People are asking: what is the newest marketing tip? These are some of the posts I have blogged here on entrepreneurial small business and internet marketing. I am aware that there is a need for such resources online in a blog form. I have newly researched related information to put into this blog, as I watch the economic situation on my watch list. Here is a new tip:My next topic is on “mobile/hand phone as a marketing platform/tool”. (Do look out for it and my business series in this best women blog and my Millennial internet blog)
List of previous posts for the new comers:
All about entrepreneurial small business and internet marketing
In our previous three interviews on how small entrepreneurial businesses can succeed, we have briefly touched on how business model has evolved from growth-in-size driven, with standardization and automation of procedures, system, machine, and centralized control, to small, individualistic, creative and back to the human-relational-client-centered model. We have given real live examples on entrepreneurs who do what they do best and their clients pay for the quality and value they put in. “Personal touch” is expected and valued, and this is timeless. Today we will touch on some prerequisites for such successes, with a consultant named AJ.
The goal of the blogs posted here is to present some thoughts for readers to search out and do their own research and find information that are relevant to their situation. The acronym M stands for the organizer, AJ stands for the invited interviewee and P stand for anyone of the participant(s).
M: Good day, sir AJ, thank you for your kind participation in this program. As you know, the objective of this conversation is to find out how to do well as a small business in 2021, and beyond. In today’s scenario many small people are without a stable employment or trade engagements with the income they used to receive before the onset of the government policies which impacted many businesses and industries. We would like to know more how the small people can turn around this situation and make a decent living for themselves and their families, and even their previous staff. Is academic education a must for corporate success? Does academic qualifications from a good university guarantee one a good job and promotions? Does that mean those without a good academic qualification just have to become an entrepreneur in some kind of trades?
continue reading the answer from AJ in my original blog at the following:
The things that I do for internet marketing! And all for my English Lord boss. Admittedly he pays well. “Freeze! Nobody move! You are surrounded!” That is the last thing I hear before I realize someone is behind me and a gigantic shadow looms over me. That is how my dog Gracie and I end up being held hostage by the six young women named Pyra 1-6 from M16 Influencers Training Inc at the Dronesville park. In line with social distancing, someone uses a long plank to poke at us from the back and makes us move forward toward the direction of the former “hyperloopy” lab now deserted due to the year long locked down order. It is like the worst of movies of a somewhat shell-shocked nerd-to-be and an innocent nerdy mascot talking dog. “No talking!” The command is issued and we duly obey, not knowing what this group named M16 is likely to do next.
The building is not locked or has its door been opened by a remote control? Anyway we settle in a spacious and clean meeting hall. I am made to sit down at the far end of a very long conference table while Gracies is allowed to wait at a corner with her muzzle-mask still on. The women sit at the other end of the table, all wearing full-facial masks. Here is an excerpt (sample) of our conversation. P stands for P1-P6. Jr. stands for me, junior to my dad the senior nerd IJ.
P: As per our phone conversation previously, we are the new members of the Women’s Internet Club. You may describe us as the Millennial Influencers Squad* (In millennial language: it means a group of friends). Have you brought the application forms? Junior?
Jr: Yes, here they are. (Handing over the transparent folder of blank forms)
P: (speaks after a lapse of seconds of silence) What kind of ridiculous forms is this? Requiring my particulars about whether I own a pet (e.g. a dog) and whether the pet (dog) will be a participant on zoom meetings? I object to answering this privacy infringing question!
Jr: It is a compulsory question, miss.
P: Why?! Your justification has better be good! (All the other Ps clap in unison)
Jr: You see, miss, it’s a matter of logistics.
P: OK, if I answer yes, I have a bull dog, and yes, she is joining the zoom class. Is there any difference from saying no?
Jr: The difference will be the charges. We will count as two persons attending.
P: (All burst into laughters) Bruh? (meaning seriously) Aren’t you extra (over the top, dramatic behavior)? (This one talks millennial slang words)
Jr: Serious. Consider the extra efforts we have to make to accommodate a person with a pet (dog). Of course you may opt out for the pet. Put them in another room, or muzzle them and chain them up or whatever so they would not disrupt the classes.
