be thankful

Many people confuse marketing with advertising. They are two different beasts, although advertising is part of marketing:

"Marketing" is defined as: to expose for sale in a market.

"Advertising" is: to make something known to: NOTIFY

a: to make publicly and generally known advertising their readiness to make concessions
b: to announce publicly especially by a printed notice or a broadcast
c: to call public attention to especially by emphasizing desirable qualities so as to arouse a desire to buy or patronize: PROMOTE.

Most large businesses have a marketing and an advertising department, although the advertising departments are sometimes part of the marketing departments. What you need to be aware of is that you need to be marketing constantly, but advertising is usually construed as expending consideration (usually in the form of money) to buy space to promote your product and/or service.

A good example of marketing is your signature on a letter or email. You should always have a little blurb after your name that includes contact info (read: email address, mailing address, phone number, etc.) as well as your title. Then, take a moment to create a single line that will draw attention to the client and/or business you are working with. My signature always has "Marketing and Creativity for Small Businesses" attached to it. This leaves some suspense in my business and, in turn, can lead to an open communication line about what exactly I do.

Another marketing example is a press release. You have created one and send it out to the local media. They decide to contact you and write a story about you - that is marketing. But, if you were to purchase space about your business in that same newspaper, you would be purchasing advertising.

There are many things that you can do, to ensure that you are marketing for today, tomorrow and beyond. Business cards is a good example of that. There are also little creative marketing ideas that will give you the power to stay on someone’s mind. One of my virtual pals sells kitchen wares. We took her contact information and ironed it onto potholders, that she can hand out to others. It is a great way to keep her name in front of her target audience!

Now someone else had actually developed that idea, and was selling it. They’ve developed and marketed this item, and are now obviously getting wealthy from the sales. And I’m left thinking, "I thought of that! It was my idea, and now this person is making all the money. Why can’t I be that lucky, just once! Then, I’d be financially successful, and my worries would be over."

I know young people who read those Hollywood magazines that show off that famous movie star, that actor, or actress with the knock-out body, who seems to get paid huge money just for waking up and smiling every day! If you looked like that, you’d be rich too, wouldn’t you! And a whole lot happier too!

How about that neighbor? You know, the one who inherited most of his money. If you’d had an inheritance like that you’d have sure been wiser than he with it. Still he has pretty much everything he wants. If someone had helped you get started like that, so you had something to invest, you’d have made a bundle on the stock market too, wouldn’t you? But here you are with your 40 hour-a-week J.O.B. Of course you’re not as happy as he! How could you be, under your circumstances! It’s quite obvious that money really does buy happiness.

Why is success so elusive to the Christian? Does God hate people with lots of money? Is money really the root of all evil? How can a Christian be successful in today’s world, and is it even something to be desired?

Tell those who are rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life. I Timothy 6:17-19 (The Message)

Here we see Paul instructing Timothy to tell those in Ephesus who have wealth not to flaunt it. By flaunting it, he knew they would be inclined to think more of it than they should. They could easily reach a point where the wealth game became more important to them than God.

Because he understood human nature, Paul recognized that an arrogant person with money had great potential for creating jealousy and disharmony among their fellow believers, and diverting their attention from God, to the challenge of accumulating wealth. Instead of harmonious love and cooperation in the church, there would be a jealous contest to outdo one another.

God provides everything for our enjoyment. If you are placing your hope in something temporary and fleeting, you will be disappointed when it’s gone. But if we merely accept wealth as a momentary measure of enjoyment from God, when it’s gone, we won’t be disconcerted by it’s absence.

It’ll be like a pleasant walk in the park. We’ll enjoy it while we’re doing it, remember it when it’s over, and make plans to do it again when the time is right, and conditions are pleasant. But we don’t go home weeping and lamenting the fact that the walk is over, or become depressed about going home or moving on to other things.

This is how we are to view wealth. It’s a moment of pleasure that God has provided, a mere respite from other aspects of life. But it is not something to hold onto as though our very life depended on it.

