The Christian Teenpreneur

As we round-up this month of the celebration of entrepreneurship, let’s spend some time to discuss the Christian teenage entrepreneur. The objectives of this discussion include the following;

•      To encourage teenagers who are Christians to embrace entrepreneurship;

•      To provide the necessary information and knowledge to equip and empower them and;

•      To contribute towards the development of future multi-national organizations established and managed under godly principles

Who is an Entrepreneur?

Simply put, an entrepreneur is someone who provides products and services that solves problems for people; meets peoples’ needs; and adds value to people’s lives.

Who is a Christian Entrepreneur?

The Christian who is an entrepreneur can be described as the “Believer who has ¹answered the Divine call to ²positively impact his/her community in the place of business (providing goods & services) ³under the direction of the Holy Spirit ⁴to the glory of God” (Please take note of the emphases).

The ultimate entrepreneur, our role model, is the Almighty God. In Genesis 1-2, we are told that He created the Universe out of a ‘shapeless, empty, and dark’ entity (Genesis 1:2). The Christian Entrepreneur must be a reflection of the Creator, who made ‘something’ out of ‘nothing’ for the benefit of mankind.

Why Christian Entrepreneurship?

One cannot help but ask this crucial question. What is different about the Christian entrepreneur? Isn’t entrepreneurship the same, whatever may be a person’s religious persuasion? Well, not really. You see, the Bible describes the followers of Christ as the catalysts of genuine development (Matthew 5:14-16). We are to;

•         Meet the needs of people/community

•         Provide economic succour for people (through jobs/careers/allied businesses)

•         Practice faith with works (James 2:14-26)

Factors that make for Christian Entrepreneurship

·         The Environment. As far as the world is concerned, the business environment is ‘secular’, meaning godless. But for the believer, to be ‘Christ-like’ is to be godly. Christianity is a lifestyle. You cannot separate your faith from what you do or who you are. Your faith should be your inspiration. So, even in the place of business, your behaviour, conduct and performance should reflect your faith.

·         The Driving Force. Entrepreneurs are usually inspired and motivated to do what they do. For some, it is about making impact, adding value; but for some others, it’s an opportunity for fame and fortune. What’s yours? For the Christian, it is about contributing to the work of the Almighty God (Deuteronomy 8:18; Matthew 25:35-40).

·         The Vision. What have you been called out to achieve (Proverbs 29:18a)? Can you recognize possibilities and opportunities? When you receive divine vision for whatever you are about to undertake/have undertaken (Mark 1:35), it will sustain you on your journey.

·         The Purpose. What is the type/objective of the venture you have in mind/at hand? Every single one of us has been created for a specific purpose (Esther 4:14; John 15:16). What’s yours? How will your involvement in this venture bear abiding fruit?

·         The Passion. Passion is that strong, powerful, and compelling emotion that has drawn you to this venture. It is the driving force, the intense desire to see a particular problem solved or need met. It is passion that drives persistence and keeps you enthusiastic in whatever you are engaged in. Do you have the passion?

The Challenges of the Christian Entrepreneur

The Christian entrepreneur is a human being, not a spirit. He/she operates here on earth, not on mars or other planets. And so faces the same challenges both as human and as business people. The challenges include;

•         Poor/Inadequate Infrastructure

•         Poor Business Integrity

•         Poor/Lack of Information

•         Lack of funding/high bank rates

•         Unstable Economic Policy

•         Violence/chaos + natural disasters

The Needs of the Christian Entrepreneur

•         The Need to Know Yourself. How much of yourself do you really know? In venturing into the business environment, there is the need for personal stock-taking.

Ø  Your intelligence area – the leaning of your brain function. Are you the Cognitive type (analytical, logical, use of abstract symbols, numbers, and words, slow processing of information, makes specific statements) or the Creative type (intuitive, impressionistic, good with metaphors, images, and narratives, rapid processing of information, makes sweeping statements)?

Ø  Your skills. What are those your God-given talents, gifts, and abilities? Are they suitable for this venture?

Ø  Your values. What are those biblical principles that define you and your venture and cannot be compromised for whatever reason?

