·        A holistic approach

·        Business Planning the bottom lines

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·        Recommended reading

Business Planning: the bottom lines

In their article Rundle and Steffen talk about a double bottom line for the business with the first being to an "income-producing business" and the "second (but primary) bottom line: to glorify God by promoting the growth of the local churhces in the least envangelized, least developed areas of the world."

Dr. Tan (TBN, Jubilee Action) in a recent paper, to be found on the Transformational Business Network website, has developed these bottom lines further in what he calls 'Social Venture Capitalism'.

"Alongside traditional approaches there is a growing movement to use traditional business enterprise to combat poverty. This movement has grown out of entrepreneurs using the same skills that have enabled them to build successful businesses and applying their talents and resources to the problem of poverty.

I have called this approach Social Venture Capitalism (SVC). So what is it? Henry Ford once said, "A business that only makes money is a poor kind of business." He should know. Most businesses exist only to make a profit for thier shareholders - that is the financial bottom line. SVC looks beyond that the 'Quadruple Bottom line' - financial, social, spiritual and environmental. It is not investing purely for a financial return. That is not to say that it is in it to lose money. Rather, in order for the business to be sustainable, they have to be profitable. But SVC does not require the same rate of financial return because it is also looking for social, spiritual and envirnmental returns. A number of these SVC entities are faith based. The experience is that faith based investors are more likely to accept a lower financial return in exchange for higher social returns. They are more able to align their financial interest with their social responsibilities."

To read Dr. Tan's full paper go to www.tbnetwork.org click on 'tbn concept', 'business and enterprise'. Scroll down to find the link, 'Enterprise against poverty: The case for Social Venture Capitalism

The following links are to business recommended planning websites.  Some guide you to write a business plan and others provide actual examples.  Our hope is that these may help you in developing your own.