Then Paul gives instructions about what to do with our money. We’re first of all to be good, and to do good deeds. But what’s that got to do with wealth? The instruction to be generous and willing to share follows that statement. Obviously, if we’re not treating others in a good way, being a friend, helping where needed, building a trust relationship, how will we ever be generous?

Can you cheerfully give to someone you don’t like, or who doesn’t like you? Not likely! And would it even be accepted? Who will you be generous to, who will you share with, if you’re not being good, doing good deeds!

True happiness and true success for the Christian is found by following the commandment to put our hope in God. If we wake up every morning of our life with our hopes and dreams for today built around our God, instead of setting out to become successful by the world’s standards, and we set out to build a relationship with God the father, this is true success. This is the only true success that exists in the Christian’s world.

Wealth is fleeting. Here today, gone tomorrow. Recent events surrounding the World Trade Center and Wall street have demonstrated the fallacy of trusting in your stock portfolio to guarantee your life and your happiness.

How do we experience success as a Christian?

Act Justly

Love Mercy

Walk humbly with YOUR GOD.

It’s a great PR statement and one that we hear constantly from all types of businesses. What many of them are really saying is that we should do business with them because they are honest and we can trust what they are telling us in their sales materials and advertising. All too often, this statement of honesty is merely part of the business’ marketing strategy used in an attempt to create credibility with the largest number of potential customers.

At the root of the problem is the fact that civil and legislative authorities, which govern the conduct of business in our society, establish the codes, regulations and laws. These rules of law are based on practical economic and legal ethical standards and have nothing to do with the application of Christian or moral standards. You can operate completely within the law and still cheat, mislead and otherwise perform dishonest acts. But what does this really mean? For example a Christian views honesty and ethical behavior as a foundation of the Christian life. In other words, Christians try to live the example through observing and applying God’s Commandments. This means complete truth in all things. It also incorporates the idea of treating others as you want them to treat you.

For Christian business people, these truths are not just some nice sounding words, but are to be lived out in our daily behavior and actions. Do all Christians set this example in their business life? Sadly, many do not. They become lost in the lure of achieving success in their business while losing sight of the true meaning of honesty in business dealings. Honesty is more than something we talk about on Sunday when we are in church but is a reality that must be lived out in our daily life regardless of where we are.

Most have good intentions; they do not set out to cheat or lie in order to gain an economic advantage. As long as they stay within the bounds of the legal limits, many feel they are being honest. It is okay to exaggerate or mislead if you do not actually lie. It is ok to hide consumer information in fine print that no one reads.

But this is the standard set by the world and our society. Honesty in business dealings means exactly that. When a person reads sales materials, the expectation should be that the claims are truthful, not exaggerated and that the business will provide the promised product or service just as described. A Christian businessperson aspires to higher standards. He knows that he has a responsibility to his customers to treat them fairly and as he himself would expect to be treated. Anything less is dishonesty by Christ’s standards.

A Christian’s word is his bond. As a Christian businessperson, your word is your bond. Sales materials and all advertising claims are a direct and concrete form of your word. As an honest businessperson, you cannot ignore true honest behavior in any aspect of your daily and business life. There is no substitute for the truth, and there is never a justification for bending the truth or for "little white lies." Remember that hiding the truth through omission is the same as a direct lie. Little white lies do not stay "little" very long and can lead to disaster in your personal or business life.

Honest dealings in business include many things such as offering a good product or service at a fair price. You must strive to offer value to the customer for their hard earned money. You have an obligation beyond what the law requires to care for and pay your employees in a fair manner. You must always put the customer first.

Is this always easy, or the least expensive way to conduct business? No, but as a Christian, this is the "only" way to do business.

As Paul wrote in his letter to the churches in Galatia:

Galatians 1:10 (NIV)
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. So what is the honest way to conduct business? It is really quite simple:

* Apply sound and proven Christian principles in your relationships with customers and your employees.
* Give value for money spent
* Meet all promised warranties and guarantees
* Be truthful in advertising and promotions
* Always tell the truth
* Treat others as you would like to be treated

Which means…

You are a BLESSING to someone!!!

Think about that for just a moment, say it to yourself…