S/N	Kingdom Values	Worldly Values
	•         Kindness & Respect for all	•         POWER
	•         Humility	•         STATUS, FAME
	•         Honesty & Generosity	•         WEALTH
	•         Self control	•         PLEASURE
	•         Forgiveness	•         REVENGE

For the Christian in the business environment, there is the battle of godly values (John 15:5) versus business ethics (2 Timothy 3:5). You must know the difference between the both of them.

•          The Need to Know your Business.

Ø  The industry

Ø  The role (purpose) of the business in the community

Ø  The impact (benefits) of the business on the environment

•         The Need to Learn (2 Timothy 5:17).

Ø  Explore learning sources (the Bible, books, magazines, journals, internet, etc)

Ø  Challenge and exercise your body/mind (1 Timothy 4:8)

Ø  Attend personal and business development seminars, courses, conferences and at the end, adopt the learning principles

Ø  Get a mentor. Learn from other people’s experiences. It shortens the learning period. You will need mentors with the following characteristics;

§  The Coach – The one to hold your hand, helping you during the journey and you will trust that you are being taken through the right path.

§  The Critic - The one who will tell you the situation as it is, to your face, with no holds barred and no matter how painful and hurting, you will acknowledge that he/she means well.

§  The Champion – This one is your cheerleader, complimenting and encouraging you and you can trust that it isn’t flattery.

•         The Anchor of the Christian Entrepreneur

Ø  2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT), “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others”.

§  When God gives a man a vision, He also makes available, the provision. May the Lord increase your faith in Him such that you don’t have to worry about resources for your business.

Ø  Romans 3:3 (NLV), “If some of them were not faithful, does it mean that God will not be faithful”?

§  You will meet the ‘naysayers’ on your journey but it shouldn’t matter if other people don’t believe in you or what you have been called to do. Trust God and ensure that their unbelief is not going to keep you from believing in your dream. God will send you ‘enablers’.

Ø  Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV), “Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God”.

§  Watch and pray; be on red alert! Nothing is more valuable than your salvation and your relationship with God. Nothing!

 Conclusion:

When you achieve for yourself, you become successful but when you achieve for God, you become a celebrity!!!

Building a Value Adding Life

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” ― Albert Einstein

A very fundamental purpose of our existence here on earth is to add value to the lives of other people. The world teaches us to the contrary. We are taught to be individualistic; care for ourselves exclusively. Even in the church, rarely do we pray for others; it’s about ourselves. Such is the level of our misunderstanding of our purpose.

It is a great and noble path to walk – to be influential and to be impactful. Contributing positively to the lives of others is also very important in many facets of life, such as, leadership, relationships, linkages, team building, etc, whether with friends, family, colleagues, etc. People give a lot of respect to those who add value to their lives. If there is nothing to be gained, learned and/or inspired from you, then you are just, sorry to say, a dead weight.

You have probably benefited from someone’s contribution in the past; someone who motivated and encouraged you by the value they added to your life. So much that you began to change and improve your own circumstances and situation. You too should be out there, adding value to other people whenever you have the opportunity to do so.

There are many ways you can add value to the lives of people and your community. According to Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus in their article, “Adding Value”, the following are some of them;

§  Create something someone can use. You wonder why inventors are celebrated even centuries after they left the earth. Well, that is because they did something that has continued to make life easier for others. Imagine how life was before portable water, electricity, the telephone, the printed Bible (translated into many different languages), etc. Every time we enjoy these ‘inventions’, we remember those who made it happen. Man was built for creativity by the Master Creator Himself. When you create something useful, you help to solve a problem or make life easier for others.

§  Inspire someone to take action. Sometimes, people do not know how strong, caring, gifted, etc, they are until you spur them on. You can motivate people to do better with their lives; do well in school; make a mark in the workplace and the community; stand up for themselves; write a book; fight for a good cause; etc. And someone took action and changed the course of their lives, simply because you encouraged them to do so.

§  Lend a helping hand. Everybody will need help at some point in their lives and would be grateful to those who rallied around them at such times. Many people underestimate the value they add to people’s lives when they render help to them in times of need. Not all will be appreciative though but being generous is a great way to impact people positively – be a shoulder to cry on; give a listening ear; visit someone suddenly; smile at people; give up your seat for someone who needs it the most; show empathy, and not just sympathy, etc.