P: (all burst into a thundering uproar until one manages to speak) mister! I am shook (confused or in utter disbelief) at the way that you throw shade (making a subtly mean comment about someone) on our pets!
Jr: My apology, miss. The crux of the matter is that we will count your pet as an individual paid participant and give the same treatment as we give you. ISN’T THAT POSITIVE?
P: Would we be given a separate session apart from the senior women’s club? I understand that there are twenty of them and all with their pets.
Jr: We can’t afford to do that at the v (very) nominal fee we are charging, miss. Shall we give it a try mixing with the existing group, who have some bougies (from higher class), and who is more like fam (a group of friends who feels more like family) first and see how we may develop?
P: (After completed the forms and paying up their fees) TBH (to be honest), we are here for an important purpose. We have no option.
Jr: Thank you for your honesty. May I be so bold to know what M16 stands for?
P: Anything you may imagine. This conversation is hereby canceled (To reject something because it’s no longer trendy or it’s become too ratchet.) You two may go now. See you at the next Internet Club meeting. Any advice on how we may present ourselves in the zoom?
Jr: Just EXPECT the GOAT (Greatest of all time), BE SNATCHED (attractive), and not Beat (to have a full face of makeup)! We are going live on a popular social media at the same time!
The year 2020 had given us a a bad report card, many subjects below passing marks. Many women are concerned what is ahead and how to get by, not to mention making a success. However, we cannot throw up our hands and surrender. Women take up 50% of the world’s population and have a very essential role to carry, in order for the human race to survive. Let us start the Year 2021 positively through reading and learning from the summarized biography of a successful woman entrepreneur, a perfect role model for all women in history. We can learn from her what we can do in rebuilding and reconstructing our lives in the seemingly hopeless scenario. (Read Proverbs 31:10-31 for her story. ) (Scroll down to the second half of this post for a real life testimony of a bankrupt transformed into a successful small business man!)
This woman is the perfect wife whom every man is looking for. She existed in history. King Solomon wrote this passage. And it is believed that he has taken the example of his own mother (Queen Bathsheba) as a role model for all women. She is very capable, intelligent, diligent, and virtuous. She produces a very capable and intelligent son!
First, she is described as an excellent (capable, intelligent, and virtuous) woman. The word “excellent” is “Chayil” in Hebrew. Its definition includes (having): means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:—able, activity, ( ) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ( ) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily). (Proverbs 31:10, 12:4, 18:22, 19:14)
Second, she has good relationship with her husband and children. She takes care of them as a good wife, mother, and provider of economic needs and riches! And her family is proud of her. The husband trusts her good morality and ability. Because of her, he is respected by other prominent leaders. Her children are well cared for and honor her. Read what they say about her (11,23,28-31)
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. 12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her. 21 She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet. 23 Her husband is known in the [city’s] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying], 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.30 Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!
Thirdly, she is capable, shrewd, and diligent in running a successful business. She can see ad make the best of opportunities. She makes wise investment and grows her wealth. She is careful with profit reinvestment and does not waste. In terms of work, she is hands on and manages her workers efficiently. She checks on quality. She sets good example. At the same time, she takes care of their needs and treat them well.
13 She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it]. 14 She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household’s food from a far [country]. 15 She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. 16 She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. 18 She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust]. 19 She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 24 She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or sashes that free one up for service]. 27 She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.
She is charitable and shows kindness to the poor and needy.
20 She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].
She takes care of herself as well. She has the strength of character, wisdom, knowledge, counsel, good morality, elegance, class, and eloquence, and the godliness to match her looks and speech.
22 She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made]. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! 26 She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].
In summary, we have a perfect role model to emulate in 2021. How and where to start? 2020 had left behind certain constraints that do not encourage entrepreneurship in some places. Here is a testimony of how a bankrupt and his wife turned around financially.
A real life testimony:
On January 1, 2003 a newly converted Christian woman brought her middle-age bankrupt husband to my house for counseling. They have just closed down their food and beverage retail business. He was declared a bankrupt because his electrical contractor dad used his name to secure a business loan and defaulted. All his savings went toward repaying the many creditors of his dad. After closing down his own business he had been working odd jobs and could not even make ends meet. His family were living with his own parents under very bad condition. He had tried many jobs and failed.
