I do not have secret knowledge of your business so I cannot tell you all of the reasons your customers might be going elsewhere. What I can tell you is one reason I have found to be true in our family business that may also be true for yours. This is the critical truth: Good is not good enough.
If anyone knows about turnover, it is a car dealer! The auto sales industry is notoriously bad about high turnover rates. We have found one method that helps to reduce turnover. We call it our Successful Employee Profile. This profile is taught in our new hire training process, painting a picture for new employees as to what is expected.
Turnover is probably one of the largest expenses to many small businesses. Unfortunately, many small business owners are unaware of the magnitude of the expense because it is so difficult to measure. While hiring practices are a large contributor to this expense, onboard training (or lack of it) can also play a part. You can reduce turnover and improve profitability with effective new hire training, including the profile of a successful employee.
Odds are, your pastor doesn’t talk much about applying your Christian faith to your business. If he does, then you are lucky. If not, I am not surprised. While it is unfortunate, you are not alone. Christian business is simply not not a common topic.
If you are in business then you have been frustrated, even all-out angry! Things happen so often in business that can cause frustration. Whatever the cause of the issue, we have all felt our blood boil and we start looking for a way to take action. We have to do something or we will explode! Today, I am going to give you a list of things you should NOT do when you are angry!
If you look around at the world we are living in today, you will see a lot of confusion and chaos. There is so much uncertainty and fear whether you look at politics, the economy, or most any other arena. It is in many ways a frightening time to live. On the other hand, this is an amazing time to live if we look at the opportunity from an eternal perspective. We simply have to stand.
You likely already know this, but I am in the car business and I have been for all of my life. As a result, I love cars! I enjoy all kinds of cars (even those I can never afford!), but one of my favorite kinds of cars is the bumper car. Imagine my excitement when I recently discovered that bumper cars are more spiritual than traditional cars! Do you want to know why?
I am an idea thief. I am very good at taking someone else’s bright idea and applying it to my own business, my parenting practices, or even my hobbies. There are many ways I do this, but one of the main ways is simply finding those who are successful and mimicking their practices. Obtaining godly counsel from others who have proven track records is a skill that all leaders need to learn.
If you go to Amazon.com and spend any time at all, you will find more books about mixing Christian ministry and business than you can likely read in a year. While that is a good thing for those of us learning how to do it, there is an even better source than Amazon – the Bible! Practicing the art of applying Scripture to business is a skill we all need!
I have written often about seeking God’s wisdom before taking action. I am a strong believer in going first to God in getting our marching orders, regardless of the circumstances. However, I think there are some situations in which it makes no sense at all to ask God for guidance. In these cases, I believe we are on our own.