§  Lead by example. I can’t help but remember Apostle Paul’s injunction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12. For Timothy not to be disregarded because he was so young, Apostle Paul advised him to imbibe and maintain an exemplary conduct. You cannot be a person of influence or impact except you lead by example. You will probably have to do more than you are asking of others. And sometimes, your example will make people feel that you value them enough not to take them for granted. The results are usually positive - people do not forget. Maya Angelou said, 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

§  Be sincere. No matter how you contribute to the wellbeing of others, do so in an authentic way—without an ulterior motive—genuine and helpful and unassuming. People can identify fake, pretentious and hypocritical support when they see one and they will not take kindly to it.

Who adds value to your life? How do you add value to others? The keys to success and happiness lie in our God-given ability to make the difference in other people’s lives. That is how we will grow and be on the front-line for unsolicited opportunities. Let me leave you with these two quotes;

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another” – Charles Dickens

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” ― Albert Einstein

Staying Focused

“You must be wise and stay focused on the goals you are trying to reach.” 
― Germany Kent

Being a teenager today must be quite an interesting life. You seem to be hitting on so many opportunities out there with advanced and available support systems. I’m not glossing over the challenges and difficulties but I find that there are better prospects for teenagers now than in the past. I also find that it is particularly, difficult for a teenager to stay focused on their studies, goals, etc, as a result of too many distractions – positive and negative. They include electronic gadgets, friends, social media, entertainment, celebs, sports, etc.

With so much planning and execution regarding your future, these distractions can undermine your efforts big time! You have to pay close attention to your studies – high school, college/university, etc; your career or entrepreneurship intentions; relationships; work skills, social skills, soft skills, life skills, etc. In order to come out tops in whatever may be your pursuit, you have to learn to stay focused, like ‘keep your eye on the ball’.

How? Identify your dreams, desires and goals; break them into manageable bits; and work on them… daily.

§  The best goals are written. Your brain wasn’t meant to be a storage facility; it was built for processing. When you carry your dreams in your head, you’ll end up with stagnated remembrance but when you write them down, you can review, revise, expand, edit…whatever. Let your goals be as specific as possible with reasons why you want to reach them. Go over them regularly, especially during tough times and discouraging moments. You’ll find yourself snapping back to life because there’s just something you’ve got to do.

§  Set timelines. When do you expect to achieve your various goals? You can make use of a calendar or planner and mark due dates. It is important that the timelines are realistic. For instance, they must comply with the law. So you shouldn’t be setting a time for getting a Driver’s License before you are legally eligible. As you review, edit and update them, whenever necessary, you will find out if you are doing well or not (and why).

§  Get a mentor. You may need guidance from someone who is older, more experienced and has accomplished something similar. Ask your parents, school guidance, family and friends for recommendations on where to find potential mentors in your chosen field. You can even participate in mentorship programs in your community where you will be paired with a willing mentor looking to teach up-and-coming youths.

§  Internship. Internship experience, during holidays or off-school periods, is an excellent way to gain experience for your future profession, resume, and build a network in your field. Look out for/ask about companies requesting student interns, whether by looking in the local newspaper or searching online job sites. As an intern, you need to work hard, willingly accept responsibilities, and develop relationships.

§  Clear distractions. This might be hard but it is possible. It takes courage, discipline and determination. You must be ready to jettison the ‘good’ for the ‘best’. Therefore, plan your study time, work time and leisure time. Keep the music playing, movie watching and phone ringing away from study and work periods. Ask your family and friends to show understanding and support by not interrupting you at these times. A better utilization of time is an expression of maturity and determination to stay focused on your dreams.

§  Hang out with people of like-mind. People with similar aspirations are more likely to encourage you to reach yours than those who don’t. So, identify such people and spend as much time with them as possible. This is not to say you should do away with your friends who don’t want to do the same things like you but it is important that your friends have their own dreams to pursue and will support you in yours. Spending time with people of like-mind should help you develop yourself and work diligently towards your goals. Even when you get criticized, take out the lesson and work towards improvement.

§  Stick with God. At those crucial moments of your life, the most sincere being in your life and future is God. Don’t forget that your life plan should be in line with His purpose. So, as you celebrate milestones achieved, celebrate His faithfulness, mercy, favour, blessing, guidance, wisdom…name it. Don’t take Him for granted. He is all that you need…and more.

“Focus on your work. Do what you're great at. Don't compare yourself to others and or waste time criticizing the lives and work of others. Do what matters most to you and make a difference doing that.” 
― Germany Kent