After hearing his case, I asked him one question, “What are you good at?” I then found that he has been a very experienced and skilled electrical wiring technician working for his dad since a teenager. And he has passed official exam and has his own trade license for electrical contractor business although he never utilized his license. The final decision at the end of the counsel: he agreed to try getting some electrical wiring jobs as the first step to being an electrical contractor. He prayed and accepted Christ that same day. The wife volunteered to be his assistant until he could employ someone. She learned everything from scratch and became his capable and faithful assistant! She daily rose early and cooked for the whole family before they went out to work. During their lunch break, the couple read the Bible and prayed together. They listened to Bible verses and messages while in their van driving and also in their workplace. They prayed in tongue all their time when not disturbing others in their workplace. They even joined our 5am prayer and Bible study time! And they witnessed the amazing mighty work of God in their lives.
To cut the story short, God did not fail this couple. Several Christians pooled together a small capital for him to start off. After praying with his wife on the first day in their van by a roadside with no direction where to find work, he called a lamp shop owner, who offered him some small jobs, installing lamps for a new house. While installing lamps the house owner came and asked him whether he could do plumping, and offered him more jobs etc. Many other new house owners got to know him and got him to do their houses as well and so on. His business boomed until a point when he and his wife could not handle on their own. The rest is history. (Their three daughters accepted Christ, did well in college, and now have stable jobs. Family relationship vastly improved from anger, frustrations, guilt and accusations, to a warm and loving and mutually respectful and united family. The last I heard is that they have moved to their own new house!*) They put God in their family and everything transformed into abundance and harvest (John 10:10).
Ask yourself, “what can I do best?” Do an inventory of what you can do. Find out what people still need at this time. I find that most people still need food, and basic amenities. A woman who used to sell her foodstuff at a stall now makes them in her house and deliver them to her regular clients. Many other entrepreneurs are doing the same. Home catering and delivery have become a norm. A highly qualified couple who lost their highly paid corporate executive jobs in the city moved back to the man’s parents’ home in a smaller town and started a thriving home catering and delivery business. They also do homeschooling for their young children.
Yes, let us all be like the Proverbs 31 excellent woman, a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!
Kainotes, 2021-1-1
*postscript: as illustration of how they advanced in prosperity, I would add that when I first took up their case, they were living in the man’s parents’ home together with the man’s siblings and their respective families. It was a very oppressive environment. His wife and children lived in anger, shame and frustrations. After the counseling and his conversion to Christ, the man started his electrical contract business and experienced God’s shower of blessings in income. He and his own family moved into a rented house near our church. Within two years they were able to buy their own house near our prayer and Bible study small house group, and continued to enjoy financial increase in income. When the three daughters grow up (each has a stable job), and need more space, the family bought a new, big house in a newly developed township, with good and fast accessibility to highways, a place suitable for the man’s business. The amazing fact is that God always gives him the best deals in terms of the renting and later buying of houses. The grace of God is so real in his life after he accepted Christ!
I have posted the original article in my Watchman blog. I know many women do not go there. So I am re-posting it in this blog so my sisters won’t miss out.
Woken by the Spirit at 1am. I realize that I need to write a new series about God’s economics and finance and how to leverage our talents and time in these strange days. The last time I wrote on this subject was in 2016 before and after the Brexit, and the American presidential election. I have received accurate download from the Lord twice, prior Brexit, and then prior Trump’s success in terms of economics and finance. I would like to continue what I had left off.
There are two prerequisites: You must have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. You must have the words of God because it is the spiritual building materials that the Holy Spirit uses. It is the main channels/media of communication between God and you. The Holy Spirit is the power that moves the building blocks.
In this introduction, I would use the Bible principles to set the foundation, on which I have built and prospered for nearly four decades after my first encounter with the Holy Spirit.
The principle: This is of utmost importance because in the spiritual realm only God’s words count. The physical manifestation of wealth comes from spiritual wisdom downloaded when you practice the principle.
