Category: Business

Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice

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A brief description of how to appraise a business, a home, or anything else.

By Mark D. Harris

Determining the value of something is a daily task for everyone and has been since the dawn of time. We value groceries, dishwashers, and even our time in dollars, so a bag of groceries that costs $50 is worth one hour of our time, while the dishwasher is worth ten hours. Value includes a host of factors. Acquiring a business, for example, should result in direct financial gains. Acquiring one of your suppliers, however will result in direct financial gains and synergies with your existing business. Reacquiring a shop once owned by your grandfather should result in direct financial gains and meet your emotional needs. Value is unique to each individual but will usually fall within a widely accepted range. Legally, value is what a reasonable buyer with full information and under no undue influence would pay for an entity in a free market (Hitchner, 2017). Valuation has become entertainment, with expert valuators at the Antique Road Show identifying “rags” (clothes, furniture, letters, items of unknown value) that are actually “riches” (valuable artifacts, antiques, and collectibles) for the owners and viewers.

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A Brief Overview of Lean Six Sigma

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By Mark D. Harris

As small businesses, churches and other small religious organizations strive to be more effective and more efficient in providing goods, services, pastoral care, and social support, process improvement principles such as Lean Six Sigma can help. Such tools are not only for manufacturers.

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Export Controls and Technology Transfers in a Global Economy

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How to keep critical information and technology away from those who wish to harm our country, our families, and ourselves.

By Mark D. Harris[1]

The MDHI’s work in Ukraine and the Middle East has stimulated discussion on bringing technology into these countries, which could be considered de facto technology transfers. For example, we have asked if it is permissible to bring new ultrasound machines into Ukraine to take care of patients. The answer that we discovered was a qualified “yes”, if we were willing to cut through thickets of red tape and wade through rivers of regulations. Ultrasound machines are not “prohibited/restricted”, and they are not “dual use” (military and civilian), but they are “high technology” and therefore subject to scrutiny. There have also been questions about robotics parts and 3D printers, both of which can be considered “dual use”

In an era of rapid innovation and global collaboration, the protection of sensitive technology is no longer just a matter of corporate security; it is a critical component of national security and international law. For organizations operating across borders, understanding the intricacies of export controls is essential to avoid severe legal penalties and reputational damage.

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Finance in the Parable of the Talents

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Jesus’ Parable of the Talents holds remarkable value in many topics today, including finance. Knowing Jesus’ work and word makes us more savvy in many things, including investing. 

By Mark D. Harris

The Bible addresses every part of human existence, from birth to grave to eternity. The God who made the universe also provided instructions in the Bible on how to thrive in His creation. If we do not know how to live, it is because we have failed to discover, or failed to follow, the words of wisdom that our Lord has provided.

Money is one of the most important things in earthly life, because money is required for life, and is a direct reflection of our values. There can be no doubt that wherever our treasure is, there are our hearts also (Matthew 6:21). Man’s greatest need is for eternal life in Christ, but many do not acknowledge that need. Perhaps the second greatest need is for physical health, but many who consider themselves healthy often spend little time or effort meeting that need. For example, less than half of all Americans exercise the medically recommended amount (CDC, 2022). Only 10% meet dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake (Lee, 2022). Conversely, people need money, and they spend much of their daily lives dealing with money…earning it, spending it, investing it, or worrying about it. The Bible speaks often about it, with the word “money” appearing 140 times in the KJV, “prayer” 114 times and “worship” 102 times (Blue Letter Bible, 2019).

The Parable of the Talents is a fictional story that contains powerful truths. Furthermore, it is likely based on a true story, which formed the nucleus for what Jesus taught. In this discussion, the parable will be treated as though it were historical.

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Best Business Practices for Churches and Small Religious Organizations

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A single-day seminar on how church and other small religious organizations can improve their strategies, operations, and fundraising.

By Mark D. Harris

Welcome! The team at the MD Harris Institute is glad that you have chosen to attend. We are thankful that President Khmyz and his team at the Kyiv Theological Seminary arranged this seminar to help Christian leaders throughout the region improve their business and fundraising practices. The information here will improve how these leaders acquire, use, and increase the resources that God provides.

The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:17-19). No nation, no matter how powerful, populous, or prosperous, can stand against the work of the preacher from Galilee. No religion, no matter how large or how violent, can quiet the still, small voice of the Almighty. Followers of Christ have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within, have been set free from sin, and have a guarantee of eternity with the Creator. Of all men, Christians should be the most joyful in their lives and most effective in their labor.

Some Christians engage the world with optimism and faith, believing God to accomplish His will, though often believers do not see this victory. Christians perceive legions of enemies, a dearth of friends, a paucity of resources, persecution, and personal weakness (Marsden, 2020). There are more points of discouragement as well. Believers feel pressure from the government, the media, business, and academia (Barnes et al., 2020). Christ-followers look at needs within and without and faint before the task of making disciples. Simultaneously, forgetting that the Father owns the world and everything in it (Psalms 24:1) and believing the lies of a world that hates God, some Christians struggle to survive.

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Income Inequality and Investing

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In the United States and throughout the world, income inequality is growing. While some degree of inequality is inevitable and even beneficial, inequality for reasons unrelated to personal merit is often problematic. In one example, investors do not share the same opportunities. The rich have many more options to build wealth than the poor do, in addition to having more resources and commonly more financial education. While many of these problems cannot be solved by governments, political leaders can limit income inequality and encourage investment.

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Income inequality is not necessarily an evil but rather can be a motivator. It can be a fair reward for labor. However, extreme inequality of income and net worth, especially when unrelated to personal effort, is a vexing global problem. Television, the media, and social media highlight the differences between those who are too rich to drive and those who are too hungry to walk. Entrenched money holding, greater financial opportunities, and increasing societal complexity make the problem worse.

As income disparities have increased, certain individuals and organizations have accumulated sums of money unimaginable to most of the world. These hyper-rich private actors can shape the economic system, sometimes to the detriment of other people. Wealth consolidation can be a social good by motivating people to work hard and contribute to society at large. Extreme wealth consolidation, however, raises resentment, feelings of helplessness, and social instability. Though completely unjustified, the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the lionization of his alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, is an example.

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