that protect a business from failure:</span><br />
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<li>A good fit between the product/ service and the market it serves.</li>
<li>A complete understanding of the company's cash flow position with daily projections. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.faithventureforum.org/2019/02/if-you-are-doing-entrepreneurship-you.html">Marketing, marketing, marketing</a>!</li>
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<span>In the case of our cabinet business misstep, we
were able to recover our financial footing through the three key
factors. Our product ultimately was a good fit with customer demand, so
after apologizing and then completing jobs satisfactorily, we were able
to refine our product to even better serve our customers. We
simplified our business by specializing in only shaker style cabinets, speeding up our
production time and allowing us to more strategically market to our
customers. Finally, our grasp of our cash flow position enabled us to
raise funds in time (through God’s abundant blessing) to make it through
our mistake and onto the future. </span><br />
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<span>I shared this story a few years ago for <a href="http://businessasmission.com/when-things-go-wrong-9-bamers-share-mistakes-misadventures/">an article in <b>The BAM Review</b></a>. It's a good survey of common business as mission mistakes for people leading new ventures.</span><br /><span></span></div>
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-78794216732181834182019-02-19T12:07:00.003-07:002021-04-06T11:45:50.967-06:00If You Are Doing Business as Mission, You Are Doing Marketing. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This has been a big theme of this website for many years. And it is the foundation of a marketing class I’ve taught for YWAM for 5 years.
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Recently, the importance of marketing came to the forefront while I gave a tour of <a href="https://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises </a>to a friend interested in mentoring for our Venture Partners program. He is a business broker, who is hired by individuals looking to sell their businesses. And he notes that nearly all of the businesses approaching him for sale have significant room for growth in the future, simply by implementing better marketing. Effective marketing is the key to a thriving venture.
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And marketing is more than advertising, as it is often, mistakenly limited to. When done at its best, it is about defining the minimally viable market for your good or service and then making appropriate decisions about price, place and people. For the faith venture practitioner, marketing done well provides an opportunity to redeem the promotion piece of marketing, which sometimes gets corrupted in secular organizations by the belief that the only thing important is making the sale. When I coach new BAM entrepreneurs, it is always such a joy to them when they are able to shift their marketing paradigm from just convincing people to buy their product to a more holistic understanding of it as blessing their customers.
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Are you interested in learning more? We are in the process of taking this marketing class online for individuals in the process of starting or running business as mission ventures. This is perfect for people remote in the two-thirds world. We are going to offer early participants a chance to demo the curriculum in the future at significant savings. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuuhomUiRi5UfooWmPE3YCUm6LzpKgQycp6pIzvvbYSrGPBw/viewform?usp=sf_link">Sign up here </a>and we will keep you up to date.
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-12761590349659537762019-02-07T13:06:00.000-07:002019-02-07T13:06:52.738-07:00Seeking Ranch Land to Change Lives<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you know someone with an available small plot of ranch land in the Denver area? <a href="https://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises</a>, has identified a great opportunity for a business that both employs and serves the refugee community in Colorado.
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A local Nepali pastor has approached us with the employment needs of his community. There are a number of older members who are struggling with learning English, which is negatively impacting their ability to find work. The pastor has also noticed that his community prefers buying whole farm-raised goats over pre-packaged meats at the supermarket. He's also discovered there is a great price spread between purchasing the goats in other states and then selling them individually in Colorado. But the difficulty with the model is finding an affordable place to ranch the goats close to Denver.
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This goat business model is also an opportunity for other communities in the U.S. and in the right developed nations. Our research shows that even non-immigrant communities are increasingly demanding direct from farm meats because of the health benefits.
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Our search for ranch land is part of <a href="https://belay.org/bvpp/">Belay Enterprises' efforts in its Venture Partners Program</a> to help start-up businesses that transform lives. We are matching passionate early-stage Christian founders who desire to change lives through their businesses with mentoring groups of 3-5 business leaders. In addition, selected founders receive a start-up financial investment focused for business growth. All together, this investment of mentoring, technical expertise, and financial resources aims to increase the impact and effectiveness of the new ventures.
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Please <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">visit here</a></span></span> if you know someone who might be able to help out with the ranch land needs or if you want to learn more about our Venture Partners Program.
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-29665557513102836062019-02-05T14:55:00.001-07:002019-02-05T14:55:52.400-07:00Europe's Growing Desire for Third Wave Coffee Creates Opportunities to Employ Immigrants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the last decade, coffee culture has undergone a big change in the United States. It is a movement often referred to as the third wave of coffee. And this new approach is opening up big opportunities for business as mission (BAM) ventures, especially in places throughout Europe.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right after World War II, the first wave of coffee culture hit the American shores when the industry was invented with uniform roasts, mass produced for people less concerned about taste and more interested in price and a morning jolt of caffeine. In the 1990’s, Starbucks grew second wave coffee from a small shop in Seattle to locations all over the world. Second Wave coffee was defined by mass produced dark roasts emphasizing good taste that could by uniformly experienced in any of its stores.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are now in the middle of the third wave coffee movement where specialty stores are producing high-quality coffees of different styles and tastes. These coffees are roasted to the specific profile of the bean as determined by its type and region to maximize taste and quality. The movement is defined by an openness to lighter roasts and a selection of coffees that are individually styled to avoid commodification.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The third wave has been underway in large cities in the United States for over a decade. Indeed, in some cities like Denver, specialty coffee shops are close to maximum saturation. But in other places like Europe, third wave coffee seems to be at the starting gates of popularity. In regions where coffee has long been defined by the dark espresso bean, countries like France and Italy are beginning to see a growing desire among its customers to experience coffee in new ways. For business as mission practitioners, this creates an opportunity to start new ventures that employ individuals rebuilding lives.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Denver, Colorado, <a href="https://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises'</a> <a href="https://purpledoorcoffee.com/">Purple Door Coffee</a> startup began 6 years ago to employ young adults transitioning from homelessness. A few years into the project, an unexpected investment propelled us into opening an off-site roaster to create more jobs while producing our own coffee. Very quickly, we discovered how optimal our roasting facility was for employing and training people, almost to the point where we wished we had started with the roaster instead of the retail store. Our warehouse production facility was able to employ more young adults in a setting that was excellent for mentoring and job training. And the coffee roast produced were extremely profitable,
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All together, our experience with the roaster in Denver and the growing desire for third wave coffee in other countries points to a unique opportunity for business as mission. Coffee roasting BAM's provide a chance to employ disadvantaged employees like immigrants and refugees while they work to transition into their new countries. And the nature of the roasting business offers an extremely relational environment that provide lots of room for coaching, personal development and working with individuals learning a new language. If the market research in a community shows an openness to third wave coffee, a roasting operation is one of the best venture opportunities for serving people rebuilding lives.