The book of Ephesians is a heavenly book. It is a supernatural conquest handbook. (In the Old Testament you can find a semblance of it in the book of Joshua). We shall read and be guided by 5:1-20.
Things not to do 1-14: Don’t copy what the world does. What the world is doing is simplistic. AI (artificial intelligence) and algorithm can do the job. How do you know/discern what are worthless and even evil so that you can avoid them? To sum up, the verses clearly contrast what God’s way is like and we are required to emulate Him. God is light and those who walk closely with God would receive revelation to expose darkness. One detecting pointer is see their motives/intentions. Two main things to avoid: greed and immorality. Don’t go there. Don’t even talk their talk. Words have power!
Things to do 15-20: This is the important positive action part on the what and how. I will discuss in details, verse by verse: The Holy Spirit (through the pen of Paul) always shows two scenarios/options, a wrong way and a right way. The good news is He will also advise you to choose the right way for your own good! The Bible calls one the godless fool’s way. And the right way is the godly wise way.
Live the right lifestyle of a wise person: Verse 15 says we have to be careful how we live. Carefully observe and copy the godly and wise, who are already successful. List out the characteristics of a godly and wise man in the Bible, ask the Lord to bring you to such a person(s).
Make the best use of your asset —time: verse 16 says make the most of every opportunity. This verse warns that evil days do come to the rest of the world. And you are in the midst of it. The key is to identify the good opportunity because it comes too.
Thinking is just as important as acting: verse 17 says you can find out and understand through thinking (meditating on the words of God) the best strategies for acting on the opportunity. As you think, talk to the Lord and ask Him. Listen to Him. He will always answer when you ask. God answers through an inner voice (not necessary audible), His words, and/or other confirmations (e.g. a godly trustworthy person’s advice). Read His words and pray over them usually help me to hear Him accurately.
Follow/act on what you have downloaded from God through the above action of meditating on His words. The most important thing is know it is His will for you. What He really wants you to do. Should you buy or sell that particular stock? Should you invest in that business? When you are sure you have the correct will of God, go ahead and finish the deal. One key is to check your motive. If your motive is not aligned with the words of God, leave the deal alone. Don’t go there!
Use His supernatural communication channel/media: The Holy Spirit is the God’s direct way of communicating to us. Verse 18. We need the Holy Spirit working in us, to download the knowledge and wisdom that only God knows, about what is ahead and what to buy or sell at what time and what price. The Holy Spirit helps us to check our motive and alerts us when we are motivated by greed and pride and other “evil motives”. The Holy Spirit gives us sensitivity and practically draws us into the spiritual realm and see the unseen future.
The tools that you can use to increase your sensitivity to what God is revealing to you about what you intend to do (e.g. your intention to buy or sell a stock, invest in an asset etc): verse 19 says you are to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts! Yes, I haven’t quoted wrongly. The Bible really says so. It is actually one of the most effective weapons for conquest! The Bible recorded at least two historical incidents whereby this worked mightily and His people successfully conquered the enemies and made great exploits just by singing and making music to the Lord! (Read Joshua’s victory in the book of Joshua 6 and 2 Chronicles 20 on king Jehoshaphat’s victory). Yes, business transactions are another form of conquest. There are spiritual movements involved.
Always have the right attitude: verse 20 says, give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks means acknowledging that what we have achieved (including worldly wealth) is all because of God’s grace, free gift to us from God. Mean it!
There are two words which we must understand in this conquest:
The word “thanks” in Ephesians 5:20 is defined as follows in HELPS Word-studies as : 2168euxaristéō (from 2095/eú, “good” and 5485/xaris, “grace”) – properly, acknowledging that “God’s grace works well,” i.e. for our eternal gain and His glory; to give thanks – literally, “thankful for God’s good grace.”
The word “economy/economy (as used in 1 Timothy 1:4) is defined in Strong’s Concordance as 3622oikonomía (from 3621/oikonoméō, “a steward, managing a household“) – properly, a stewardship, management (administration), i.e. where a person looks after another’s affairs (resources).
Keys to acquiring and sustaining economic/financial success in God’s way:
Acknowledge that it is God’s grace that gives us wealth.
Be a good and faithful steward over the wealth you have received.
Women in their best 