Tomorrow your favourite forum will be carrying out a business presentation for the Holiness in Revival Church based in Chitungwiza, Harare. In carrying our researches for the presentation, we came across inspirational bible verses and we share them below:

Philippians 3:13-14 NIV Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Too often, we as small business owners relive past hurt and disappointments. Let it go, shake it off and move forward. You probably thought you were going to get that contract, but if you didn’t, you were not supposed to. Keep pressing ahead in truth and integrity, and everything will work out in your business.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.  Many of us who call ourselves entrepreneurs and small business owners are arrogant.  It certainly takes confidence to be successful in business but you must always remember from whom all blessings flow. God has given you the talent and ability to make money, and that should keep you humble.

1 Peter 4:10 NIV Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. You should think of your business as a service to others first. Making money will come second. It’s about give to get. If you make networking all about closing a contract, people will see right through you and you’ll get nowhere fast. Listen for an opportunity to give first.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 NIV Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.  There will be times in your business when your faith in people will be tested, but you can’t judge everyone by the actions of one person. People are human they will let you down sometimes. You can’t grow your business by yourself. You’ll need to be able to trust others with key roles to build the business of your dreams. Be smart. Use contracts, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements with everyone. Never lose faith in yourself or others.

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Have a forgiving spirit. Now that doesn’t mean to keep employees and contracts that don’t deliver, just don’t be hateful. Everyone makes mistakes, and you will, too. If you have a spirit of forgiveness, your client might just have that same spirit, when you miss a major deliverable.

Isaiah 45:2 NIV I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. Always know that it is God who fights your battles. Don’t waste energy trying to get back at those who wrong you in business. Their actions will eventually come to light. People put themselves out of business.

Joshua 1:9 NIV Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. The number #1 thing that holds back most entrepreneurs is confidence. Be strong and courageous about your business. You are selling yourself as much as your product or service. If you don’t believe in it, then no one else will believe in it either. Make sure your self-talk is positive. Master your pitch and just wait for the answer.

Mark 5:36 NIV Overhearing what they said, Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” There will be times when you are the only person who believes in your business dream. God wants us to push ourselves to greatness. Don’t be afraid; just believe in yourself and your business idea. Do your homework and identify a target client. When you have a plan, you don’t have to be afraid. Winging it is scary.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. The devil is always out to conquer and destroy relationships in business and in your personal life. Give people around you the benefit of the doubt. When you feel offended or angry, make sure your emotions are not lying to you. Focus on what is true. Before you need to make a hard call or have a difficult meeting, pray first for the right words.

3 John 1:2 NIV Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It is important that you prioritize your health as you build your business. Too many of us entrepreneurs are workaholics. You are not a machine. Focus on your self-care. Schedule time for yourself to go on a date, read, workout, or spending time with your kids.

Proverbs 2:6-8 NIV For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. God will give you the desire of your heart, if you serve him. Be a good boss, mentor and friend to your fellow business owners and God will never forsake you. Sleep well knowing God’s always got your back, and your front when you need it.

Proverbs 29:11 NIV Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Watch your temper! The devil can use you when you give in to a flash of rage. Words hurt, and you can’t take them back if too much damage is done. Wait 24 hours before responding to an angry email, or better yet just pick up the phone and talk.

Romans 8:5 NIV Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. Each day, I seek to be an example of God’s light and love. Make sure you know the real motives behind why you work so hard in your business. Who are you glorifying? Money isn’t everything. Focus on what is really important in life.

Credit :http://succeedasyourownboss.com

Our position on the Diaspora is very clear-we are a Diaspora friendly forum and whenever we design programmes or trainings, we will be having the Diaspora in mind. Take for instance our Tenders Tracker, a Diasporan is not likely to have access to tenders information, what is new, what are the trends etc. ZBIN ensures that our members have up to date information on tenders by compiling this information and posting it on our site or distributing it to subscribed members through our online newsletter. Our board is made up of 50% Diasporans and this ensures that there is sufficient representation of the Diaspora Voice is all the work that we do.

ZBIN and Youths

We also realise that most of our members are young people. Some are still at college, some recently finished college or some graduated but have no formal employment. Some are already in business or intending to start business. So what is the policy of ZBIN in relation to youths?

Our policy is that of assisting youths in everything that we do and to date we have covered various youths programmes such as:

1. Youth Fund Opportunities by Potraz
2. Interview with Roselyn Marere on Business Opportunities in India
3. Employment Tracker to assist youths seeking employment
4. Promotion of a Poultry App by a forum youngster
5. The ZBIN Logo was designed by a young forum member called Tafadzwa
6. The ZBIN website was redesigned by a young member with a company called SBT
7. Our forum ZBIN Online Forex Trading targets young members
8. We have been invited by a local university to carry out a business presentation targetting university students
9. Featured the Bus Stop Start Up Interview to inspire youths
10. ZBIN’s Tender Tracker is carried out by a young member of the forum
11. We have actively promoted start ups from young members of the forum

So our forum caters the youth because the youth are particularly vulnerable to unemployment as a result of a combination of factors related to their lack of skills, lack of work experience, lack of collateral and limited access to business support services tailored towards their needs.

We will therefore be actively promoting the participation of youths in business especially in areas of provision of information and capacity building, promotion of initiatives targeting youths and covering businesses that do not require a lot of capital-startups.

Our best initiative targeting youths is the Online Forex Trading Initiative where we have provided various free trainings to our members so that they can have an appreciation of this initiative that has great potential to provide income to young forum members. The area of online forex trading has however been dogged by fraudsters who hoodwink the public into investing in them and thereafter disappearing with funds. Our policy at ZBIN is that members trade on their own, we give free information, provide training and enable members to network with seasoned traders. This helps in inspiring young members learn the ropes in a conducive environment where everything happens above board.

So to young members in business , the message is that ZBIN has got you covered and whenever we come out with initiatives, one of the key questions is ‘How about the Youths?’