tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.comments2020-06-10T10:36:55.105+01:00Red Button DesignAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-69337128013866721332011-12-07T12:05:54.243+00:002011-12-07T12:05:54.243+00:00toriaAs a recipient of a Midomo bracelet - I am de...toriaAs a recipient of a Midomo bracelet - I am delighted to see that the water units are now serving a vital need. As an old Colonial brought up in Kenya I fully understand the priority for clean water.<br /><br />VictoriaVictorianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-88279688234802376172011-08-09T09:35:37.967+01:002011-08-09T09:35:37.967+01:00Best just drop a quick email to Chloe on the above...Best just drop a quick email to Chloe on the above address, for further contact details.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-18800924598554875362011-08-09T06:31:44.898+01:002011-08-09T06:31:44.898+01:00can i get the skype id....can i get the skype id....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-28137910176500496192011-07-05T14:03:56.424+01:002011-07-05T14:03:56.424+01:00Delighted to hear of your progress - brilliant ide...Delighted to hear of your progress - brilliant idea - wishing you every success - Adrian LondonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-17925534173463672162011-06-24T22:22:47.928+01:002011-06-24T22:22:47.928+01:00Well done Amamnda & James - Glad to see things...Well done Amamnda & James - Glad to see things are going forward - very exciting for you I'm sure - Jack StoneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-16326193988992633042010-10-15T13:39:22.477+01:002010-10-15T13:39:22.477+01:00Aspirations are good! Thanks for participating in ...Aspirations are good! Thanks for participating in Blog Action Day! If you have time, please stop by and read <a href="http://dave-lucas.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-action-day-2010-resource-we-take.html" rel="nofollow">my article on water</a>, our most precious resource!Dave Lucashttp://twitter.com/davelucasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-39171738606939912822010-10-10T17:57:21.018+01:002010-10-10T17:57:21.018+01:00Yes m'dear - send an email to:
admin[at]sel[do...Yes m'dear - send an email to:<br />admin[at]sel[dot]org[dot]uk<br /><br />cc:<br />sales[at]midomobracelet[dot]org<br /><br />subject:<br />RedButtonDesign_photo01<br /><br />body:<br />I’d like to submit my vote for Red Button Design’s photo entry named above.<br /><br /><br />:) xAmandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-87547744398978531562010-10-10T11:56:17.766+01:002010-10-10T11:56:17.766+01:00All this link does is try to open Outlook... which...All this link does is try to open Outlook... which I don't have configured on my computer. I would like to vote so is there another way?<br /><br />Monkey.xMonkeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-29554916250869983032010-08-03T10:59:04.155+01:002010-08-03T10:59:04.155+01:00Thanks Dave! We have not felt any bites or heard a...Thanks Dave! We have not felt any bites or heard any barking yet... In fact Amanda has been very lovely and provided much wine for us! We are not complaining!Esme Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-14248602267891053782010-08-02T19:32:32.823+01:002010-08-02T19:32:32.823+01:00Gorgeous things with an ethical tendency that invo...Gorgeous things with an ethical tendency that involves Angelina? My mind is already 17 steps further ahead!<br /><br />Welcome to the magical madness of Red Button and remember you do have to make tea from time to time :)Davehttp://www.entreprenurses.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-84298949383349151792010-08-02T19:29:33.270+01:002010-08-02T19:29:33.270+01:00Welcome to Red Button and the strange chaotic infu...Welcome to Red Button and the strange chaotic infuriating and inspiring world of social enterprise :) And remember that Amanda's bark is much worse than her bite!Davehttp://www.entreprenurses.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-17000778492342140832010-06-24T22:17:55.709+01:002010-06-24T22:17:55.709+01:00I would agree the points on ethical enterprise and...I would agree the points on ethical enterprise and social enterprise, although I think that often in business its possible to get a good deal, but to understand that the other party got the better deal. Depending on the timescale involved I can see the case for 'loss leader' deals, where you allow the other party to get a better deal now, expecting... See more to profit in the longer term. In many business deals as well as social/ethical business deals the contract can be mutually beneficial, and maybe no-one needs to get the better deal :)<br /><br />Its interesting negotiating business contracts in Sierra Leone, the emphasis from both parties was on a fair deal...at least when talking at below high management level. Both parties took a very detached view of the contract, as if the main motivation was to achieve a good quality document that treated both sides fairly. Almost like an academic procedure.<br /><br />It may come down to who's paying though, as this was a deal funded by the EU, perhaps the emphasis was on creating a document that would show the project in good light rather than on personal gain.<br /><br />I understand that at higher management level the situation can be more more interesting, with both parties to the contract working for mutual (personal) benefit. (Possibly at the expense of a third party, remote from the actual agreement).James Brownhttp://www.james-elliot.co.uk/sierraleonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-56666675292814283952010-06-05T12:58:05.858+01:002010-06-05T12:58:05.858+01:00From Adil Abrar (@Adilabrar) via Twitter...