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-74313783761369686252019-01-09T11:35:00.001-07:002019-01-09T11:35:59.165-07:00Do You Know a Skilled Potential Founder of a Woodworking Business in Need of Shop Space, Mentoring and Financial Investment?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In today’s tight commercial real estate market, affordable space to start a business is extremely difficult to find. It’s one more factor that can make starting a new venture seem like an impossible task. This is especially true for businesses like cabinet or furniture operations that require shop space to produce physical products.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do you know a skilled potential founder of a woodworking business in need of shop space, mentoring and financial investment? Belay Enterprises’ Venture Partners program has an opening for a Christ-following early-stage founder in our innovative incubator program. The right candidate will have access to a 2000 square foot shop, be partnered with a cohort of three to five entrepreneurial leaders for two years, and be eligible for an investment from the Belay Opportunity Fund. In addition, Belay has a marketing pipeline of potential customers for the new cabinet venture that can help give a head start for sales success.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises'</a> Venture Partners Program seeks to create businesses that transform lives. It builds on Belay’s own history of incubating six ventures over the last 19 years that employ individuals rebuilding lives. The mentoring groups of up to five business leaders meet regularly with founders in our program to provide high-impact advice and a forum for working through challenges. The Belay Enterprises’ team also offers targeted training and support. In addition, the selected founders are eligible to receive a start-up financial investment focused for business growth. All together, this investment of mentoring, technical expertise, and financial resources aim to increase the impact and effectiveness of the new ventures. In addition to the woodworking business we are seeking, our program is open to other founders of businesses that seek to transform lives. In April of 2019, we will host our first Venture Partners event where we will match three to five founders with mentor teams.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you are interested in learning more, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">let us know here</a>. Visit our <a href="https://belay.org/">website here to learn more</a>. We will be announcing deadlines to apply for 2019 in the next few weeks and will start interviewing candidates for the wood shop immediately.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">At Belay Enterprises, we are passionate about the life-changing potential of start-up businesses being founded by followers of Christ. Join us as we seek the flourishing of our communities through gospel-centered businesses.</span></span></div>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-19716802324586475922018-12-10T17:32:00.001-07:002018-12-10T17:32:13.578-07:00Belay Enterprises Seeks Early Stage Founders for New Venture Partners Program<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you know a Christian entrepreneur with a new venture in the idea stage to up to 2 years old? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises</a> is looking for early-stage founders with businesses that seek to transform lives and love the community for our new Venture Partners Program. This program matches early-stage founders with a mentoring group of 3-5 business leaders. These cohorts will meet with the entrepreneur monthly to provide high-impact advice and a forum for working through challenges. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Belay Enterprises’ team will also offer targeted training and support to increase the performance of the businesses. In addition, the selected founders will receive a start-up financial investment to empower business growth. All together, this investment of mentoring, technical expertise, and financial resources aims to increase the impact and effectiveness of the new ventures. In April of 2019, we will host our first Venture Partners event where we will match 3 to 5 founders with mentor teams.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our new program builds on Belay’s own history of incubating 6 ventures over the last 19 years that employ individuals rebuilding lives. We hope that by supporting talented new founders in scalable for-profit ventures, we will encourage the transformative power of business in our community. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Belay is convinced that for-profit businesses are the best vehicle to create opportunity and jobs. This is especially true in communities where individuals are struggling with barriers to employability like homelessness where a good job is the best way to overcome poverty. But what is often overlooked is the value of the business owner's creativity and talent leading to</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> the the creation of good jobs. An entrepreneur's passion for his or her employees, customers, and the community brings about the environment for the transformation of a community. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And in some cases, entrepreneurship can transform, even more directly, the futures of people rebuilding their own lives from homelessness and prison by turning their own inherent entrepreneurial skills into businesses that support their individual families. The Venture Partner Program plans to directly invest mentoring and financial resources in start-up ventures with a special focus on new businesses that encourage employment in the trades like cabinet manufacturing, welding, and construction services.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At Belay Enterprises, we are passionate about the life-changing potential of start-up businesses being founded by followers of Christ. If you are an early stage founder interested in learning more or an established Christian business leader interested in mentoring,</span> <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link" style="font-family: Arial;">visit here</a><span style="font-family: Arial;">.</span></span>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-74614163553492509382018-09-18T14:02:00.001-06:002018-09-18T14:03:18.644-06:00WorldVenture's M2M Project Seeks to Create Jobs for Refugees in Europe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="goog_1506375340"></span><span id="goog_1506375341"></span>A good job is the best way to fight poverty. This fact has formed the foundation of my career leading <a href="http://belay.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000e9;">Belay Enterprises</span></a> over the last 19 years. Employment helps people move beyond the problems of being disadvantaged. It ends homelessness, reduces crime and allows people to support their families and engage in the creativity God intends for all to enjoy through work. I have seen first-hand in Denver how good jobs in faithful businesses transform lives. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This Fall, I have a tremendous opportunity to take what we’ve learned at Belay and partner with Denver-based WorldVenture on its new M2M project aiming to impact changing cities throughout Europe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like in the United States, Europe has experienced an influx of refugees from the Middle East, fleeing violence and persecution. The M2M project is launching community centers in strategic cities throughout Europe to help refugees flourish and experience the Good News of Jesus. These community centers in places like Strasbourg, London and Barcelona will partner with existing churches to provide language classes, cultural integration activities, trauma counseling, school tutoring, and my area of interest, business development for employment and job training. For instance, the French government has indicated a willingness to help fund the startup of businesses to employ refugees who currently experience high rates of unemployment. All together, these activities aim to introduce refugees to the gospel and raise up small community churches.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In late October, I plan to travel with a core group of WorldVenture workers, church leaders, and partner agencies to discuss the vision and practice of the M2M Network. We will visit an existing center in Madrid and a developing Center in Strasbourg where we will coach and evaluate community assets. A big part of this trip will be exploring ways we can support M2M’s job creation activities in the future. