Phillip Blond

ResPublica

ResPublica and Philip Blond certainly seem to be attracting the attention of us social business people.
It’s great that the DTA is going to do a joint think piece with them and as ever I’ve just enjoyed Steve Wyler’s introduction to how that might look. A quick reflection on the forthcoming ‘The Asset Effect: ten ideas [...]

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silly-701566

Silly, Really!

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see the debate now “raging” between social enterprise bodies and the health secretary. Social enterprise is becoming a dogmatic cult that is insisting upon a particular definition in order to legitimise its very existence. Ok, maybe it’s not that bad…but, people are wasting time arguing about what is [...]

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Restriction

Restricting Structures

What structure would be best suited for a diversity of groups with different interests, but a common goal?

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Dragon Boats – As pictured by mygasparilla.com

Dragon Boats and Teamwork

We had loads of fun on Saturday. We also learned some key lessons for our social business. But first, watch this video of us rowing our hearts out.
Ok. Did you see it? Probably not. We are the boat at the bottom of the screen, beginning to edge out the other boat near the finish line [...]

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lightbulb

Entrepreneurial Approach: Social Enterprise Needs More of It

I like the point of this video. The point is not made with as much finesse as it could be: Cameron really goes for the entrepreneurial thing with example after example while letting the global theme sit in the background. He is advocating a different approach to learning, free from the shackles of the our [...]

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The Big Idea is.jpg

The Big Idea is… Small Simplicity.

Great advice from Rory Sutherland (at TED of course!) on how to change the world around you for the better implementing small stuff. Think about how we might approach a social enterprise venture, especially if it needs to stand out in the crowd.

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Fork in Road, an opportunity

Investing for a Big Society

Turns out the new government wants to know what you and I think about cuts; where, how, and why should we/shouldn’t we.
I think the cutting is going to be the easy part. So I will pass on making a recommendation on them. I think Cameron and crew can cut 15% without affecting services; It may [...]

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Salt Marshes

The Problem with Capitalism (100% Pure Version)

I am a big fan of a capitalist economy. Frankly, a socialist economic model leaves me feeling a bit, err, underwhelmed. But, like many modern day (see post neanderthal) societal inventions like the bible, constitutions, and laws, flexibility is not an intrinsic part of their design. Some will argue this is the point, especially with [...]

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Extremes

From One Extreme to the Other…

I was in a North East town recently where I met up with a couple of gurus who knew the area well.  I was chauffered around all the best parts of the town, told about the exciting plans that were in place over the next 10 years, and how the area was in a boom [...]

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Playgrounds

Why do some neighbourhoods have brilliant parks, while others are built like prison playgrounds; metal, unbreakable? Myopic tendencies.
My first thought is leadership. Some neighbourhoods lack visionary and strategic leadership. This is evident in poor and rich neighbourhoods alike. They lack the ability to see what is possible, sticking with a defensive approach based on what [...]

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