Hi everyone! Here is a short post from our latest (physical) meeting with the participants in Sustainable Entrepreneurship + two of our seminar leaders in the program.
Mats Thorburn started by reminding us (once again) why collaboration is so important and we tried to put words, text and images to what we take for granted in our everyday lives - our network - which is all around us and can be all kinds of people. Not just those directly connected to our business but actually all those who are in some way a part of our lives. Because the "private" and "professional" often go together when you are a small-scale entrepreneur.
Sometimes it's the babysitter or dog sitter who gives you the most help in your business? Or is it the friend who makes you relax and recover and processes that gives you the energy that you can't do without in your business? Or is it the enterprising neighbor who inspires?
This is what a network map for a small entrepreneur in the countryside might look like! (Sorry for the blurry image!)
We also talked about how collaboration can be built on differences, some very unlikely person can give you and your company other perspectives that make you and your business develop. Mats went on to talk about how, like many small entrepreneurs, by working together you can become colleagues instead of competitors. It sounds too good to be true! But it can be done. It has been possible to do it in places very close to us 🙂
I got an image in my head and then made a small illustration with text:
Then Pia Anderson talked about her own experiences, how as a self-employed person she could feel alone but had to be resourceful and clever to find the partners she felt she wanted.
”"Don't walk through the wall when there are doors" - You may have a clear idea of what it should look like and who would be a perfect fit as a collaboration partner, but if the thresholds are too high and difficult to work with, it is better to refocus to find the doors.
Always have an organization with you on your strategic plan, someone who is your partner. It is important to have a common vision with the organization. (It could be a small organization nearby, it could be a contact person at a larger company, it could be a non-profit association in the area, it could be an acquaintance far away or someone from whom you get horse manure for your crops ;))
Agenda2030, a good direction to aim for together. The wedding cake, all 3 categories, how do we reach the sweet spot? A vision is more than a sentence, more of a story. Dare to turn to a specific person because then everyone will listen. Who is your concrete dream customer?
Then the participants tested the ”customer journey”. In practice, this meant that the participants ”acted”/played theatre. They pretended to be a customer of another person in the group. And then they had a conversation that ended with the customer buying something or not. To get a little extra feeling, they put on a unique hat, the so-called ”customer hat”.
They practiced feeling what it feels like when you, as a customer, come to someone else's business. How do you perceive the place and the atmosphere? It is not uncommon for customers to behave irrationally and be greatly influenced by their surroundings (we humans are not as rational as you might think ;))
All participants/companies could then document every step in the ”customer journey”, i.e. every thing that happens after the prospective customer realizes that they have a need or problem that the company might be able to solve. Then the journey should end with the customer being surprisingly satisfied and then spreading the word about your company.
They sure look nice in their customer hats!?
Then part 2 began. Something as basic as saying hello and being nice to customers/members can be absolutely crucial, we came to the conclusion! The participants then did the customer journey in five steps again. They identified the customer's needs in five steps and the customer's expectations for sustainability in five steps. We then drew diagrams to see if ours and the customer's can match somewhere, also a sweet spot that you want to reach. What is important for both the customer and me? The participants in Sustainable Entrepreneurship really have a lot to offer here, since everyone is passionate about various sustainability issues and wants to be involved in driving a change so that both the planet and us people can feel good and develop. The good news is that more and more customers WANT and DEMAND such activities, since more and more people are becoming aware that we need to change to a society where both the planet and people feel good <3
The participants also developed an ”elevator pitch.” It answers questions about the company such as ”What do you offer?” and ”Why should people choose you?”
As a small-scale company, it is important to have networks that can fill certain needs that you yourself lack in your company! Quickly you will get good collaborations or collaborate with others, some tips from the coach were, among other things, to think about responsibility and leadership which are fundamental in collaboration. If you go in with the attitude "Give more than you take", a very positive spirit is built and culture builds positive spirit (Of course!). Spread faith in the future in your collaborations! and think about how to create good meetings, there are many tips and tricks. The meeting should GIVE energy. Home-baked or small-scale baked goods are apparently a real mood booster at meetings, I'll get to that soon 😉
Then all participants thought about what skills are present and missing in their network? We ran a final round among all participants, and learned that there was a lack of people who had knowledge about horse feed in one entrepreneur's network, another needed someone with accounting skills in her network and a third needed someone in her network who she could ask questions about websites.
Did you manage to read all the way here? Are you wondering why the headline said "Spontaneous coffee buffet" and then nothing more about any coffee buffet? I haven't forgotten, it's coming now:
Before the meeting, as the organizer, I was very short on time and energy, so I wrote to the participants that lunch would be provided but that they could bring their own coffee if they wished. It ended up that several participants plus the seminar leader Mats took matters into their own hands. They knew how important it was to have good coffee at meetings for it to be successful! They baked! Once at the library in Storvreta during our day, there was a whole coffee buffet where everyone contributed everything possible. So delicious and thoughtful! Thank you! /Jenny
PS If you want to know more about Sustainable Entrepreneurship, check here: Sustainable Entrepreneurship 2023-2024