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a big fan of what WorldVenture is doing through these community centers and very thankful they have invited me out to help. The European refugee situation provides a unique moment in time where the church can really exemplify love to hurting people who otherwise would not be in an environment in their home countries to experience Jesus’ love. And it’s exciting to see the French church and government catch a vision for economic development on behalf of refugees.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you interested in helping? Perhaps, you could make a donation to support Worldventures efforts, and in particular, the $2500 travel cost portion of this trip? If you feel led to help out, go to <a href="http://worldventure.com/" target="_blank">WorldVenture.com</a> and click the “Donate” button on the homepage. Click on “Quick Giving Option” and then follow the instructions. Select designation by typing in “Transformational Ventures”.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for your interest in creating jobs for those who have challenges finding employment both here in Denver, through the efforts of Belay Enterprises, and around the world through WorldVenture. I fully believe God will use this trip to build the ministry capacity of these budding community centers, growing the impact of the gospel.</span></span></div>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-56896560710106118072018-08-21T14:30:00.000-06:002018-08-21T14:37:26.360-06:00Belay Enterprises Seeks Christ-Following Mentors and Early-Stage Founders for New Venture Partners Program<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I ask successful entrepreneurs about their own startup experience, many regret not having found a business mentor for advice and support during that season.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Others wish they had been more intentional about their most impactful activities like how important it is to focus on marketing. Some share they underestimated the significance of hiring the right team members at the right time or didn’t understand how the loneliness of leadership hurt their effectiveness and relationships. What makes this list interesting is all of these items could have found a solution in intentional, high-impact mentoring with experienced business leaders. This becomes even more true for Jesus-following founders who want to live out their faith through their business. It is not common to find startup advice online about how to help one's employees flourish, how to build a business that blesses its customers, or, for some ventures, how to hire individuals who were formerly homeless. Support from a Christian business entrepreneur will help a new founder build a business that is pleasing to Jesus.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This fall, Belay Enterprises is introducing its Venture Partners Program that seeks to create businesses that transform lives. This builds on Belay’s own history of incubating 6 ventures over the last 19 years that employ individuals rebuilding lives. In November of 2018, we are matching one passionate early-stage founder who desires to live out the gospel through his or her business with a mentoring group of 5 business leaders. These will meet with the entrepreneur regularly to provide high-impact advice and a forum for working through challenges. The Belay Enterprises’ team will also offer targeted training and support. In addition, the selected founder will receive a start-up financial investment focused for business growth. All together, this investment of mentoring, technical expertise, and financial resources aims to increase the impact and effectiveness of the new venture. In April of 2019, we will host our first Venture Partners event where we will match an additional 3 more founders with mentor teams.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you interested in being a mentor? This will be a unique opportunity for business leaders to use their business gifts and talents to impact the community for the gospel. We are looking for entrepreneurial Christ-following business people with a track record of success and a desire to use their talents to assist kingdom start-up businesses. Business mentors will also be encouraged to make an investment in our revolving donor advised fund that will be used to resource the founder business loans. Let us know you are <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">interested by visiting here.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you know an early-stage founder who might be interested in our program? We are seeking Christian entrepreneurs with new ventures from the idea stage to up to 2 years old, that desire to transform lives. If you are interested in learning more, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">visit here</a>.
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At Belay Enterprises, we are passionate about the life-changing potential of start-up businesses being founded by followers of Christ. Join us as we seek the flourishing of our communities through gospel-centered businesses.
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-41632344726155675392018-08-02T15:53:00.000-06:002018-08-02T15:53:03.849-06:00Life Springing Up in the Conference Room<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="goog_121142185"></span><span id="goog_121142186"></span>I'm a big believer in the career and life skill program we use at <a href="http://www.budswarehouse.org/">Bud's Warehouse</a> to train people rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness and prison. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">A big part of this intensely relational program is<a href="http://www.faithventureforum.org/2010/02/hood-check-creating-community-of-caring.html"> our weekly hood-check where everyone shares what is going on in their life</a>. I'm such a fan of this activity because of <a href="http://www.faithventureforum.org/2008/12/hood-check-joy.html">the tremendous camaraderie and personal breakthroughs I've witnessed over the years</a> during this time. I firmly believe every company would see big benefits by implementing a weekly hood-check. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">So it was exciting, a few years ago, when an entrepreneur with a new start-up company called me
bubbling over with stories about starting a hood-check
at his business. Every workday they are gathering in the morning
to implement pieces of the Bud's Warehouse program in a for-profit
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told me it's turned into one of the most incredible experiences of his
adult life. The employees have grown incredibly close to each other
while experiencing some amazing stories of God acting in their midst. </span></span></div>
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friend struggled for words to explain what was happening in the lives
of some of the employees. One word came to mind. Resurrection. Employees
were seeing new life spring up in places formerly occupied by pain and
long-term struggles. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">He
shared with his staff that he was modeling his organization on this
place in Colorado called Bud's Warehouse and everyone expressed great
enthusiasm for supporting our organization. I'm most excited that he
plans to hire people rebuilding lives sometime in the near future
because his particular business will provide one of the best
environments for people seeking to overcome
past difficulties while building significant career skills for the
future. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Once again, I'm amazed at the impact Jesus-following business people can make by approaching their business as a ministry. </span></span></div>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-86144844094064372232018-03-15T15:21:00.002-06:002018-03-15T15:31:13.427-06:00Five Things I've Learned in Business as Mission<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit48zrF4fIRSoGaip1jh3Hm05eUG8tc0F1yYcFmfKYQeyPEyf3tU2fIwwt6twNYlAtSmeg69qKNFPQBS0foOqbWGIJqH03-wW1VsMtJ5-NHn4N4GtNwwVxj3CotE_n78_moyjrkby6hp4I/s1600/IMG_3498%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit48zrF4fIRSoGaip1jh3Hm05eUG8tc0F1yYcFmfKYQeyPEyf3tU2fIwwt6twNYlAtSmeg69qKNFPQBS0foOqbWGIJqH03-wW1VsMtJ5-NHn4N4GtNwwVxj3CotE_n78_moyjrkby6hp4I/s320/IMG_3498%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
