Businesses You’ve Never
Heard of
You know the Christian-run businesses that are
always in the headlines, like Chick-fil-A and Hobby
Lobby. But what about the smaller businesses that
are doing something remarkably creative?
Cat Knarr, Contributor
Race and Religion Writer
| Updated Dec 06, 2017
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HuffPost MultiCultural/HPMG News
02/28/2014 11:28 PM
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You know the Christian-run businesses that are
always in the headlines, like Chick-fil-A and Hobby
Lobby. But what about the smaller businesses that
are doing something remarkably creative, like
starting a coffee company that only employs ex-
offenders?
Here are five innovative businesses started by
Christian entrepreneurs.
1. Elevation Burger
It’s more than just a burger — it’s an “elevated
product” and “elevated experience.” Hans and April
Hess founded this restaurant chain to offer high-
quality organic burgers as a healthier,
environmentally-friendly alternative to fast food. “I
felt that God calls us to be stewards of creation,
people who take care of it, so that was the driving
force behind Elevation Burger in my head,” Hans
Hess told Faith & Leadership . You can find
Elevation Burgers in Texas, Indiana and the East
Coast. Check it out.
2. I Have a Bean Coffee
I Have a Bean employs ex-offenders to produce
their coffee, a story chronicled in Christianity
Today. It all started with a sketch on a napkin, when
three friends met for breakfast and came up with
the idea. “After much discussion, brainstorming
and prayer, we began to believe that we could
create a coffee roasting business that would
accomplish two things — produce truly exceptional
coffee, and help transform the lives of former
offenders,” their site reads. Try it yourself at the I
Have a Bean coffee store .
Founder Pete Leonard shared the wisdom behind
his success in a phone call. Here’s what he said:
Know everything about where your
company stands financially at all times.
Being great with something you do with
passion, and having enough money to get
started, is not enough to be sustainable. If
you don’t have the skills or knowledge to
manage your finances, partner with
someone who does. You can’t let an
accountant run your business. You need to
have a perfect understanding of where your
business stands at any time.
3. D.light Design
One in three people in the world don’t have reliable
electricity (according to D.light), but the
Economist says that solar-powered lamps will be
the gadget that will “most quickly improve the lives
of the world’s poorest people.” That’s where
D.light design’s very affordable solar-powered lamp
comes in. Cofounder Xianyi Wu told Christianity
Today that he felt God prompting him to go forward
with the project when he attended the Urbana
student missions conference. Check it out .
4. SweetFrog Yogurt
This is a frozen yogurt store where “frog” stands
for “Fully Rely On God.” With adorable frog
mascots Scoop and Cookie, SweetFrog opened on
the East Coast in 2009, an opportune moment
when most frozen yogurt stores were only on the
West Coast. Now with 260 stores, SweetFrog is
expanding as far as the U.K. and Dominican
Republic. They’ve even developed a mobile game
featuring their mascots.
Founder Derek Cha shared his No. 1 startup
success tip over an email: “Don’t settle for
mediocre product — be the best at what you’re
serving or selling,” he said. Check out SweetFrog
here.
5. Altar’d State
Altar’d State is a women’s clothing store with a
sophisticated style, but it’s not obviously Christian
when you first walk in. As you look around, you
might start to notice subtle traces of faith — like a
cross necklace or products dedicated to giving
back (TOMS shoes and more). Altar’d State’s tag
line is “Stand out. For good.” You can see why; this
boutique finds creative ways to give. The mission-
driven store tithes their profits to local charities on
‘Mission Mondays.’ Their customers have donated
155,000 TOMS shoes and their employees have
volunteered more than 750 hours. Founded in
2009, Altar’d State has already expanded to 30
locations in the U.S. Check it out here.
When asked for their best business tip, Founders
Brian Mason and Aaron Walters wrote back:
The best business tip we have learned
through Altar’d State is to not be afraid of
change. We are continually adapting and
changing our business to improve and
innovate. Change does not mean failure. It
often is the very reason for success. The
economic environment is constantly
transforming, so it is only natural for a
business to adjust in order to compete.
Mason and Walters said Jeremiah 29:11 is the
foundation of their company. “We have found hope
and purpose in this verse,” they wrote. “We know
the Lord has a plan for this company, and we want
His will to be done through us.”
Who did I miss?
Tell me about an innovative faith driven business
you know!
A version of this piece originally appeared at Faith
Driven Business .
Image credit: Created by Dominik “Dome” on
Flickr . Used with permission under Creative
Commons. No modifications made.
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