Should Your Small Business Advertise as Christian Owned?

I just read the article Slapping Fish- Being a Christian Entrepreneur by Melanie Hope.  She writes about slapping the Jesus fish on the bottom of her website without giving it much thought until someone questioned her about it.

She discusses the inner conflict that Christian business owners face in wanting to be true to their faith without losing potential customers.  It’s a great read, and I wish I would have thought of the title.

So what do you think?  Does displaying your Christianity in your small business limit your customer base?   If so, what type of customers will it attract?

“They Just Cleaned the Carpets and Left!”

Certainly, you will automatically be disqualified by some due to your proclamation of faith.  People have become distrustful of the motives of business owners that bring their faith into their business.

It reminds me of the episode of Seinfeld where George is upset that he was not recruited into a cult that operated the Sunshine Carpet Cleaners.  He exclaims in disgust, “They just cleaned the carpets and left!  They call themselves a cult?”

In a day where politicians proudly proclaim that their faith is left at home when they take the oath of office, many will assume that you will attempt to convert them as part of your business.  There may even be a few George’s that will wonder why you couldn’t be bothered to convert them.

It is important that you clearly define why you are advertising your faith.  If your business is more of a ministry then be up front with it.

“Mine, Mine, Mine”

You will attract other Christians by openly displaying your Christianity in your small business.  People have a natural affinity to live and trade with those who share their customs, religion, and ethnicity.

If you think this makes it easier to satisfy them as customers, you may be wrong.

While it is true that birds of a feather flock together, you will want to be wary that they are not like the birds in the movie Nemo fighting over every little fish in the sea.

Many will be looking for the “family discount” to which they feel entitled.  After all, you did market directly to them didn’t you?

It’s not only fellow believers that will expect you to lower your prices.  Many believe that Christians should always be the low cost provider – they assume making a profit is the same as loving money (or the root of all evil) and Christians should avoid this.

Remember, Christ said in Luke 10:7 that the “the labourer is worthy of his hire.”  If you are providing a quality product or service you deserve to be paid a fair price.

Let Him Have Thy Cloak Also

There are those that will expect you to provide extra products or services for no additional charge, or expect you to always provide these to a church or charity pro bono.

These people can quickly siphon the profit out of a small business, and take up valuable time and resources that could be used to generate profits from more reasonable customers.

What do you do with verses like Matthew 5:40?

“And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.”

Does this prevent you from suing to collect monies owed?  Will some customers refuse to pay you or severely delay payment in preference of other less understanding businesses?

What Does the Bible Say About Business Anyway?

The Bible directly, or indirectly, mentions money over 800 times!  When we slap the Jesus fish on our businesses we raise the standards to the highest possible level.   And even Christians disagree on how to apply all of these passages.

Don’t leave it up to your customers to assume the meaning, or you will only set yourself up to be compared against vastly different standards which you will likely not fare well against.

Even Fish Slappers Deserve a Second Chance

My advice is to take a second look at why you want to advertise your business as Christian owned.  Even if you do not advertise your business this way, are you not still required by your faith to run it in the same manner?

If you do decide to continue to advertise your faith, then you should clearly define what that means for your customers in writing.  Include it in your “About Us” page or as an answer in your “FAQ” page.

I think many of us have been guilty of being fish slappers without giving it much thought.  I have barely scratched the surface on issues small business owners could face by advertising their business as Christian owned, but hopefully I have given you an opportunity to think about why you’ve made this choice.

Related posts:

1. Christian Entrepreneurs: I Said Prophets, Not Profits! – GOD
2. Is This How You Picture a Christian Small Business?
3. A Prayer for Christians in the Workplace
4. Have You Been Recommended by God?
5. Should Christians Bring Their Religion to the Workplace?