For the last 18 years, I have been working in the challenging world of business as mission at Belay Enterprises<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">.</a>
Someone recently asked me what would make up my list of five important
lessons for a faith venture. As a reminder, I define a faith venture as a
for-profit or non-profit business that creates employment and
opportunity for a disadvantaged population. In no particular order,
here’s my list:<br />
<br />
1. <b>Let the business lead the ministry</b>-
A faith venture has two bottom lines. It seeks business profits in
order to support itself and grow. It also hopes to change lives by
accomplishing its ministry. The great danger is that sometimes these two
goals conflict with each other. In certain cases pursuing the mission
will cost the mission and vice versa. I believe that if one is pursuing a
Christ-centered business then all of business is ministry. So it then
becomes acceptable to let the business lead the ministry because without
a focus on the bottom-line this unique ministry opportunity disappears.<br />
<br />
2. <b>Stay true to your mission in the midst of the business</b>-
The second great danger facing a faith venture is losing sight of the
ministry because of the focus on the business. Never forget the original
God-purposed redemptive DNA of your particular faith venture.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Sell, sell, sell</b>-
An entrepreneurial organization must be about selling its product and
mission at all levels of its organization to its target market. An
organization that forgets to sell is an organization that is forgotten.<br />
<br />
4. <b>Cash Flow, Cash Flow, Cash Flow</b>-
Many a good faith venture or enterprise has died for lack of focus on
cash. Knowing your cash position at any given moment drives your
strategy and actions. More on this <a href="http://www.faithventureforum.org/2018/01/the-importance-of-cash-flow-forecasts.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
5. <b>Trust God</b>- In reality,
when you combine business and mission, it is going to get messy. One
must work hard toward your business plan and mission goals and then
prayerfully trust God with the results.<br />
<br />
These are five ideas that deserve more attention in future posts.</div>
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-89118212345220047242018-02-22T16:45:00.002-07:002018-02-22T16:45:42.789-07:00You Must Do this One Thing in a Business as Mission<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIKRrIkQ_hhkiXQ2yrUJsdQRTBTOkUmPFMUDBzxSxDiaAN6nKuQsyfcudgozRS3DbCfkwgvO1dXBfR71CfE-seKRGSltJ8_F85nsv3agxT2Zg2BmLlIkj7NQwzhyphenhyphenFpNPC4rmj_f-iUa2F/s1600/IMG_3297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIKRrIkQ_hhkiXQ2yrUJsdQRTBTOkUmPFMUDBzxSxDiaAN6nKuQsyfcudgozRS3DbCfkwgvO1dXBfR71CfE-seKRGSltJ8_F85nsv3agxT2Zg2BmLlIkj7NQwzhyphenhyphenFpNPC4rmj_f-iUa2F/s320/IMG_3297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I was recently asked in a meeting of executives what was one thing I
would recommend to a Christ-following business owner wanting to bring
his or her faith more directly into the workplace. <br />
<br />
Without hesitation, I immediately recommended what we call the “hood-check.”<br />
<br />
This
particular discussion was interesting because most of the participants
came from the for-profit world and they were really struggling with how
to appropriately increase the role of faith in their companies without
alienating employees or running in violation of discrimination rules. <br />
<br />
I have a slightly different perspective because our non-profit organization, <a href="http://budswarehouse.org/belay/">Belay Enterprises</a>,
was specifically set up as an urban business as mission incubator. We
actively combine faith and business as instruments in rebuilding lives
from addiction, homelessness or prison. Sometime other business owners
seem to think that this special perspective from our unique “DNA” makes
our approach not immediately replicable in a tradition for-profit
business. <br />
<br />
I disagree. If you’re a Christian
business-owner your business is your ministry. And the day-to-day
interactions you have with employees, customers, vendors, and
competitors is sometimes the best chance for people in our culture to
experience Christ’s love in a society that has decided that church no
longer provides relevant answers to life’s problems.<br />
<br />
And
this is where the practice of “hood-check” can be a simple yet
effective way to help people discover God’s love and God’s desire for
people to be in community with others. <br />
<br />
At Bud’s
Warehouse, we practice “hood-check” at least once a week during our
morning meeting. It’s the one thing that keeps the many challenges
facing individuals re-entering society from prison from negatively
impacting our workplace. We just simply gather together. Our program
director invites everyone around the table to share what’s going on in
their individual life. Men and women simply answer the question, “How
are you doing?” <br />
<br />
At first, it’s sometime awkward for
new individuals and they simply answer “fine” or “good” like most of the
individuals gathered around the table. But very quickly new
participants learn it’s a safe place to share. They start to
look-forward to a time where people are actually interested in them. Men
will tell of marriages that are struggling though bumpy times. Women
will share about children that are ill. Others will celebrate something a
family member recently did or simply share that they had a hard time
sleeping the night before. But though it all, a community of caring is
created. <br />
<br />
And the empathy carries over into the rest of
the day. We find that inter-personal conflict is diminished because
co-workers are aware of each other as individuals. If someone shares
that they had a fight with their spouse before coming into work, other
co-workers are more understanding when that individual seems on edge
throughout the day. Never underestimate the positive impact caring
employees will have on relationships and the success of a business.<br />
<br />
Finally,
the hood-check opens up the opportunity for prayer. We close our time
together praying about the individual issues shared around the table.
Employees don’t have to participate but the large majority does. Even
those who don’t believe in God find that they do like the idea of a God
who cares for the struggles in their life. And over time God answers
those prayers and becomes more visible to even the biggest skeptic. Then
the power of the hood-check really shines through.</div>
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-24820303677042582772018-02-14T15:01:00.000-07:002018-02-14T15:07:06.530-07:00The Golden Rule for Business as Mission<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"What’s the nicest thing someone has done for you?"
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">With that question, we opened a recent Bud’s Warehouse morning staff gathering.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Someone shared about the time he was arrested but the officer arranged to have him released quickly. The policeman waited two hours for him to be processed and then drove him to get help. It was the one caring act that changed the course of his life.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Another staff member told about how a counselor in a drug treatment program went out of her way to help him get into a long-term program. “She single-handedly gave me a shot at having a life again,” he said.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Several others talked about how friends and parents selflessly helped them when they were in need. Everyone quickly realized that sacrifice and selflessness is always behind those nice actions.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But when we changed the question to what was the nicest thing you did for someone else, the room grew quiet, mostly because it’s hard to talk about such things because ex-offenders have been conditioned to believe it shows weakness. But maybe it’s really because we all don’t do sacrificial things for others often enough. Our culture has taught us to look out first for ourselves.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Then we read the Golden Rule.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">“Do to others what you would have them do to you.”