"...From Adil Abrar (@Adilabrar) via Twitter...<br /><br />"ok, get it more now. Not sure I agree with your central view. Nature is often violent, indifferent, savage etc. However......think there is something interesting in the tension between business models and the human touch."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-80432287637683352002010-06-05T12:56:31.053+01:002010-06-05T12:56:31.053+01:00From Tim Curtis (@curtistim) via Twitter...
"...From Tim Curtis (@curtistim) via Twitter...<br /><br />"interesting blog, amanda. It turns on whether humans are 'naturally' good or evil. The truth is neither.. .a better model is humans are good, but naturalness makes them self centred. Goodness needs cultivating"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-45163932651492913492010-06-04T00:31:22.799+01:002010-06-04T00:31:22.799+01:00It reminds me of Donald Norman's concept of &q...It reminds me of Donald Norman's concept of "Natural Design" which has the aim of designing into products 'affordances' which give the user instinctual cues as to how the product should be used. If you see a door with a handle, for example, you have a 'natural' inclination to pull to open, whereas a door with only a flat plate has a 'push' affordance. Hence we can design products, services (and business models) that employ an understanding of the basic instincts and expectations of users to achieve good usability.<br /><br />Its interesting that you talk about developing business models from the bottom up. I completely agree, so many businesses and enterprises start by looking at the big picture and completely forget about the experience people have with interacting with them. <br /><br />I see the social enterprise of your post as an almost minimal entity, a device for bringing customer (/donor?) and beneficiary closer without then getting in the way. But I think we can go further, by creating social enterprise models that build upon inherent associations and behaviors that we all have show.<br /><br />One of the best examples for me is the way Mohammed Yunus and the Grameen Bank uses inherent social behavior as an asset on which to lend money. I hope that in the same way social enterprises will be able to leverage 'soft assets' like this to do business in a way that is more in line with inherent human qualities.<br /><br />I do agree that cultural, geographic, gender etc. differences make it difficult to define what is 'natural' and what is 'good' to a large extent, but then the nature of business is competition and so the range of beliefs, behaviors and characteristics present an opportunity, not a threat.James Brownhttp://www.james-elliot.co.uk/sierraleonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-64904411049442867502010-06-02T09:06:20.040+01:002010-06-02T09:06:20.040+01:00not sure who's post you're calling half-ar...not sure who's post you're calling half-arsed but..<br /><br />I agree, the move towards co-operative ownership models and mutuals is likely to be a vital step in rebuilding the lost connection. (Marx is an interesting/useful reference I hadn't considered- I'll check it out in more detail, thanks for that) <br />Valuing more than financial performance is, again, not mine but I think vital..<br />Also, I do think that social media and technology advances have a role to play in bringing us closer to the 'beneficiaries' (horrible Aid terminology which again reinforces the flawed concept that 'giving' is unilateral from A to benefit B)..<br /><br />Anyway, <br />anyone else want to wade into the debate? :)Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-29724950634823824502010-06-02T01:20:31.168+01:002010-06-02T01:20:31.168+01:00OK, if you are simply looking to explore ways of n...OK, if you are simply looking to explore ways of narrowing the gap between giver and receiver then I would drop the background philosophy. I will argue about essentialism 'til the (hugely diverse) cows come home, but completely agree that it's a sensible idea to engage people in community-based projects whether commercial, charitable or somewhere inbetween.<br /><br />I can't think of anything useful to say on the topic that you won't already have thought about, except perhaps an alternative background philosophy.<br /><br />I am reminded of Marx's theory about the alienation of the worker from the fruits of his labour. As far as I remember, he made the point that in the capitalist system a worker does not gain anything from the process of production: he does not gain materially, because he does not share ownership of the profits, and he does not gain emotionally, because he does not see an end result that gives his work purpose.<br /><br />So look at how a investors or consumers can take ownership of your social enterprise and/or see the fruits of their input/'labour'. Maybe the enterprise becomes a membership organisation, maybe you find innovative ways of displaying your end product.<br /><br />I'll shut up before I alienate you from this half-arsed post...ghwwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13622861357592243824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-72151086565317272372010-06-01T09:07:00.327+01:002010-06-01T09:07:00.327+01:00“I don’t believe you can credibly make any claims ...“I don’t believe you can credibly make any claims about human nature”<br /><br />Psychology and Sociology still mythic arts of witchcraft then? :)<br /><br />No, you raise some fair points..<br /><br />First though, let me reiterate that I am not blithely proposing to have a unified theory of everything, in fact I was only expanding on a few thoughts I had while thinking over the weekend, so a conversation rather than a debate or argument may be most appropriate and constructive here. <br /><br />I think when I speak of a “natural” desire to be good I am referring to an evolutionary impetus to behave in a decent manner to our clan/pack. More broadly, I tend to mean those things for which we have biochemical or otherwise accepted scientific evidence that it is true for the majority. I accept your points regarding the exceptions but I certainly do not believe that the exceptions devalue the basic assumption (not new, and not mine) that humans are primarily, by nature, good. In this particular case I am referring here to ‘good’ (which, as you say, is just a value judgement so maybe it’s just a terminology issue we have here?) on the propensity towards generosity, equality and sociability.