Mike McLoughlin's Blog

Business can be as much Full Time Ministry as Work for the Local Church

Mike McLoughlin — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 15:52:46 -0700

Adrian Warnock's Blog has an interview with a Relief agency helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina at his blog. It's great to see him promoting help for people and profiling charitable efforts. In the interview he asks the Executive Director of Sovereign Grace, Pat Ennis about how he came to be in this ministry. Pat's reply was:

Although I was completely content, and very much enjoyed working in ...

Is this about Ethics or it about Wise dealing?

Mike McLoughlin — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 11:23:04 -0700

In the Outer has a post about Marketplace Ethics, Part I. I don't think this is about ethics, I think it is about wise dealing.

Customers pay for value received.

If another company can provide the same value that you provide at half the cost then you need to examine your business model and figure out a better way of providing that value.

If a competitor cuts the price ...

Faith at Work Slays the Giants of Fear and Doubt!

Mike McLoughlin — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:53:00 -0700

Giants in the land! Giants in the land! This is the thinking that prevented the Israelites from entering the promised land and it surfaces whenever a business leadership team is about to make a risky decision. Surprises materialize out of nowhere. A bad report is heard. Players unexpectedly drop out of the picture. The ugly face of financial uncertainty rears its head. The giants of Fear and Doubt pervade the meeting. What are we to do? This is the question I faced this morning...

Entrepreneurs love your wives. Part II

Mike McLoughlin — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 16:05:14 -0700

This morning I had breakfast with a friend who I had featured in an earlier post. He was updating me on the progress of his relationship with his wife. He'd moved to Kelowna to start a carpentry finishing business. His wife had remained in a teaching job in another town. The stark choice was between his business and his marriage. I'd counseled him to make the relationship the priority.

Well, he ...

Hypocrisy at work: Expecting the Christian Discount

Mike McLoughlin — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:35:53 -0700

Why is it that Christians expect brothers & sisters in business to offer them the Christian discount? You know what I mean. I was doing a Small Business seminar for a church group. One of the people attending asked me how much I was charging for the notes. I told them the price. He said, “Okay, what is it for a brother?”

Another time, I had a friend ...

Entrepreneurs, love your wives!

Mike McLoughlin — Sat, 12 Mar 2005 14:09:51 -0800

I think the one thing that has most contributed to my success in life as an entrepreneur is that I love my wife!

This thought came to me this past week as I counseled with three young businessmen who are keen to get going on their business ideas. All three are married and, it seems, all three have wives that don’t really get it when it comes to the importance ...

Making Soup at a Medical Clinic - A Case Study in the New Way to Work

Mike McLoughlin — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 20:38:13 -0800

hat’s not my job!” I said indignantly when the office manager suggested I come into the clinic for a day to work as a Medical Office Assistant at our family business - Medi-Kel Clinic. One of her co workers had been bold enough to question how I could be making financial decisions concerning wage rates, if I did not really understand the value of the job I was pricing. ...

Planning A Successful Small Business Seminar Introduction

Mike McLoughlin — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:37:08 -0800

ver the past 10 days I have posted a series of articles that were written for the workbook - Planning a Successful Small Business. Here is a list of the articles and a description of the seminar.

Seminar Content

Serving God's Purposes in Business

Most of all, Succeed in Love

Purpose beyond Profit - Principles for True Success

Commit Your Plans to God - Planning for Success

Conduct ...

Fireproof for God - True Success in Adversity AND Prosperity

Mike McLoughlin — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 09:12:57 -0800

avid Livingstone came to Africa with a vision to end the slave trade. He proposed to accomplish his vision by preaching the gospel to the people of Africa and opening the interior of Africa to lawful commerce.

He said to a friend in a letter written in 1865: "I would not consent to go simply as a geographer, but as a missionary, and do geography by the way, ...

Serve Your People - Staffing for Success

Mike McLoughlin — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 09:02:18 -0800

contemporary definition of management is "getting things done through people". For the workers to do the things management wants done, they must be motivated to do those things. The typical way in which management gets things done through people is by exercising its authority over people. The motivation is a "carrot” or “stick" approach. The carrot is the monetary benefit of employment; the stick is ...