| One of the latest and greatest marketing tools in | | | | not best serve. And second, and more importantly, |
| internet marketing is the joint venture or JV. Those | | | | my faith helps separate me from everyone else out |
| of you who are familiar with using the internet to | | | | there who does what I do and offers the services I |
| market your products and services are probably | | | | offer. |
| familiar with this term and its many benefits. | | | | Those who are drawn to me because I'm a Christian |
| But, for those of you who are new to using the | | | | are people I know God has decided I should do |
| internet to make money, a joint venture is simply a | | | | business with and those who are offended by it are |
| strategic alliance where two or more people or | | | | those with whom a business relationship would not |
| organizations agree to contribute goods, services and | | | | be beneficial to them or to me. |
| or capital to a common commercial enterprise. | | | | 4. Gain Credibility with a Particular Target Market |
| As I was thinking about the general definition of a | | | | Christian business owners make up a target market |
| joint venture, an idea came to me. What if, as | | | | that's not tapped into as much as business owners in |
| Christian business owners, we made a commitment | | | | general. So, when you joint venture with God and |
| to be joint venture partners with God? What | | | | other Christian business owners know it, you have |
| benefits would there be to us and to the Lord's | | | | access to that market because they know that as a |
| kingdom? | | | | fellow Christian who owns a business, you can truly |
| I can think of several, but here are just five of them. | | | | relate to them. |
| 1. Not Having to Do All the Work | | | | And, if your target market isn't business owners at |
| Just like doing a joint venture with another human | | | | all, but rather some other target market, allowing the |
| being, when you choose God as your JV partner, | | | | Christians in that group to know that God is your JV |
| you don't have to do nearly as much work as you | | | | partner opens up new opportunities for sales and |
| would if you go it alone. | | | | growth in your business. |
| In fact, there are some things in your business that | | | | 5. More Abundant Financial Rewards |
| only God can handle. If you've had those moments | | | | Just like in a traditional joint venture where both sides |
| when something has just gone incredibly right with | | | | pull their capital together to increase the amount of |
| your business and you're absolutely amazed at how | | | | money making opportunities, a joint venture with |
| easy it was to accomplish, that's God making it | | | | God allows you to share in the financial abundance |
| happen for you. When you commit to a partnership | | | | God has waiting for you. |
| with Him, He'll, make miracles happen in your business. | | | | When you partner with God in your business, part of |
| 2. Leverage from the Lord's Resources | | | | your commitment should be to give God his share of |
| God has numerous ways of taking care of the things | | | | the profits. He's definitely going to be doing the |
| that need to be taken care of in order to make our | | | | "heavy lifting" and we should cheerfully give back to |
| businesses successful. When you invite Him to be a | | | | him 10% of what He's given us. |
| joint venture partner with you in your business | | | | The Bible assures us that when we do, God will |
| endeavors, He'll unearth resources in the form of | | | | continue to give us back more than we could ever |
| people, time, and money you never realized you had | | | | return to him. |
| before. | | | | In this respect, joint venturing with God is more |
| 3. Great Way To Separate Yourself from the | | | | powerful than joint venturing with anyone else |
| Competition | | | | because with anyone else you'd combine your money |
| When I first started my business, I wrestled with | | | | with your JV partner and the two of you would split |
| whether or not I should publicize the fact that I'm a | | | | the profits 50/50. With God, you give Him the 10% |
| Christian. After much prayer and talking with those | | | | He requests and He puts back a hundred times that. |
| close to me whom I know have a close relationship | | | | That's a deal I'll take any day. |
| with the Lord, I decided that not only should I make | | | | There are a lot of reasons why we should choose to |
| this information known, I should include it in my | | | | joint venture with God and the benefits definitely |
| marketing campaigns. | | | | outweigh the demands of doing so. But, the number |
| I decided that letting my customers and prospects | | | | one reason I chose to make God my JV partner is |
| know that I'm on a team with God was a good idea | | | | because I didn't want to find what would happen if I |
| because first, it helped weed out those who I would | | | | didn't. |