Category: Blog

Sometimes I wonder how I got here. I spent years in university dreaming of utopian ways to fix real world problems, only to find myself stuck in the machine, realizing the institution was broken and there was little I could do to fix it.

Social service was born from religion. Charity in its origin was an aspect of the church, the outreach of ministry to the underclass. Sometime in the last hundred or so years, the state took to welfare administration. Those drawn to the profession often come from a calling of selfless service, and rightly so. I don’t know of anyone who became a social worker for the cash. Social service is all about people and not about profit. Not. For. Profit. But the hard reality is, we all spend a big portion of our time and energy on trying to find enough money to even exist. And we never have enough. We live off piecemeal handouts from bureaucrats. And as the political pendulum swings, it carries with it a sharp cutting edge that slashes programs before they ever have a chance to create a solid foundation.

Enter the world of business. After I was hit by the proverbial social work burnout, I leaned on my artistic background to pay a few bills. I started making logos and business cards. I spent years working with business start-ups and rural entrepreneurs. I met people with passion and drive and desire, many of whom turned to self-employment as a necessity in an economy that was leaving them hungry. And I learned something. What social service was sorely lacking was business acumen. It was too much Dr. Phil, and not enough Donald Trump. Ok, maybe those are bad examples. But let’s get to the point, if social service had to function like a business in a free market, you can bet things would be done differently. The “vote with your dollar” adage could send a shift into education, health care and numerous other social services that exist in this false economy. Consumers would expect better, and move elsewhere if they didn’t receive it.

So herein lies the catch. How do you measure success in a field where success should mean less customers and not more? If social service providers are successful, they will become unemployed. If there are no broken people to mend, there will be nothing for helpers to do. Clearly I understand that many problems exist generationally, and in association to privilege. However, we must ask if our programs create dependence. In order for social service to strike an independence, from public funds and for the health of community participants, we must look to enterprise as a means of promoting wellness and increasing our consumer base in an ethical way.

It doesn’t take long for word to get around a small town. Recently, a local shop owner had taken a much needed trip away. Prior to departure, they may have told someone they were considering some “changes.” Overnight, rumours that they would be closing shop upon their return were flying! And next came the speculations as to “Why?”

In small towns, the select number of businesses hold a part of our collective community identity, so we sometimes take these changes personally. Did we not support this business enough? Is it another testimony to a struggling local economy? One of the conversations that took place over this recent news was the suggestion that with the popularity of internet purchasing, the brick and mortar retail store may become a thing of the past.

In all fairness, I like to give all ideas some pause. There certainly is an increase in online buying, and in small communities the online shopping experience offers an oft unequaled opportunity for choice and convenience. But I wasn’t buying this notion that the end was near for street-level vendors. And here’s why: Experience.

Consumers value experiences.We like to talk to shop owners, we like to browse and touch and smell. We like to try things on, and turn things about in our hands. But above all, in these experiences, what we get is human contact and connection. In essence, we gain a sense of community. This is not to say that online shops are unable to provide this, because there are certainly tricks to that trade, but the exchange of goods from person to person brings us back to a level of organic exchange we seem to inherently crave. Relating to humans makes us feel, well… more human.

Perhaps the key in this evolution of trade is to stay flexible. Store-front retail contributes greatly to the style and sense of our small town atmosphere, and yet, a portion of online sales may be what is required to expand on a market that is limited in scale.

May these changes bring the best for us all.
~Tree

Years ago, I was asked to design and facilitate a workshop on sales. The mere thought of this made me cringe. And there was a simple reason why.

We’ve all been sold things in the past that we came to regret. A pair of pants that the salesperson exclaimed made your butt look great. Dessert after dinner that really could have been satisfied with a portion a fraction of the size. A beachfront vacation that showcased miles of open white sand, that upon your arrival, was a mass of semi-naked retirees. We’ve all been there. The idea of selling someone something makes us think we need to lie. Even if it’s a little white lie.

But the truth is, the key to selling your product, your service, or your great idea is just that… truth. That night, I looked out at that group of new business owners and said “If you would purchase what you have to sell, please raise your hand. And if any of you are hesitating in raising your hand right now, you need to figure out why.”

You see, your success in your venture will come from showcasing the sheer awesomeness of what you do. And you have to believe this first, before anyone else will.

In what seems like another lifetime ago, I was involved in the co-creation of a national activist group called the Canadian Cannabis Coalition. This group is now online networking group of hundreds of activists across Canada and the US, who are focused on drug law reform.

Through harm reduction strategizing for our regional health authority, I again had the opportunity to work with another CCC, the Creating Caring Communities working group. Creating Caring Communities was formed in 2011 by a dedicated group of staff from Interior Health, ANKORS, Community Services, Selkirk College, Freedom Quest, the RCMP and other community members.

http://www.yourcaringcommunity.ca/