Monks. They’re mysterious to many of us living in Western civilizations. From their dedication to spirituality to their simple way of living, many of us don’t look to monks for learning how to grow ourselves in terms of business.

However, when it comes to running a successful business, we might need to give monks a second glance. While monks traditionally do not believe in making money, this isn’t the case for Trappist monks.

Trappist monks can be found living in the United States in many areas of the country. There are 17 monasteries in the US today, with monks participating in endeavors including running gift shops and even running bonsai businesses. Like most of us who work for a living, monks are excelling at their craft and using their skills to make money. We can all learn a thing or two from monks, and here are 3 lessons they can teach us about the world of business:

1. Be Ready to Change with the Market

One of the important lessons of business is that the bottom can fall out on any product or service. Think about how the traditional newspaper was one of the main forms of communication for decades, until the Internet changed the way we all consume information. Newspapers still exist, but they’ve fallen behind in terms of timeliness—especially in a society that wants information instantly.

When monks from Missouri found that their bread and butter, cement blocks, was dwindling in demand, they had to turn elsewhere for cash. They found the answer in none other than fruitcakes.

The monks tested six recipes and settled on a traditional dark, rich fruitcake made with cherries, raisins, pineapple and rum. Today, the brothers work part time in the bakery and every year make about 6,000 pounds of fruitcake, which they ship around the world.

It’s tough to jump ship into another job, not to mention building a business in an entirely new industry. However, it’s important to remain flexible if you want to succeed in business. Sometimes it pays off to ride out slow periods, but many smart entrepreneurs can sense when the end is coming.

2. Solve a Problem

If you want to start a business that survives more than 6 months, consider offering a product or service that solves a problem. Making the lives of your customers easier is one of the keys to business success.

This is just what one monk did from a monastery in Wisconsin, and it’s one problem that frequents many of us who depend on printing on paper.

One day, the monks were in the midst of a big report on the golf project when the printer ran out of toner and Father McCoy went to order more. “I thought, that’s way too much for a bunch of black dust,” he said.

This monk decided to forego buying expensive ink from big box stores and instead use recycled cartridges for a fraction of the price. This is when LaserMonks was born, and the business grew extremely fast nearly from the beginning.

LaserMonks took in $4.5 million in revenue last year … expenses and the cost of products are 80 percent, leaving 10 percent for the monastery and 10 percent for charities.

The newest product is a printer cartridge made with soybean oil instead of petroleum. It’s safe for the environment with high print quality, and it’s cheaper than traditional ink cartridges.

This is a prime example of solving the problem with the environment and cash-savings at the same time.

3. Become an Expert at Your Craft

Would you try fixing your transmission if you aren’t a mechanic? How about fixing your own cavity if you’re not a dentist? We hire experts because we depend on their ability to do their craft better than anyone else—and that includes the craft of beer.

Monks in Belgium are dubbed as producing some of the best beer in the world, according to Ratebeer.com.

These monks only produce a small amount of beer every year­: 126,000 gallons. It brews 70 days per year and there is only a limited time to buy this beer yourself.

In fact, there is a waiting list to get your hands on this beer. It must be reserved 60 days ahead of time over the phone, which can receive up to 85,000 calls in an hour.

There’s no doubt about it: these monks have mastered the art of truly brewing craft beer—and mastering your own art can lead to major demand for your product or service.

How are You Moving Forward with Your Business?

Whether you’re in the beginning stages or you’ve been operating for a few years, it helps to go back to business-building basics. Consider these simple yet effective lessons from monks, and keep following Best Life Hub for leading a successful life.