There is something productive and enterprising about people that are business minded. Jesus famously quipped, “How is it that you sought me? knew you not that I must be about my Father’s business?” This is a very important statement because it reveals to us that Jesus viewed his work as a business. I think many people fail in their quest to make the world a better place because they fail to approach it as a business. I am not suggesting that every watchman will have to find commercial angles to their watch. The big idea here is that in order to truly succeed, one must have the discipline and work ethic demands of business.
There is a well documented trend of failure and ineffectiveness of nonprofit organizations. They are not as effective as for-profit organizations because for-profit businesses have to develop capacity and productivity at a level that commands the influence and income they want from the market. Evaluating the effectiveness of nonprofits is not so simple. There are no clear losses or shortcomings. You are left with doing whatever you can without considering what is actually required for the change you want. Businesses are famous for chasing revenue and customer targets in a way that seems irrelevant to the nonprofit organization.
As a watchman tasked with steering us towards a better future. You must ensure that that future is clearly spelt out in a way that is specific and measurable. You also have to consider how your work can be consistent and sustainable. Without this approach to the work, nothing is done. Building a business forces clarity around goals and objectives. You begin to increase your capacity and effectiveness when faced with the realities of an unforgiving market. You will perform better as an agent of change; salt and light of the world if you built a business. The most consistent and sustainable way to solve problems in society is by building a business around it.
