Searching for John Deere's Plow - How to Create Value That Makes Everyone Win

<p><strong>Resources/ Mentions:</strong></p><p><a href="www.deere.com" target="_blank"><strong>John Deere Company - www.deere.com</strong></a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>NOTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS EPISODE (E10) ON THE BASICS IN VALUE CREATION:</strong></p><p>Value creation comes at a cost but allows us as a value creator to use our gifts and to serve and bless others in our community.</p><p>As we consider how we will create value we need to be looking at ourselves as either a steward of God's resources or a storehouse for his resources.  As we steward, we manage, invest and give away God's resources and as a storehouse we hoard and stockpile what is intended for others.</p><p><strong>PREPARATION:</strong></p><p>Some key questions to ask yourself as you prepare to put money at risk:</p><p>1 .  Are you able to produce value and produce it consistently?</p><p>2.  Who is the recipient of that value and is the market proven?</p><p>3. Have you done your due diligence with your family's financial safety to then put money at risk?</p><p>4. Having done your due diligence with your family's financial safety, are you operating at 70% of your income - giving, saving and investing the other 30%.</p><p>5.  What is your proximity to the market you wish to invest in?  Do you know your product and market well?</p><p> </p><p><strong>THE 3 G'S of VALUE CREATION:</strong></p><p><strong>GROUND</strong> -  what does the landscape and narrative look like for the market and product you wish to invest in?</p><p><strong>GAP</strong> -   is there a proven gap in the market where your product can sit?  are you securing a need for a consumer base?  how stable is the supply chain for the product you wish to produce?  Is there is a proven and growing consumer base for your product?  </p><p><strong>GIFTS </strong>-  where do your gifts lie?  Do you like to work with your hands on rentals or read balance sheets of companies you want to invest in?  </p><p> </p><p><strong>ANCILLARY QUESTIONS:</strong></p><ol><li>what does your margin look like to