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Everyone had heard that before but not everyone knew that Jesus taught that in Matthew 7:12. And he taught it in the context of prayer. If you ask for something good for you in the eyes of God, he will give what’s best to you because God can’t help but act like a good father. But like a good father, we need to do the Golden Rule…treat others like we want to be treated.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">That lesson is so much bigger than one’s personal life and relationship with friends and family. It is one of the keys to success in a workplace. People who treat co-workers, bosses and customers as they themselves want to be treated are on the way to success on the job and in life.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">If you are running a business as mission venture, the Golden Rule needs to be a fundamental value of your organization. Teaching about it opens the door to two topics that in my experience all people like to talk about: Treating others like you want to be treated and creating a space for asking God for help even if one isn’t sure God’s even there.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Indeed, what business wouldn’t be better if it’s employees lived out the Golden Rule and understood that God cared for their needs? </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial;">
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-72691888919174529902018-02-09T12:30:00.001-07:002018-02-09T18:09:37.899-07:00A Good Job is the Best Way to Fight Poverty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iuGR_idF3UJ9xt1RuUOs8XCkeKN-luFvAFuB0wwyPmJLM7VZGo91_j_h3JNJ8cxNXTQfCTRNiwRkNKkV-YKVs5DnuTeE-MOsnL9t22RXApvTlCuExLYZqroFX5O1iWBkuqyR6jUI1waN/s1600/IMG_3959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iuGR_idF3UJ9xt1RuUOs8XCkeKN-luFvAFuB0wwyPmJLM7VZGo91_j_h3JNJ8cxNXTQfCTRNiwRkNKkV-YKVs5DnuTeE-MOsnL9t22RXApvTlCuExLYZqroFX5O1iWBkuqyR6jUI1waN/s320/IMG_3959.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">That fact has formed the foundation of my career leading <a href="http://belay.org/">Belay Enterprise</a>'s
over the last 18 years. I have seen first-hand how good jobs in faithful organizations transform lives. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Employment helps people move beyond the problems of being disadvantaged. It ends homelessness and prevents individuals from returning to prison. It allows people to support their families and engage in the creativity God intends for all to enjoy through work.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Work also provides the environment for people to learn about God in faithful businesses.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since 1994, Belay Enterprises' mission has been to partner with the church to start businesses that employ
and job train individuals rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness and prison. Over the past 24
years, Belay has incubated six projects in Colorado that have hired hundreds of
individuals.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">At
different points over the years, Belay has set various goals of starting a certain number of businesses by a future date. But increasingly we realize that this is not enough. If we are
going to positively impact disadvantaged
communities, we have to engage for-profit
entrepreneurs, who are the true engines of job growth in a community.
I have seen firsthand how there are many talented entrepreneurs sitting on the
sidelines of our churches that if engaged towards these goals could make
a much bigger impact employing individuals rebuilding lives than Belay alone. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
year, we have been designing out our newest project, the Belay Venture Partners
program. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But others have been encouraging me that our vision should be bigger than just the Denver community. It should expand to include other cities throughout the US and the world.</span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Belay Venture Partners plans
to connect Christ-following business leaders with emerging entrepreneurs to
provide technical assistance, mentoring relationships and venture
funding. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We envision the program to have a
team of MBA students or retired business people identifying startup or existing business as missions in need of incubation or
acceleration services. The initial team would then help with business
plan development and crafting a venture support plan. After a handful of
businesses have been identified, the ventures will be shared with a
group of Christian business people who have been identified to be
mentors and investors. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each business in the program will be
partnered with 7 mentor/ investors of which Belay would be the 7th. The
Venture Partners program will invest donor advised funds (DAF) into the
business that will then be paid back by the business to revolve into
future investments in other Business as Missions. During the period of repayment,
the businesses would have regular mentor meetings with the group
as a whole and the Belay team with the aim to help the businesses grow
and thrive. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over all, the aim is to create more jobs employing people rebuilding lives from poverty.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does this interest you? Please <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDao24f8bhXzfFVHfcYpbw3cau_r9dOPp9lstROPfAxdRmXA/viewform?usp=sf_link">contact us here if you'd like to learn more</a> or if you have thoughts on our approach. Also, let us know if you'd like to be a business mentor.</span></span><br />
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-41005477990907022902018-02-08T15:28:00.000-07:002018-02-09T18:06:04.867-07:00The Book I Always Recommend for Urban Business as Mission<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=d3ad7582abc7229c35532d4bc9aa9394" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=1439153159&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=jcreiner-20" /></a>Over the last 18 years of my time at <a href="https://belay.org/">Belay</a>, I've read a lot of books on leadership, social enterprise, and serving disadvantaged communities. My all time favorite one is Father Greg Boyle's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1" target="_blank">Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion</a>. If you're interested in experiencing the crazy world of leading a <a href="http://www.faithventureforum.org/2011/03/faithventure-business-as-mission.html">faith venture</a>, his beautiful book is a must read. And now he has written a new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476726159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1476726159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=1eb7394be3c51baa4ef574b7706f879e" target="_blank">Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship</a>, which I am excited to read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476726159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1476726159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=4fd86401111e4e3032c3635749d86557" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=1476726159&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=jcreiner-20" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Tattoos on the Heart wonderfully captures the flavor of employing ex-gang members rebuilding lives at Los Angeles' <a href="http://www.homeboyindustries.org/">Homeboy Industries</a>.
Instead of being a how to book or a history of Homeboy, Boyle organizes
his stories around nine spiritual themes that arise out of his unique
ministry. These include the importance of God, the damaging nature of
dis-grace, the slow nature of God's work, the difficulty of defining
success apart from God and the value of kinship.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Indeed,
these themes are fundamental to any faith venture business as ministry
and are a good primer for anyone considering such an activity. </span></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2;">In
particular, I loved how he understands Homeboy to be a place that
absolutely needs God to show up in order to be successful. He tells how
depending on God for resources became an exercise of faith. "</span>We
constantly lived in the paradox of precariousness. The money was never
there when you needed it, and it was always on time." (Tattoos on the Heart, p. 5)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">He
understands Homeboy Industries to be all about God. It is not good
business in the traditional sense. He writes, "Not much in my life makes
sense outside of God. Certainly, a place like Homeboy Industries is all
folly and bad business unless the core of the endeavor seeks to imitate
the kind of God one ought to believe in. In the end, I am helpless to
explain why anyone would accompany those on the margins were it not for
some anchored belief that the Ground of all Being thought this was a
good idea." (</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1">Tattoos on the Heart</a>,</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> p 21)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Further,
I enjoyed Father Greg's assertion that faith venture work is a slow
journey. As Americans, we are culturally addicted to the idea of fast
results. He gently reminds that God shows up but we must learn to trust
in his slow approach. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">"Fortunately,
none of us can save anybody," he notes. "But we all find ourselves in
this dark, windowless room, fumbling for grace and flashlights. You aim
the light this time, and I'll do it next. The slow work of God. And you
hope, and you wait, for the light--this astonishing light." (</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1">Tattoos on the Heart</a>,</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> p 128)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">And
sometimes God's activity becomes difficult to see. Indeed, the very
nature of success becomes hard to measure in a faith venture. "People
want me to tell them success stories. I understand this. They are the
stories you want to tell, after all. So why does my scalp tighten
whenever I am asked this? Surely, part of it comes from my being utterly
convinced I am a fraud." <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1">(</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1">Tattoos on the Heart</a>,</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> p. 167)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">He continues:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Twenty
years of this work has taught me that God has greater comfort with
inverting categories than I do. What is success and what is failure?
