Hello All. In the spirit of the season, I thought I’d share my list of social enterprise resolutions for the coming year.

Focus on the Customer, Not the Funder
Like most nonprofit-based social enterprises, we have a history of receiving funding from government agencies and foundations to develop and deliver products and services for the customers we serve (i.e. people and organizations that provide technical and financial assistance to entrepreneurs). It’s surprisingly easy how we can secure funding for a proposal that is built upon a plausible argument, but which is nonetheless unsupported by actual evidence of demand and/or need on the part of our customers. Sometimes, we get lucky and hit upon something that our customers want; many times, we end up with a product that may look great and that our customers “should” want, but don’t, and it sits on the shelf, unused, and we move on to the next funding proposal.

When I’ve gone to the trouble of doing the proper research - to find out what my customers not just need but actually want (don’t ever confuse the two) - the results have been extraordinary. Customers who can’t seem to find the time to come to the free workshop (often created with the support of a funder), find the time and money to pay for the “fee” workshop that addresses an issue that they find pressing and relevant. In addition to being a better model for building a financially sustainable, scalable enterprise, this is the only real way to ensure that we’re being accountable to the people that really matter – our customers. So, for 2011, I resolve to build my products, services and business on direct discussions with my customers. I’m already in the process of setting up interviews with two dozen current and potential customers in January, about their goals for the coming year, the challenges they may face, and the roles we might play.

Put it in Writing
Good intentions to do genuinely important things can easily get sidelined by the myriad “urgent” items that come across my desk and into my in-box. That is, when I haven’t committed my intentions to written goals and action plans. In the absence of these simple tools, I can too easily get distracted and, before I know it, another day (week, month) has gone by and I’m no further ahead. And, in the resulting anxiety, I fall prey to rushing and expedient, short-term projects. So, for 2011, I resolve to close my office door, close my email down, unplug my phone and write out clear goals and simple, manageable action plans – who will do what, by when and with what resources – for each goal.

Let Go of the Distractions
When I reflect on my many volunteer and work commitments, especially in light of the goals I have for my enterprise, it occurs to me that I’m involved in many things that have limited relevance for what I really want to do. Many things I do because I’ve done them for years and I want to avoid the uncomfortable situation of saying “no more” to the people involved. Other things I do because they’re interesting distractions, but not particularly relevant (hello, email). And, again, in the absence of a clear, written plan of what I really want to do, I allow these old commitments and current distractions to take up an alarming amount of my time and attention. So, lastly, for 2011, I resolve to let go of these things, so that I can free up space for the truly important stuff.

There – I’ve shown you mine. How about your resolutions?

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iuniquefx/5268766463/

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