How to use BAM Connect Platform?

If you have a business idea or run a start-up, here you can find community, coaching, and capital to help you create a business with Great Commission inside. To get started with the BAM Connect platform, here are the steps that you can follow:

1. Create your Entrepreneur Profile
- download BAM Connect App from App Store or Google Play or open it at bamconnect.net
- create an Entrepreneur profile using your LinkedIn or Email account
- login into the platform, and from the left menu, select Business Profile
- upload your profile picture and your business logo
- complete the boxes in the Profile details
- complete the boxes in the Entrepreneur Profile
- Press the Save button
The Capital boxes will be calculated later when you create your Business as Mission Model Canvas.

2. Create your Business as Mission Model Canvas
- press the BAM Canvas tab
- Press the Info (i) button from each building block and read the content
- Press the + button in the building block that you want to complete and start writing
- Press the Size button (S, M, L, XL) to define the size that you need for your text box inside each building block
- Press click on the text box if you want to change the color, edit the text or delete a text box
- Press click on the $ text box if you want to enter a value in Capital, Cost Structure, or Revenue Stream building blocks

3. Analyze the Macro Environment
- press the STEEP tab
- Press the Info (i) button from each building block and read the content
- Press the + button in the building block that you want to complete and start writing
- Press the Size button (S, M, L, XL) to define the size that you need for your text box inside each building block
- Press click on the text box if you want to change the color, edit the text or delete a text box

4. Analyse your Industry
- press the Five Forces tab
- Press the Info (i) button from each building block and read the content
- Press the + button in the building block that you want to complete and start writing
- Press the Size button (S, M, L, XL) to define the size that you need for your text box inside each building block
- Press click on the text box if you want to change the color, edit the text or delete a text box

5. Define your Competitive Strategy
- press the Strategy tab
- Press the Info (i) button from each building block and read the content
- Press the + button in the building block that you want to complete and start writing
- Press the Size button (S, M, L, XL) to define the size that you need for your text box inside each building block
- Press click on the text box if you want to change the color, edit the text or delete a text box

6. Prepare your Pitch Script
- press the Pitch Script tab
- Press the Info (i) button from each building block and read the content
- Press the + button in the building block that you want to complete and start writing
- Press the Size button (S, M, L, XL) to define the size that you need for your text box inside each building block
- Press click on the text box if you want to change the color, edit the text or delete a text box

7. Export your Framework- press the Print button from the bottom right corner if you want to export or print your canvas or framework

8. Record and publish your Video Pitch
- press the Pitch Video tab
- record your pitch and upload it on your Youtube Channel
- enter the Youtube link in the Pitch Video Link Box
- your video will be visible on the Pitch Video page

9. Purchase mentoring hours
- from the right panel, select the Business profile
- Press Purchase mentoring hour if you want to be online mentored by one of our consultants
- after you purchase mentoring hours, you will receive an email to book your mentoring session and choose your consultant

10. Request approval
- from the right panel, select the Business profile
- from the Account details section, press the Request Approval button
- an email will be sent to the BAM Connect team, and if your profile is complete and you are qualified to become a BAM entrepreneur, we will approve you
- once approved, you will have access to search the investor's database and connect with them

11. Search the investors' database
- from the right panel, press Investors
- use the search box, sort by, or filters to find the investors that you want to connect with
- Press Request Access to see more info and connect with the investor
- you have free access to view the profile for three investors then you can pay for five or more profiles
- feel free to contact through Linkedin, the investor and invite him to view your business presentation or your Video Pitch
- if you find a mentor and investor for your business, please consider letting us know this to celebrate with you

12. Close the deal
- if you find a mentor and investor for your business or he or she finds you, please consider letting us know this to celebrate with you
- from the right panel, select the Business profile
- from the Business details section, press the Close deal button
- choose the Investor that invested in your business and press the Save button

What is Business as Mission?