What is good and what is bad? Setback or progress? Great stock these
days, especially in nonprofits (and who can blame them), is placed in
evidence-based outcomes. People, funders in particular, want to know if
what you do "works." Are you in the end successful? Naturally, I find
myself heartened by Mother Theresa's take: 'We are not called to be
successful, but faithful'...</span>For once you choose to hang out with
folks who carry more burden than they can bear, all bets seem to be
off. Salivating for success keeps you from being faithful, keeps you
from truly seeing whoever's sitting in front of you. Embracing a
strategy and and an approach you can believe in is sometimes the best
you can do on any given day. If you surrender your need for results and
outcomes, success becomes God's business. I find it hard enough to just
be faithful. (</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1">Tattoos on the Heart</a>,</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> 167-168)</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">I
could go on and on with Boyle fantastic insights on the unique nature
of employing individuals rebuilding lives. But you really need to get
this book for yourself. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439153159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439153159&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=e14b249df5ce70c116843a4df00225a1" target="_blank">Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=jcreiner-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1439153159" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">reflects Boyle's unique talent at telling the stories of the community he serves.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">A
few years ago, I presented at a Social Enterprise Alliance conference
following a talk by Father Greg. He is one of the best and most engaging
speakers ever. If you ever get a chance to attend one of his talks,
make it a priority. In the meantime, grab the book and enjoy this
picture of a unique community of love.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="amzn-assoc-ad-64f72b07-1e60-4fff-a3f5-8c03fdcc0651">
</div>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-43548620221066599682018-02-01T16:55:00.000-07:002018-02-09T18:06:25.927-07:00The Power of Second Chances<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999669508/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0999669508&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=289a6fd817b460a894b9c2062b8e8d60" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0999669508&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=jcreiner-20" /></a>Early during my time at <a href="https://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises</a>, I became a big fan of <a href="http://www.pep.org/">Prison Entrepreneurship Project</a> (PEP) and it's passionate founder Catherine Hoke because of our shared affinity for creating opportunities for ex-offenders through business development. Belay even spent a year developing our own jail based commercial kitchen employment and training program inspired by the results PEP was achieving behind bars. Though we ultimately decided to focus on other program priorities, I continued to be a big fan of harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit of ex-offenders to create employment opportunity and reduced recidivism rates.<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=jcreiner-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0999669508" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />But then in 2009, Catherine made a big mistake and she had to leave PEP. I felt so bad for her and was sad that her voice for ex-offenders disappeared.<br />
<br />
Yet, her story was not over when she experienced her own second chance, starting <a href="https://defyventures.org/">Defy Ventures</a> in 2010. I participated as a speaker on a panel with her a few years later in New York City where her passion and talent was on full display, accentuated by her own experience of a second chance to do what she loves on behalf of ex-offenders.<br />
<br />
Now she has written a book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999669508/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0999669508&linkCode=as2&tag=jcreiner-20&linkId=dd5663565b88dc27c73d5107da1014d2" target="_blank">A Second Chance: For You, For Me, And For The Rest Of Us</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=jcreiner-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0999669508" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, that beautifully details how her experience of grace has transformed her life and mission.<br />
<br />
Tim Ferris, one of my favorite podcasters, also has a wonderful long-form interview with Catherine <a href="https://tim.blog/2018/01/21/catherine-hoke/">here</a>.</div>
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James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-1599717937744611482018-01-31T15:43:00.003-07:002018-02-09T18:06:57.451-07:00The Importance of Cash Flow Forecasts for the Business as Mission<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW19QLcZmC-2HL81hQHWtE09H7iZR6SeLwSZ828gQOObRzyxUCwBS6m6_iukPpzi15lp8OPL2PkHBXNiMGQcYzQsasJRE98vS-xg0tTIpeCQE7ozOw5xxbyn2oOEpHxa7G5KjOkb6yTCD/s1600/IMG_3275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW19QLcZmC-2HL81hQHWtE09H7iZR6SeLwSZ828gQOObRzyxUCwBS6m6_iukPpzi15lp8OPL2PkHBXNiMGQcYzQsasJRE98vS-xg0tTIpeCQE7ozOw5xxbyn2oOEpHxa7G5KjOkb6yTCD/s320/IMG_3275.JPG" width="320" /></a>Monitoring your cash flow and budget is the third
most important activity of a faith venture entrepreneur. It falls right behind
seeking God's direction for the business and marketing.<br />
<br />
It's third, because you want to make sure your business is serving God's desires and not money while marketing is the lifeblood of any venture. But staying on top of your cash flow is in a close third place because it is an early warning indicator for the whole business, providing valuable time to solve potential future problems.<br />
<br />
I've witnessed numerous practitioners err in this area by taking their
eye off of this important indicator of how the venture is doing. In the business as mission start up community in developing nations, I have also frequently seen start-ups where the practitioner is not deploying basic accounting software so they are completely unaware of their venture's financial position except when it comes time to pay employees and bills. <br />
<br />
Five
years ago, during the start up of our custom cabinet business that
employs ex-offenders, we made a mistake by growing too fast because of
some positive publicity on a local news station and by also offering
installation and finishing. We took a large
amount of 50% down payments on jobs to help us buy the wood but then
proceeded to anger customers with poor quality and installation work
because we were attempting too many jobs at the same time. The situation
quickly deteriorated with expenses far in excess of what we were
billing for the jobs as well as our operation needing to refund some customers. <br />
<br />
I
had been closely monitoring our cash flow through this process but one
day things went really bad and our cash flow projection showed us in danger of running out of money for payroll. I found
myself praying for provision to overcome our mistakes as well as
wisdom for the future. That day, a check arrived in the mail from an
anonymous donor that covered our immediate money needs, allowing us to
pay employees, satisfy our customers and change our business model. We
stopped installing cabinets and started focusing on building just one
line of unfinished shaker style cabinets. And we carefully managed our
growth to ensure we could deliver a high-quality product ensuring the future success of our business. If we hadn't been monitoring our cash flow on a daily basis, we most likely would have missed our looming inability to pay our employees and been unable to proactively solve the problem.<br />
<br />
Do you have a basic spreadsheet that helps your venture predict future income and expenses on a daily basis? It is not hard to create and can make a big difference in serving your business as mission goals. I'd be glad to share a simple spreadsheet to help.</div><div id="amzn-assoc-ad-64f72b07-1e60-4fff-a3f5-8c03fdcc0651"></div><script async src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=64f72b07-1e60-4fff-a3f5-8c03fdcc0651"></script>
