A decade

Exactly ten years ago today, I left the UK to spend a year in Japan.  Having rarely been abroad before, it was a huge step for me, even though I was going with one of the big eikaiwa (conversation schools), meaning a huge amount of the ‘scary things’ (like sorting accommodation, getting the necessary info for visas etc) was pretty much arranged for me.

 

So began a three year adventure, during which time I met some of my closest friends, taught some amazing students, met people who continue to inspire me, tried to throw myself into whatever random situations I could (could have done more), got into a very small number of scrapes with local villains, enjoyed ‘celebrity’ as I was surrounded by hordes of rural schoolchildren begging for photos and ‘autographs’ in Nara, slept through 3 of the 5 earthquakes that were ‘noticeable’ in the area, was filmed as an interviewer for a British silversmith working in the city, featured in a 100 faces of the area exhibition photographed by Nobuyoshi Araki, and started my own business (with help from plenty of the above people).

 

Back then, I needed the adventure to mean going to a new place, and doing so helped me to see things in a different way.  As gaijin, in a fairly small town, I was recognisably different. An outsider. And I began to appreciate the benefits that “being different” brings.  For the first time, I was comfortable in my own skin.  In Japan, they say “deru kugi wa utareru” - the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.  However this doesn’t really apply to us foreigners, who tend to live in a somewhat surreal world, almost both loved and loathed for their inherent ‘differentness’.

 

A decade later, I think it’s time for a new adventure.  I again live in a small town, and I suspect people realise that I’m a bit ‘different’. I don’t see things the way most people in this town seem to.  There are a few too many people with hammers.  (And to a man with only a hammer, everything looks like a nail)

 

This time, I think it’s more a mindset than a physical journey.   I’m extremely fortunate because I’ve found my adventuring partner, and she’s different from most people too. She’s also both the same as, and different from me, but I can’t wait to embark on greater adventures.

 

So it’s time to leave behind a few things where being different isn’t the advantage I know it should be.  It’s time to seek out the new adventures.

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Take ten minutes to be better

I wanted to share two great blog posts that I read recently.  The first from Mark Philips on how to win donors and influence them, taking inspiration from Dale Carnegie’s timeless advice.

 

The second takes us on two journeys simultaneously.  One through Nepal, the second through the typical ‘donor’ experience.  Initial wonderment to fatigue.  And beyond.  Kimberley’s story is one I’ll return to.

 

Take 10 minutes to read both.  Be inspired, and be better at what you do.

 

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Aberdeen's City Centre

I’ve tried to be positive about the City Square/Gardens project, but it’s actually so deeply flawed that it’s difficult to pick the weakest aspect.

 

They know there’s a plan for “some

kind of performance and exhibition space”, but rather than identifying a need for the city, and trying to find a way to fund it, instead, they’ve decided there should be a space, and now “Locum Consultants – part of the Collier International group – have been hired to find uses for it.”

 

The whole project has been done backwards – with an idea, and city officials, ACSEF et al frantically scrabbling around to find any justification for it.

 

We’re building it because it will be great for the city – how?  Well, it’ll have things in it, and do stuff.

 

At an event recently a City Council official told me two telling things.

 

1.     “That a business case should be ready by the end of the year.” 

 

This isn’t how the loan will be repaid by the increase in business rates.  “Nothing is entirely risk free”, rather this is what the money being sent will actually bring to the city.

There was a £13m plan, which I quite liked, to build an arts centre into the slopes at the garden, it would have rejuvenated the garden, and would have brought around £3m a year into the local economy.  So net gain to the economy after 4 years. (Faster considering that much of the funding came from outside of the area)  This plan will cost £140m – with at least £70m coming from the city council*. And the net gain to the economy each year – no-one’s got round to working that out yet.

 

 

2.     “We can’t be seen to be unable to generate the same amount as has been offered by a private funder”

 

So, the whole thing is that they don’t want to be seen to turn down (up to) £50m towards a project budgeted at 3 times that.  It’s not about the strength of the project, or that this is the best idea, it’s simply that they can’t be seen to be turning down an offer.  I’m not sure they realise that all of this offer will be used up in funding the project, they don’t get to spend the money on anything else.  (And that’s assuming it’s on budget)

*yes, I know that the loan will be repaid by the increase in business rates – based on the assumption that the increase will cover it – but at best, this increased income is being used to pay for something – it’s not as if the council will be able to spend this on anything but paying back the loan (I’m not sure they understand this)

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Do you buy a lottery ticket to help charity?

