Your Own Place

preventing homelessness

business

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They said it wouldn’t work…

It’s certainly not perfect. I guess it’s what’s called a ‘Minimum Viable Product’. I’ve hated developing a website if I’m honest. My expertise lies in project management and setting things up.

Being out of my comfort zone and not even knowing what questions to ask wasn’t fun. It was probably quite healthy to feel this, navigate it and get somewhere towards creating something that is close enough to what I conceived.

More than anything it’s meant delegation. Jarrod understands the ‘back end’ of Your Own Network and as such is delighting in it and ‘owning it’. It’s still not a comfortable place for me to be, but I’m owning that too!

I love Your Own Network. Young people are like the rest of us – they wants their new homes to be beautiful and shiny. So I don’t mean to be ungrateful when I turn down offers of second-hand goods, but I know that young people won’t want them.

Being able to create an Argos wish-list puts the control in the hands of the young people (we’re not so different are we?) Most are setting up home without a budget and without support.

The items you buy them from their Argos wish-list make such a difference. They make a house a home.

So I may not understand it and it may not be perfect, but it’s making a difference. And so are you!

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Repeat or new customers

As we approach our fifth birthday, move away from being a start-up and into an unknown phase, my attention has been turned to the notion of repeat customers.

In truth, from a public sector background, I find myself developing a lot of notions that I’ve never had to consider before. But that’s probably for another blog.

To what extent should be put our energy and limited budget into new customers? If we are to sustain and even grow (let along achieve our social mission) there’s no doubt we need more customers.

So in fact there are three options. Exactly the same customers again, new customers in the same sector and totally new customers in new sectors.

With over 90% of our customers buying again we’re doing something really right. It’s time not only to understand what that is, but to refine the messaging for new customers.

We’re not selling coffee after all. We’re selling a highly complex service that is utterly unique in its aims and delivery. The time this takes to communicate effectively is a threat to developing new customers.

Perhaps we should utilise the happy existing customers as leverage in reaching new customers and ensure the new customers become repeat customers too.

Happy birthday to us and all the new challenges our sixth birthday brings.

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How to invest in your team

PhDs, annoying memes and much more has been written about this.

Since first managing a team over ten years ago the world has changed, I have changed and employee expectations have changed.

Without the team we don’t exist and we don’t have an impact. So I guess it’s right that it should be the one thing that causes me most anxiety and cause for concern.

I think these things work best. I’m not saying that I’ve got them right or do them as much as I’d like to. Do as I say and not as I do….

1. Be available – which means listening (not interrupting and no devices).

2. Treating people as independent sentient individuals who believe their truth as much as you believe yours.

3. Being open to being disagreed with and creating a culture when that’s not just ok, but encouraged.

4. Lead by example – admit your faults, model behaviours and language.

5. Be clear, fair, consistent and honest.