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The darkest day has passed
No, I'm not a Druid and nor was I at Stonehenge
the other day, but I do think it's important to mark the passing of the winter
solstice. For many, 2009 has been a challenging year; financially, emotionally
and perhaps even spiritually.How was the year for you?
Although we've endured the deepest, longest recession for
almost 30 years, things are getting brighter. Just as the days will now get longer so too will our
economic outlook will also improve. But what will that improvement really look like?
In a finite world with a growing population, material growth
is clearly not a long term option. Our politicians find this hard to accept but
surely, 2010 will see the roots of a recovery grounded not on materialism but
something deeper and more fundamentally human.
I think the key to our future lies within the social
enterprise movement. It's certainly not perfect and has a long way to go, but
I'm convinced that tomorrow's successful, sustainable enterprise will be a
social enterprise. Do you agree?
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But where is the pot of gold?
My late father was a bank manager. Inevitably this means I
was raised to measure success in financial terms. Now, slowly I am learning
that money is not (and never has been) the answer to everything. Of course we need to eat and
be comfortable, but do we really need all that bling?
Professor Tim Jackson from Surrey University
writing recently in the RSA Journal described his vision for what tomorrow's businesses
will increasingly need to achieve. To be useful to society, he suggests that an
enterprise will have to satisfy three clear operational principles:
- Positive
contribution to wellbeing.
- Provision
of decent livelihoods.
- Low
material and energy throughput.
The pot of gold I think we'll all be seeking in the future is not to be
found at the end of a rainbow. It is deep within each and everyone of us. Think
about it, given the ultimatum, would you rather be rich or happy? |
You have to smile
In 2010 every business will become more successful if it
delivers sustainable smiles. Of course products and services are important, but
it's the benefits they deliver that are most important. Happy customers come
back for more, happy employees go the extra mile and happy suppliers help you
when things go wrong.
If by now you're becoming cynical, or wondering what I'm on,
let me reassure you. I am being totally objective and simply sharing what I see
and believe. Even the most aggressively marketed businesses will soon come to
realise that social impact now belongs alongside advertising and direct mail.
Investment in social impact as part of a structured marketing plan will
increasingly deliver a better return on investment than other elements within
the marketing mix.
Not convinced? Then challenge me to help you prove it for
yourself by diverting some of your marketing budget in a new direction.
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Or even burst out laughing
I live in Norfolk
which for many, is a place to go for holidays or just be rude about. The phrase
'Normal for Norfolk' has for a long time been somewhat
derogatory. Two significant campaigns have recently launched to challenge that
perception.
The first, World Class Norfolk is a
brilliant campaign to show the world that normal for Norfolk is better than normal in most places.
From Cromer crabs to Lotus cars, many of the best things in the world come from
Norfolk. Check
it out!
And in
case you thought we take life too seriously, the Nimmo Twins, a legendary
comedy duo have produced their very first calendar. All sale proceeds go to
Nelson's Journey, a brilliant local charity that supports bereaved kids. Calendars are
priced at just £5.00 plus p&p and can be bought online here.
At a
fiver, you can afford to chuck away that boring calendar you've already got and
buy one of these. You'll smile all year, and bring a smile to the kids helped
by Nelson's Journey.
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Words of wisdom
'A smile is the shortest distance between two people.'
Victor Borge (1909 - 2000)
So - be happy and make those
around you happy too.
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Stop Press
I'm once more looking for short business case studies for a
new book. It will be published in September and will essentially be a
completely refreshed, re-designed version of 'The Entrepreneur's Book of
Checklists'.
If you want your business mentioned, including your website,
in what is expected to become a business best seller, then drop me an email. I can then
send you a list of the scenarios I want to illustrate and you can tell me your
story. I'm looking for simple tips and practical experience. Every one of you
has something I know to share. All you have to do is volunteer; I'll find the
story!
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