International Conference onBusiness and Mission Integration

Presenters:

Bob Kuhlman

Neil Lessman

Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise Development...

……The ChurchThe Church

……The EntrepreneurThe Entrepreneur

...The Community ...The Community

As an Introduction…

…let me hook you with one of the best fish stories you’ve ever heard…

SME Kingdom Business Development…The Vision• Profitable and sustainable businesses

• Mature Christian business leaders

• Salt and light in the marketplace

• Stewardship that builds a economic base for local ministry

• Influence and impact in the community both economically and spiritually

What is an SME?• Context is critical – (Serbia vs China vs Brazil)

– SMEs will look different based on it’s location due to culture, politics, natural resources...

• Common Characteristics– Employment — 5-100 employees

– Investment capital — $10k - $250k

– ComplexityAccounting, human resources, legal, banking, mentoring,

education, training…are all important.

David BerlancicCroatia

Why work with SMEs?• Highest potential for job creation• Develop business expertise in the owner and key staff• Capacity to impact entire community• Large enough for profits to impact local ministry• Promotion of justice, truth and integrity• Promotion of social inclusion through reconciliation

and active compassion• Ability for Christian owner to influence

customers, employees, and suppliers.

Ira, Inc.Sofia, Bulgaria

An SME in Action… …Sergei DUshenko

• Background…– Left collective with four sacks of potatoes

– Refugee from Central Asia

• Today…– 50 employees on 10,000 hectares

– No drinking on the farm

– Hires former refugees like himself

– Helping build building for his seeker-oriented church.

Needs and Challenges for SMEs…• Lack of capital and banking services• Government corruption• Organized crime• Poor legal systems • Negative view of “work as ministry” by pastors• Lack of access to practical training• Lack of historical models (eg. former communist

countries)• Lack of employment

Oil PartnersBratislava, Slovakia

Mark from Tyla…

Auto PartsMoscow, Russias

• His story…– Started out selling flowers

– Driving in cars by order from the West

– Set up an auto parts store

• His approach…– Keep your promises

• His challenges…– Signed approval of 20 bureaucrats to start

– Fended off repeated mafia attempts to take over

– Fired all his workers twice to get them to stop drinking.

How to Get Involved…

Ideas

Consulting

Investment

Management

• Ideas

• Consulting

• Investment

• Management

• LeadershipDevelopment

Lea

der

ship

D

evel

op

men

t

Businessman Bill Godfrey… Business as Mission in Siberia!

• Visited twice a year, then helped give birth to ICE (Integra in Irkutsk).

• ICE is now a network of business clubs, 6 businesses financed a tourist and apartment business owned by ICE.

• Gave of his heart first, his time second and his funds third…A natural progression.

“Love mixed with truth and applied regularly can change the world.”

Vili…a story of “Sweet” Success!

• The story…– Business launched in 1992

– $30,000 loan from Integra

– Today 100+ employees

• Motivation – to provide for…– Family

– Friends

– Church

– Community

SME Kingdom Business Development…The Vision• Profitable and sustainable businesses

• Mature Christian business leaders

• Salt and light in the marketplace

• Stewardship that builds a economic base for local ministry

• Influence and impact in the community both economically and spiritually

Food for thought…

“Do your work in such a wayas to provoke

the kind of questionsto which the Gospel is the only answer.”

Lesslie Newbigin