<br /><br />As far as business models go, I didn’t venture into the for-profit / not-for-profit / pro-profit / for-more-than-profit minefield. I have argued that space frequently from various corners in fact and my stance remains the same. Simply put, social benefit is primary. Pick the profit-model which maximises your ability to create that social benefit. Sometimes a charity structure may leverage more funds and allow you to deliver more efficiently than a Ltd structure or a CIC, other times vice versa..<br /><br />My interest was more the effectiveness of the structure of the model to tap into (what I consider to be) our natural desire to help those less well off. On this front I noticed that in the current models of charity/socent it is often the case that multiple barriers (human ‘middle men’/financial/geographic, even) create a distance between the act of giving/helping and the act of receiving/benefitting<br /><br />This doesn’t allow the giver to receive the positive biochemical pay off from their actions. <br /><br />Hence my thoughts that reforming the models with this as a basic tenant would likely draw more money into the sector...Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-37688027476821989812010-06-01T00:48:34.538+01:002010-06-01T00:48:34.538+01:00I don't believe you can credibly make any clai...I don't believe you can credibly make any claims about human nature. As a race of people we are so diverse that to make any generalizations about basic common instincts or beliefs is at best problematic and at worst very dangerous. If you claim that it is human nature to procreate, you deny an element of humanity to homosexuals and the many people who cannot or choose not to have children. If you claim that humans are essentially good then you have a big problem explaining genocide and other brutality across the world and throughout history.<br /><br />Nor do I believe you can define 'good' in objective terms. Every action is open to a huge spectrum of interpretation. That is not to say we should not come to a decision on what is good and what is bad, what to do and what not to do, what to encourage and what to oppose, and so on. We can make value judgments but we should see them for what they are: an expression of our own opinion, our own analysis, perhaps our own desire to do good. If we acknowledge that, it is far easier to consider conflicting points of view, to compromise, and to make what you might consider progress.<br /><br />Anyway, your post was about social enterprise business models. This isn't a topic I know much about, but the key question seems to be: where does your social enterprise sit in the wider socio-economic context?<br /><br />Does it sit within the global capitalist system, taking credit from the money markets and turning a profit? Does it sit within the so-called 'Third Sector', operating on a commercial basis but financed through public money or charitable donations?<br /><br />Or does it sit somewhere else, outside the mainstream? Maybe it doesn't need money at all. Maybe it treats investors differently. Maybe it appeals to a shared desire to be kind and to work towards a common purpose.<br /><br />But don't kid yourself that such a model is natural. You will have to build it. You will have to defend it from criticism, and persuade people to join you. You will have to compromise, and let it grow in ways you didn't expect or necessarily want.<br /><br />And if you have further thoughts in this direction, I would be most interested to hear them.ghwwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13622861357592243824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-38026697899955757802010-05-22T11:13:58.921+01:002010-05-22T11:13:58.921+01:00Thanks for your openness and honesty about the jou...Thanks for your openness and honesty about the journey you are on. It is usually non entrepreneurs who don't get the difficulties of bringing a new product to market. <br /><br />Clearly you decided to make the journey more difficult for yourselves by bringing a product that needs to work in a different culture and get approval from one of the worlds' largest bureaucracies whilst trying to be heard amongst all the existing NGOs that have the "ear" of those with decision making power. <br /><br />I really hope that this deal is the turning point for you in terms of getting production going and wish you all the best for the future. <br /><br />GrahamGrahamhttp://graham@aspiren.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-19816824028173373092010-04-21T07:47:48.200+01:002010-04-21T07:47:48.200+01:00So very well doneSo very well doneKevin jonesHttp://www.socialcapitalmarkets.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-81968273550400674212010-04-18T02:48:21.335+01:002010-04-18T02:48:21.335+01:00Count me in to keeping #OxfordJam alive! Thanks so...Count me in to keeping #OxfordJam alive! Thanks so much for all your hard work, Amanda. You and the rest of the team were stupendous hosts. Meeting you was one of my highlights. I'm so very excited that someone with your brilliantly controversial perspective is doing what you do.Christina Jordanhttp://Evolutionize.Itnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-38406426587231580292010-04-05T19:04:45.308+01:002010-04-05T19:04:45.308+01:00Amen to this!
Yes I love your breakdown of incent...Amen to this!<br /><br />Yes I love your breakdown of incentives and how we weigh up decisions that lead to this situation...<br /><br />So true, so true. Ok will keep this in mind and see how much I can get done this week :)Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047868285277093099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-74639091748369242702010-03-08T16:18:56.597+00:002010-03-08T16:18:56.597+00:00Thanks Dave :-)
And thanks also to @aaronbassett ...Thanks Dave :-)<br /><br />And thanks also to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aaronbassett" rel="nofollow">@aaronbassett</a> who said the same and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/chrispadden" rel="nofollow">@ChrisPadden</a> who signed up on Friday!Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995802985698200307.post-26260102728315897352010-03-08T14:49:28.910+00:002010-03-08T14:49:28.910+00:00I find it ironic that out of all the posts in the ...I find it ironic that out of all the posts in the #12Lessons series this one went live with the most typos! <br />*sigh* <br />.. it really ought to be easier to take ones own good advice..Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531062817640510007noreply@blogger.com