Business Application - 5 Investments Companies Can Make Expecting a High Return

Investments Every Company Can Make and Expect a High Return

Every company shares core areas that are integral to the order of conducting business. Every company or organization must have a method for dealing with finances, customers, operations, and people. Not surprisingly, a company leader must invest in each of these areas if the business is going to be successful. 5 Christian business leaders should show a distinct difference from their counterparts in how they invest and their expectations of the returns they hope to receive. The steward leader always keeps an eye toward investing in ways that have a higher purpose in mind. It is always wise to invest in areas of the business where the owner will see a high level of return. Consider the following areas that may be due for an investment in your company.

INVEST IN INTEGRITY: No company can survive an extended period of time without building on a solid foundation of truth and purpose. Many business leaders have tried and failed. Good profit produced in the right way is the driving factor for plans and decision-making.

INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE: As a company grows, the company’s infrastructure expands too. Companies should not ignore investing in the key technologies that will make their company better. 7 Each year companies should review key components of their infrastructure that impact the production of their team members and customer satisfaction. Key reviews should include internet connection speed, telephone services, computer performance, and tools for managing customer relationships.

INVEST IN KEY INITIATIVES: CEOs and business owners are at their best when they set direction and build the confidence of their teams. Leaders who cast a vision for key initiatives enlist buy-in from their key people. One initiative that business owners should consider each year involves customer acquisition. Customers are the lifeblood of any company. Without customers, there is no business. The strategy behind gaining customers often has to do with assessing the value of existing customers as you target the ones you want for future business. Such efforts lead to marketing strategies and sales initiatives, which attempt to gauge customer demand and what products or services can help you gain enough market share to reach profit goals.

INVEST IN IMPROVEMENTS: An investment in process improvement can often provide the most significant amount of freedom for the business owner and benefit to the customer. Choosing the systems that your business runs on—the operating procedures, technology, and communication channels that move your product or service forward to your customer—are typically determined according to what a business owner feels works best for them. When considering processes, thoughts frequently center on finding solutions that improve quality, reduce time, or save money. However, getting to “good, fast, and cheap” has more to do with the people that use the process than the process itself. When introducing new improvements, the key to their success lies not in the selection, but how those affected by the change respond.

INVEST IN YOUR INNER CORE: If you were to invest rightly in all other areas of the business, but do not invest in the people affected by your decisions, those investments would be both costly and wasteful. Using the business to invest in people is indeed investing in the right place. When investing in people, it is important to remember why you are investing in them. As a steward leader, you should have the desire to provide the very best for your employees as well as your customers.

Experience Question:

Consider a new customer or vendor, or an employee you just hired. What would you like them to experience that lets this person know you’re a Christian company that cares about them? Are there ways you’re doing that already to make that known?