Religion is the perfect business.

It:

• Solves all of your problems.
• Gets better when your friends do it.
• Has no perfect substitutes.
• Is incredibly sticky (because of above).
• Generates mountains of money.
• Can get not-for-profit status.
• Connects people.
• Motivates people.
• Drives unpaid endorsements from common folk and celebs.
• You get a lifetime membership
• Costs money to learn and be certified.
• Is for insiders only.
• But is appealing and open to outsiders (who pay the tax).

This all, of course, assumes the religion is non-violent.

Even if you can’t do all of these, strive for some. Because the closer your lifestyle or practice or agency or school or store can be to a religion without calling itself one, the closer it will become to the perfect business.