The history of business as a mission began in Genesis. God, the great entrepreneur, the creator of all things, created a perfect world with millions of colors and plant and animal species. He created man in His image and likeness and placed him in a garden. He gave him a mandate: "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:28, ESV)

This first mandate that men received is the source of what we know today as a family, economy, government, and education. From agriculture and construction to computer systems and artificial intelligence, men have been empowered by the great Creator to create goods and services that bring well-being to humanity and make the planet flourish. In Revelation 21, we see a new heaven and earth, a city descended from heaven, the pinnacle of civilization. The nations and the kings of the earth are invited to bring their glory, products, and the services they created to the new City. “The new Jerusalem will be furnished with the best of every culture” (Andy Crouch, Culture Making, p. 171). We live in a fallen world; some create products and services that harm people and the planet. “Nothing unclean will ever enter it.” (Revelation 21:27, ESV)

If you are an entrepreneur or businessman, God has called you to serve Him full time, to create products and services that bring well-being to people and make the planet flourish.

When we say the Lord's Prayer, we ask for our daily bread. He does it through the farmer who grows wheat, the miller who grinds it, the baker who bakes it, the distribution company that transports it, and the cashier at the store. Luther and the Reformers understood this truth and developed the theology of vocation. He says that the work of a baker or farmer is as important as that of a pastor or priest. “They all have high callings, used by God to bless and serve His people and His creation." (Gene Edward, God at Work, p. 15)

The second mandate given by Jesus to all His disciples is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself”.(Matthew 22:37) If you run a business, your neighbors are your employees, customers, partners, and the community where your business operates. The purpose of your business is to love and serve your neighbors. This requires a radical mind change and a different way of doing business. Do business with this purpose in mind. You will stop using people, move beyond fairness and respect and seek to "building culture, financial models, value chains, and partnerships that bless people through grace, generosity, justice, patience, and mutuality." (https://www.praxislabs.org/redemptive-entrepreneurship). If you run a business, Jesus invites you to lead through sacrifice. To be a servant to your employees. "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:27)

Third, we have the Great Commission. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19). Jesus gave this mission to all His disciples, including business people. It is not a favor you do for God. However, an opportunity He gives you to align yourself with His purpose, mission, and the eternal desire to redeem humanity, transform society and restore the glory of His creation. If you want to do business as a mission, when you start a new business or plan to scale your business, you will ask God to show you which nation or people group He sends you to serve and start your business among them and answer His call. Where God sends you will be where your business will operate, a real business, a real mission, and a real presence of the Kingdom of God. There you will make disciples of Jesus.

Like most Christians and me, you have grown up and lived in a divided reality, separating your life between sacred and secular. According to this false mentality, church activities are sacred, and other activities are secular. Pastors and missionaries have sacred ministries, and all others have secular jobs. I used to go to my secular business on weekdays to earn money and go to church on Sundays to serve God. I was always living with the guilt that I was not giving enough time to serve God. I alleviated this pain when I could give more money to the church, thinking that my work during the week would be more meaningful. Ten years ago, God sent people who spoke to me about Life as a Whole under the Lordship of Christ; this includes my business. This simple truth has changed my perspective on work, business, and life. Everything I do is for Him, and everything I have is His.

Life is sacred, and my workplace is the altar of my priesthood. My business is in His service. My employees, customers, and partners are my neighbors whom Jesus calls me to love and serve sacrificially. Paul writes to the Colossians, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23) This verse has become a motto for me. Michael Baer, in his book Business as Mission: The Power of Business in the Kingdom of God, says: "Understanding and embracing God's call for our lives is what frees us from the prison of life divided between the sacred and the profane and brings us to the freedom of living in the Kingdom of God."

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer that lived in the 17th century. At the end of his compositions, he always wrote "Soli Deo Gloria." He composed music and sang for the glory of God. This is the ultimate purpose of Business as Mission. God's Glory manifested and His Kingdom visible in the industry you work in and the community you serve. A Business as Mission is a business that creates unique products and services for people and the glory of God. It is like music composed and played by Bach.

Are you ready to go on this way? You may think you are alone, as did I, but in 2019 I started looking for and visiting Businesses as Mission. Here are a few businesses that I visited and learned from.

If you visit Amsterdam, you can have a delicious brunch and exceptional coffee at one of Dignita's restaurants. Their motto is "eat well, do good.” “Dignita is part of the Not For Sale social enterprise organization. Not For Sale is a wonderful international organization that works with victims of human trafficking. Not for Sale provides work training programs and helps people reintegrate into society”. (https://www.notforsalecampaign.org) In 2019 we visited the Dignita Vondelpark restaurant, and after dinner, Toos Heemskerk told us how she started the business selling hot soup to the girls in the Red District and listening to their stories. Later they created a training and certification program for these girls and allowed them to work in one of Dignita's restaurants.

