My thoughts today for this blog, is of the resistance to change, fear of collaborating together in case we loose out by an enterprise.
I experienced first hand recently that fear of collaborating with others for the greater good, an increased slice of business, footfall and helping out with a collective town spirit. I help out with a farmers market, the basic rung on the ladder for many artisan craft and food startup’s or those that wish to just earn a few bob from their passion. Traders use it to do basic market research and market awareness; do you like my product, are you a repeat customers, what suggestions do you have? and more besides, in essence, let the market decide, economics 101.
I believe that with collaboration, the sum of the parts is lesser than that of the whole, 1+1=2 1/2 or greater.
I was informed by others in the committee that the market was causing problems by its location and occurance on the main shopping day, that we would have to move to another location and or shut down. We looked at other locations, a street offers only so many opportunities for a street market, and with Health & Safety in my mind, none were suitable that didn’t cause us further objections or increased our risk profile. Our only recourse was to reduce our stands, profile, display.
Subsequently it has emerged that as we were the shaded side of the street, the farmers market brought forth shoppers to ‘our side’, and that other shops had benefited from increased footfall, takings and were happy for us, we brought variety, passing trade and the street looked busy and alive.
Bring this back to an area that we work in – co-opetition ‘collaborating with your competition for the greater good’.
Think about Alessi (Italy) and the Lombardy Region in Italy which it is based, there are many design craft organisation’s in this area, who in olden days would see each other as competition for resources, customers and the bottom line. Today they collaborate together, form cooperatives, share experiences and generate greater wealth, knowledge, market share combined than could do individually.
Could you consider this
with your network of contacts ? probably so
with those who you compete with? that is your challenge today
Spend some time thinking about it, is it worth a doodle, a telephone call, a coffee, a chat ?
Recent Comments