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-30720433085555113342016-01-14T13:58:00.001-07:002016-01-14T13:58:58.696-07:00Work is an essential part of what it means to be a human.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A job is also the single best way to fight poverty.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">These two realities have formed the foundation for <a href="http://belay.org/">Belay Enterprise</a>'s
mission of partnering with the church to create businesses that employ
and job train individuals rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness and prison. Over the past 21
years, Belay has incubated six projects in Colorado that have hired hundreds of
individuals.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">At different points over the years,
we have set various goals of incubating x number of businesses in the
future. But we increasingly realize that this is not enough. If we are
going to positively impact employment rates for disadvantaged communities in Colorado through jobs, we have to engage for-profit entrepreneurs, who are the true engines of job growth in a community. There are many talented entrepreneurs sitting on the
sidelines of our churches that if engaged towards these goals could make
a much bigger impact employing individuals rebuilding lives from poverty than Belay by itself. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This year, we are rolling out our newest project, the Belay Venture Partners program. We plan
to connect Denver area Christian leaders with emerging entrepreneurs to provide technical assistance, mentoring relationships and venture funding. Visit our website <a href="http://belay.org/">here</a> to learn more.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am also excited to be embarking on a trip to Thailand and Nepal next week to learn more about job development for the poor in Asia. A few of the businesses that we will be visiting have the mission of creating employment for women escaping sex trafficking. I've been a big fan over the years of trying to find ways for urban business as mission practitioners in the United States to partner with their international counterparts. I'm hoping that this trip will develop some new relationships that will enable business people to connect with the missions in both settings while growing the impact of these ventures.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stay tuned on this forum for updates on my visit.</span></span>James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-62325169096647700132015-12-23T12:50:00.000-07:002015-12-23T12:50:04.020-07:00How the Gift of a Job Can Change a LifeFor the last 21 years, <a href="http://belay.org/">Belay Enterprises</a> and <a href="http://budswarehouse.org/">Bud's Warehouse</a> have been serving the Denver community by creating transformational jobs for people rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness and prison. This beautiful video created by Timothy Euken, a friend of Belay, shows how jobs change lives at Bud's Warehouse:<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/149894896" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/149894896">Jobs Change Lives at Bud's Warehouse and Belay Enterprises</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user23382119">Belay Enterprises</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>With the end of the year approaching, would you consider making a tax deductible donation to Belay Enterprises as we seek to raise $100,000 as we have to move our warehouse in a challenging real estate market?</b> Learn more about our necessary move because of the I-70 redevelopment <a href="http://03cdae8.netsolhost.com/wordpress1/?page_id=745">here</a>.<br />
<br />
All contributions are eligible for an additional state enterprise zone credit, the final year we are able to offer this special Colorado state tax benefit. There are two ways to contribute:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Donate Securely On-line</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Visit <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=R4PFTTT7VGN26">here</a> to make a gift.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or mail your gift post<span style="font-family: inherit;">marked by December 31:</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Belay Enterprises</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4455 E. 46th Ave.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Denver, CO 80216</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Merry Christmas <span style="font-family: inherit;">from all of us at Belay Enter<span style="font-family: inherit;">prises!</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">James Reiner</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Belay Enterprises</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Executive Director </span> </span></span> </span> </span> <br />
<br />
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-38144550489402609762015-04-02T17:58:00.001-06:002015-04-02T17:58:59.209-06:00An Easter Prayer: Resurrection, Jobs and Denver's Business Community<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>I was asked to pray for jobs and businesses this Easter Sunday at Denver's City Park Sunrise service. While searching the web, I discovered there are no prayers addressing this particular topic for any city which is surprising to me. It's something that is much needed in light of what Jesus' resurrection means for our world:</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Lord God, on that first Easter, you broke the disciples grief and hopelessness with the surprising news that Jesus was alive. Life could never be the same again because death had forever lost its power. This Easter surprise us and speak to us about what it means to live as resurrection people, confident in the truth that how we live today makes a difference forever in God’s world. Lord, show us what it means to live as resurrection people in our daily lives of earning a living as we sell, create, cook, clean, build, code, counsel, heal, advertise, fix, design, book-keep, troubleshoot, advise, insure, engineer, analyze, manage, and market.</span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Lord God, we pray that you would bless the businesses of the Denver area and show us our particular role in expressing your reign through our work. We pray that businesses would thrive in Denver as a sign of your love for all of its residents. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">We ask for your blessing upon business owners as they face the daily challenges of leading companies. Give them wisdom and peace and a desire to care for their employees. Help them to make good decisions about right and wrong. We pray for honesty and fair-play, that our leaders never lose sight that business is fundamentally about blessing & serving.</span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">God, we ask your blessing upon entrepreneurs as they take risks to start new ventures. Help their dreams to become reality and turn into employment for others.</span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Good jobs are the only real way end poverty in our city. We pray that our businesses would create many jobs this year. And that those jobs would enable people who have been unemployed for a long time to find work. Lord, we pray for individuals who jobs are being left behind because of new technologies. We pray for training opportunities, for employers who are able to invest in skill training for their workforce. We also pray for businesses that are willing hire individuals with barriers to employability…people who are rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness or prison but need someone to allow them the chance to work and provide for their families.</span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">In the beginning, God, you put man and women in the garden to work it and take care of it. We’ve each been blessed as you have put us in the Denver community. Help us to be faithful in working it and taking care of it. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">This is our prayer, on the morning when we declare, He is Risen.</span><br />
<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-synthesis: weight style; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><br />
