Inspire2Aspire
#

Find entries by tag

Blog

When you grow up, what do you want a business, a social enterprise or a charity?

When I grow up
What is the difference between a business that wants to change the world, a charity that wants to change the world and a social enterprise and who decides which is which? Easy in terms of the legal charity status - after that it gets complex.

Posted by Sarah Brown on 06 Sep '13 | Tags: entrepreneur social enterprise public sector charity cic CIO

The Digital revolution – a triumph or a threat to the most disadvantaged?

Adaptive roots in the concrete jungle
Most people access the web everyday often away from home or the office. Where does this leave the poorest and most disadvantaged in our society?

Posted by Sarah Brown on 12 Aug '13 | Tags: charity social enterprise

How to change the world with marketing not charity

Fishing poor
An inspirational story of how understanding a market others might ignore can work for a company and change the lives of the poor. And also a surprising statistic about the biggest selling mobile phone.

Posted by Sarah Brown on 05 Jul '13 | Tags: entrepreneur charity social enterprise marketing inspiration collaboration focus on action

Better Decision Making

Decisions1
We make decisions every minute of every day even if the decision is to keep doing what we are doing but scarily too many decisions can work out wrong. Based on Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath I've developed a tool "The Decision Improver"(c) to help you make better decisions. Firstly be aware that it is rare a decision should be whether or not - widen your options, then test your assumptions, reduce the emotion, get your distance and then prepare to be wrong in either direction - overly successful or failing.

Posted by Sarah Brown on 25 Jun '13 | Tags: entrepreneur charity goal setting social enterprise strategic development inspiration business planning action decision making

Focus on action

Climber action blog
Action without focus is what the headless chicken is famous for, focus and goals linked to action make you unstoppable

Posted by Sarah Brown on 31 May '13 | Tags: entrepreneur goal setting social enterprise inspiration tools aspiration action

How understanding people is critical to business success

Frog switch
If we don't understand how and why people change then how can we attract new customers? I've just finished reading Switch by Chip and Dan Heath it was great, with some really powerful examples of how to help people change, make decisions and bring about change in organisations or even countries.

Posted by Sarah Brown on 17 May '13 | Tags: entrepreneur goal setting social enterprise strategic development marketing inspiration aspiration

The three ways to grow your organisation

Collaboration
There are only three ways to grow your organisation: organically but this takes time and money; mergers or acquisitions but this is high risk and difficult; collaboration and partnering which can be quick and effective if done right

Posted by Sarah Brown on 03 May '13 | Tags: collaboration goal setting strategic development entrepreneur charity social enterprise community interest company

Community Interest Companies - are they coming of age?

Above the canopy
Community Interest Companies are in the news doing all sorts of things in all sorts of places. Its encouraging social enterprises are becoming so newsworthy if people understand that CICs are social enterprises that is

Posted by Sarah Brown on 26 Apr '13 | Tags: charity social enterprise funding and investment community interest company cic

U-Mix opening - a day of social enterprise in practise and theory

66955068 umix 281
Having been involved with U-Mix project supporting with funding bids, business planning and the practical development it was great and quite emotional to see it open today. The event was well supported reflecting the mix of people that have helped to make it successful and a credit to FURD who organised it. Before that I was at the Working Capital Conference which had some interesting comments from the head of Bid Society Capital.

Posted by Sarah Brown on 12 Apr '13 | Tags: charity social enterprise business planning strategic development inspiration collaboration local authority public sector

Something you might need to do immediately about the budget - and it's not about beer

Cormorant head
If you tender for public sector business or plan to, or get a grant as a charity then you need to think about your allowance for inflation in salaries plus updating your forecasts from April 2014 to reflect the new Employment Allowance

Posted by Sarah Brown on 20 Mar '13 | Tags: public sector business planning social enterprise local authority tendering sme social investment charity

The five top risks for a charity becoming a social enterprise

2805072 2400x1986
Any charity moving to income generation needs to be aware of the dangers - here are our five top risks from our experience of 2 decades working with social enterprises

Posted by Sarah Brown on 14 Nov '12 | Tags: social enterprise charity marketing feasibility study business planning strategic development goal setting

Make it Happen Monday

DSC8719
A great new monthly session to get a new infusion of energy and ideas. Every 2nd Monday of the Month we will be holding a Make It Happen session for 3 hours in Sheffield to let people share ideas, learn from others and get inspired.

Posted by Sarah Brown on 12 Sep '12 | Tags: entrepreneur social enterprise goal setting inspiration coaching mihm

Back 1 2 3 4 Next