National lottery and now the new Health lottery both play on their ‘charitable’ angle, but that’s a minor part of their business.

 

As Kevin says in his blog post; 

 

28p of every £ National Lottery ticket goes to a good cause, and it’s raised millions for good causes over the years.

20p of every Health Lottery ticket will go to charities too.  And it may well raise plenty for good causes too.

 

But £1.25 of every £1 you give to a charity goes to the good cause.

 

So for every £ you ‘give’ through the national lottery, you effectively ‘lose’ 97p of value to the charity.

 

The lotteries have been a great source of income for charities, but that’s incidental to making a few people very rich.  (Winners and Camelot directors)

  

Play the lottery if you want (I do from time to time), but do it to win the jackpot. If you want to help a charity, just give them the money yourself.

 

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A Cause of my own.

When someone is affected by a personal tragedy, there is often a strong desire to do something to try to prevent it happening to anyone else.

 

Indeed a number of charities that are well known today owe their origins to this kind of trigger.

 

Today, however, with over 200,000 registered charities in the UK alone, is it the right thing to do?

 

Regardless of how well intentioned, the learning curve for someone wanting to start their own charity can be steep.  Some people manage this remarkably well, others do not.

 

To my mind, the “Amy Winehouse Foundation” illustrates some of the reasons that this isn’t always the best outcome.  Initially, someone else registered a web domain, which apparently led to cheques being returned to donors, as they couldn’t be cashed.  (?)

 

As the comments below the article illustrate, there would be nothing to stop the charity from setting up a bank account even if someone else had a web address in the name.

 

When a tragedy is more public, there is the potential for significant, widespread public support, but if handled badly there’s a risk of alienating support very quickly.

 

I think there’s great potential here for charities that are already working in the field to step in, setting up specific appeals and funds with involvement from those closest.  Balancing a fast reaction with tact may not be easy, but I think the outcomes would be better overall.

 

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Take the hassle out of branding.

You know, building your brand can be hard work.

You have to work out what you represent, and how you’re going to express that to your customers.

You have to work out who your customers are – and who you want to be your customers,

And then you have to work out the best way to reach these customers.

And all that’s on top of just trying to run your business.  You know, delivering the things you do.

Now you could put some of that effort into working with a charity partner that reflects your values, boosting both of your businesses (in which case you might want to speak to me at Cause4Effect)

OR, you could make it simple, and use the wheel of Concept.  Give it a try, you’ll see just how many other people seem to have done it.

Thanks to Eaon Pritchard for this one

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Malcolm Reading Consultants warning for City Square.

Some good reading on the Malcolm Reading Consultants website.  

 

In case you’re wondering, I was looking for more info on the design competition and latest parameters.  They were expecting 150 applicants when it launched, we have 55 – but there’s a “record number of collaborations”, so that’s ok.

 

I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I did find some good advice.

 

Advice for new projects:  Step 6: Find the hidden costs.

 

“The physical building and its services may account for two-thirds or less of the total project costs.”

 

But don’t worry. 

 

After all, the “Land acquisition, VAT, professional fees, disruption, management and staff costs as well as the cost of financing and inflation [which] can make up the remaining third”, were all included in the budgeted £140m costs for the City Square. 

 

It’s not as if they were included in the 25 ‘exclusions’ from the technical feasibility study.

 

Well, apart from Land acquisition, VAT, professional fees, disruption, management and staff costs and inflation.

 

So of course we’ll end up with something that’s wonderful and amazing and iconic and unlike anything anywhere else in the world and not just another plaza completely on budget.

 

Bearing in mind that the closest I’ve got to an economic case for spending (ahem) £140m from  acsef is ”well our arts centre is bigger than the Peacock one so it’ll bring bigger benefits”*, and you might see my concerns.

 

*I know, you’d think by now they’d have an economic case for it, but still nothing, so the closest to an economic case I have seen is from last year.

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Online spending may still be increasing, but supermarket shopping in decline.

After a decade, the level of grocery shopping done online is only 3.2%.  Compared to 10% for all retail sales (European Journal of Marketing).  In fact, it’s claimed to be in decline, for a range of reasons, here, here and here.

 

So as much as I like tools like Giveasyoulive, I still prefer SimplyFundraising.

 

Whenever I shop in the 2 supermarkets I tend to visit most, a percentage of my bill goes to my favourite charities.  It works in a range of other places too.  Online, offline, it doesn’t matter.

 

It really leaves me with just one question.  Why don’t you have a SimplyFundraising card?

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