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-89796187503270405272014-09-05T10:32:00.000-06:002014-09-05T10:33:36.860-06:00Four Thoughts on Addiction in Employment Training Social Enterprises<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Addiction is a tough enemy for people rebuilding lives in our employment training businesses. And in Colorado, it’s clearly getting harder with the growing culture-wide celebration of drug use from the recent legalization of marijuana. It saddens me to see the apparent rising relapse rate for people in our program. A couple of thoughts:</span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>Relapses are infectious.</b> When one person succumbs to addiction in a community of people, it raises the odds of others following. It increases the need for employment-training social enterprises to have firm drug policies with testing and clear consequences. Relapse rates decrease when individuals understand the rules.</span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>Relapses cause stress for others in the program.</b> No one likes to see another fall. When it happens, leaders must be sensitive to the anxiety it causes. They must take special steps to set a positive and encouraging atmosphere. People need to be reminded that individuals do overcome addiction, that God restores lives.</span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>When relapses happen, we can trust that God is still working.</b> It is easy for leaders to get discouraged because their hard work and passion is seemingly not producing positive results. But faith venture leaders need to constantly remind themselves that God’s perspective is much bigger than ours. Relapses are often part of the process of someone reaching the decisive inner will to make a change. And sometimes, relapses are reminders to someone who has made that decision that they continue to need the help of of God and others. It is a leader’s prayer that the relapses become less frequent and shorter in duration because one is able to realize quickly what is happening. Social enterprise practitioners need to remind themselves of the first hand stories where someone’s relapse led to true life in the end.</span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>Finally, legalization of drugs is going to have big negative costs for Colorado as the effects become more evident. </b>Colorado will spend a lot in the future trying to undo the damage marijuana and other drugs cause to short-term and long-term health. People will realize the absurdity of spending money from tax revenues to stop individuals from using a harmful product that is creating those very revenues. And for unskilled laborer, drug legalization creates permanent unemployment with resulting state costs because employers do not hire people using drugs because of safety and insurance requirements.</span></span></span><br />
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-46704806916758351732014-08-29T10:36:00.000-06:002014-08-29T10:37:06.305-06:00Work is a Gift from God<div class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But work well done is also bounded by times of rest. As we ready to start a long Labor Day weekend, this prayer reflects the beauty of both work and rest:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">Let me but do my work from day to day, </span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">In field or forest, at the desk or loom, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">In roaring market-place, or tranquil room; </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">Let me but find it in my heart to say, When vagrant wishes beckon me astray,</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">“This is my work; my blessing, not my doom; </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">Of all who live, I am the one by whom </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">This work can best be done, in the right way.” </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">Then shall I see it not too great, nor small, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">To suit my spirit and to prove my powers; </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">Then shall I cheerful greet the laboring hours, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">And cheerful turn, when the long shadows fall </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">At eventide, to play and love and rest, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141923;">Because I know for me my work is best.</span> </span><span style="color: #141923;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #141923;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/360/6/221.html">Poems of Sentiment: VI. Labor and Rest</a></span></span><span style="color: #141923; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_van_Dyke">Henry van Dyke </a></span></blockquote>
James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3749375403967215384.post-51499085027641181422014-08-22T16:01:00.000-06:002014-08-22T16:01:31.357-06:00Greenline Coffee Aims to Grow Jobs in Chicago's Woodlawn Neighborhood<div class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BrrUshqOVR8rC226YKzXtT9RM7AchZtjarftnTgsTKmwnzmGP5QZVgAwDN_9w3RFzXJXr1cIqbTiDZ6Zgk1-OyrTSy4b0KuTlj8vWt9v6pjibaFSERaiNPMhUdVZYMvOleOmRA_-jC7Q/s1600/greenline-logo-green-120.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BrrUshqOVR8rC226YKzXtT9RM7AchZtjarftnTgsTKmwnzmGP5QZVgAwDN_9w3RFzXJXr1cIqbTiDZ6Zgk1-OyrTSy4b0KuTlj8vWt9v6pjibaFSERaiNPMhUdVZYMvOleOmRA_-jC7Q/s1600/greenline-logo-green-120.png" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">This month, <a href="http://www.sunshinegospel.org/">Sunshine Gospel Ministries</a> opened <a href="http://greenlinecoffee.net/">Greenline Coffee</a>, a new high-end coffee shop in the disadvantaged Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago’s South Side.<br />
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Sunshine hopes the new coffee shop combined with its business incubator, <a href="http://www.sunshinegospel.org/what-we-do/sunshine-enterprises/">Sunshine Enterprises</a>, will start growing jobs in the neighborhood with traditionally high rates of unemployment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Greenline hires young adults from the neighborhood who have completed the Sunshine Summer Jobs Training program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunshine's Executive Director, Joel Hamernick, explained in an interview in <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140806/woodlawn/greenline-coffee-brings-belgian-delicacies-woodlawn">DNAinfo Chicago</a> his thoughts behind the creation of Greenline:</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He said two years ago, he and others at the nonprofit were frustrated that five years of teaching kids entrepreneurial skills had not produced a single business in the neighborhood.<br />
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He said they switched to asking some of their supporters for investments instead of donations and started thinking about how many jobs a coffee shop would create in the glazed-brick building. </blockquote>
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Greenline Coffee has 12 employees, many of them from Sunshine’s summer jobs program.<br />
“We have another 12 waiting for one of them to screw up so they can have their job,” Paula Hamernick said. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She said the coffee shop got 200 applications before it opened and receives several requests for applications every day. “People aren’t poor because they want to be, it’s because there are no jobs,” Hamernick said. “Every day we have people coming in begging for a job.” </blockquote>
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In October, Sunshine will open a co-working space next door to the coffee shop to jump-start more businesses in Woodlawn. </blockquote>
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Joel Hamernick said the goal is for Sunshine to be working with 200 businesses within three years, with 45 new businesses and 60 jobs created every year. </blockquote>
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He admitted it was an ambitious pace, but said as soon as the coffee shop is breaking even, they will start on the next business.</blockquote>
Read more <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140806/woodlawn/greenline-coffee-brings-belgian-delicacies-woodlawn">here</a>.James Reinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01654527787870549369noreply@blogger.com0