In 2020 we visited Kenosis Design in Timisoara. Andreas gave us a workshop tour and showed us how oak wood, rejected by others, and full of imperfections transforms into a beautiful, perfect table where people gather to connect in cafes, restaurants, or homes. "We take a piece of wood thrown away by people, cracked, knotty, and thought worthless. We use expensive resin and brass bow ties. We repair the wood, so its imperfections are no longer a problem, then blend it with other materials and make a beautiful table. We do the same with people. We take in the rejected, broken people here, invest in them, help them repair their imperfections, put them together with others in the community and have a purpose together, to serve a meal."

Florina has been a missionary in Drăgănești-Olt since 2009, and working with children and going to their homes, she has noticed that their parent's drama, problems, troubles, and quarrels come from a lack of jobs. So she opened Spero Design, a tailoring workshop where she employs women in need. She received a vision from the Lord that 5,000 people in her locality would be fed through the business she was developing. Moreover, her business has begun to grow.

I visited Sorin in Târgu Mureș. While waiting for him in his office, I could read on a wall the mission of their company: "TURBOCAM exists as a business to honor God, create wealth for its employees, and support Christian service to God and people." Turbocam began in 1985 in the United States and has grown from 25 employees to a company with over 1,000 people and factories in seven countries. Turbocam manufactures turbo engine components through 5-Axis machining and related technologies, primarily for the aircraft industry. One of their customers is Airbus.

Recyclart is a social enterprise that aims to create jobs for vulnerable people in Târgu Mureș. They produce furniture from recycled and natural wood. The company is partially owned by a Romanian-based NGO called Asociatia Roman Works. Next to the workplace, Roman Works provides housing for vulnerable persons and daily activities in the workplace and the surrounding garden for beneficiaries of other NGOs.

Urspack in Suceava produces packaging for the fast-food industry in Romania and employs people who have just been released from prison. They offer a job, on-the-job training, accommodation, and meals until they can fully integrate into society.

Dece clothing from Arad produces quality hats and bags, mainly for export. They have placed their workshops in the middle of a Roma community in Șiria, and their main goal is to employ people who live in extreme poverty. The people employed regain dignity and hope. Their family and the community are transformed.

Harmony Cafe Iasi is located near Copou Park near the student dorms. Students often come here for a good coffee or a delicious meal. Guests of the café are invited to participate in the social programs that the community develops: "A Portion of Love" for the homeless, "A Day with Dad" for prison inmates, or "Box of Dreams" for disadvantaged children. On Sunday mornings, they can attend the Harmony Church meeting and, in the evenings, the Alpha course.

Bringing Hope Sierra Leone was founded by Francis Davies in Freetown, and we are working now to open a micro chicken farm. Francis' dream is to employ on this farm young people from Kroo Bay, a slum from Freetown, to offer them jobs with dignity and the opportunity to continue their education.

These are a few examples of business as a mission, which we will continue to discuss and use as examples. Whether you are starting a business or have a successful business, God is calling you to make a change: To serve Him full-time through your business.

The following chapters may help you rethink your business model and give you a fresh start on this journey with us.

What is Business as Mission Model Canvas?

Unlike a business plan that can be compared to the blueprint for a house you build and live in for a period of your life, a business model can be compared to the blueprint for a ship that will help you navigate uncharted waters. You will be able to adjust and modify it whenever will be necessary.

A business as mission model allows you to describe your business using eleven building blocks with Great Commission Inside. It's a practical tool designed to help you describe, test, implement and manage your business. At the end of the course you will have the first version of your business model written on a page with eleven building blocks, ready for presentation and implementation.

The Business as Mission Model aims for your business to actively participate in the process of redemption and restoration of Creation initiated by Christ by sacrificing everything to bless others and transform culture.

The Busines as Mission Model is inspired from the book Business Model Generation written by Alexander Osterwalder. Alexander Osterwalder and his partners have also created a similar model for nonprofits called Mission Model Canvas. Our proposed model merges the two models, integrates business with mission and helps you integrate Christ-given mission to make disciples of all nations into the DNA of your business.