I have spent the last 13 years working in community development in Outback Australia and there is one thing I have noticed…things aren’t getting better, despite best intentions and millions of dollars and some good ideas.
The reason I believe is that the model for community development is flawed, fundamentally, because we have government and large not for profit organisations involved in service delivery which results in huge inefficiencies, ever increasing bureaucracies and services not actually reaching the people who need it most.
Why? Because they are operated by employees, who have never had to go out and fight tooth and nail for their income and who, without malice or deviousness, can just while away hours doing their ‘job’ OR are trapped by a bureaucracy and a poorly managed system that hamstrings them so badly that they simply can’t do their job properly.
As an entrepreneur who has regularly worked with these organisations and government departments, I see this first hand and it infuriates me. As a business owner, if I operated as inefficiently, unprofessionally and without real deference to the outcomes, I would be broke, starving and probably back in a job…
What makes me even madder about this is that there are brilliant employees who do an amazing job and are constantly undermined by the system they work in and these other people who, quite frankly, obviously don’t give a damn and are just there to collect their pay.
If entrepreneurs and business people were left to develop and deliver social and community development it would be a completely different story and THAT is why I work with entrepreneurs to grow their businesses so they can give back in this way.
It is why I NEVER encourage anyone to set up a not for profit organisation, rather grow a socially responsible business and it is also why we are establishing our Hungry Spirit Enterprise in Lightning Ridge, so we can create a safe space where young and enthusiastic individuals can get a start in their own business and go forth and make a difference.
If we focused on growing entrepreneurs and handed more community development opportunities to our local businesses, in our rural communities, we would be a million times better off.
Hi There
The only thing this blog is missing is 1 x f, off the last word in the last sentence.
“If we focused on growing entrepreneurs and handed more community development opportunities to our local businesses, in our rural communities, we would be a million times better of”… of or off?
When does one ever get to write a sentence like that? Thank you for the opportunity to write that! What a pleasurable way of introducing myself.
My name is Melinda and a bit like you, I wear and have worn many hats in my life. My skills base is wide and vast.
One of those hats is stage manager / event producer. Over the years I collated a number of my favourite last call/curtain call cues, as these always seemed to be so random and so funny that they intrigued the shit out me.
This is the cue or information you get as a stage manager around the timing of the end of a show, so you don’t look like a dick and forget to close or drop the curtains or raise the lights for the performers to take a bow.
For example, “when the child sings the last chorus of the song, the production ends in 1 minute exactly”. “When the lights stop flashing, hold for 5 seconds then drop the curtain”. That sort of thing. My favourite call ever was “when the dildo explodes out of the birthday cake, you’ve got 2 minutes”.
The line I opened this message with, tickled me as much as this favourite cue of mine. So thanks once again!
Anyway that was a stupidly long way of trying to make a connection with you….
I started out by just wanting to email you and ask about the legal structures you run your property under, but once I read this blog I realise there is a bigger conversation to be had.
You see I was watching you guys years ago when I decided I wanted to start a co living co farming property “somewhere”. Some how I lost track of you in my travels but you recently hit my face book feed again as I am researching and into syntropic farming. Have done an intro course and want more. Can I say in my few years of absence from checking on you now and then, it is is visually obvious the amount of effort, perseverance, creatively and open source living that goes into developing what you do. Bravo. Thankless work!
Like I said I was initially writing to you to ask about your legal structures and get a bit of advice, but now I want to come and do some entrapenaur training / hang out, and immerse myself in your world for a bit.
Or maybe you are ready for a sea change and would like to visit tropical north queensland and lay down some of your knowledge on us. I could definitely get some workshops happening, have properties that are looking to do what you are doing but not sure how to start.
I think I got ahead of myself. This is one of the habits I want to change; overwhelming people with too much info and too many ideas and visions.
So I am interested in the legal structures as I am spending this year doing all that research so I will be ready for next year. I build tiny houses, I do a lot of social experimenting, I provide spaces for people to land and heal and grow and transition, I assist a lot of people starting up shareconomy projects such as share sheds. I am going to invest in some land (I am even considering land trusts) and I am gathering my tribe and will be pushing the “on button” about this time next year. My research around social enterprise tells me it is the same structure as a business just with outcomes reprioritised. To me, they (all the on line research I can find) make it out as if it is entirely different to operating a business, but when you start digging, it’s not; just the intention are different and the mission statement and outcomes are. Does that sound right or am I just not understanding it? Can a social enterprise own land and property? I was looking at a NFP structure but clearly you give the advice to stay away from that? I understand ht big NFP are full of shit and well paid CEOs, but my understanding is tNFP make surplus not profit, but the surplus still goes into paying people for their time an energy and is reinvested into the activities, land, events etc.
So many things to ask and discuss. Do you mind if I call you? Can we chat see time.
0400 798 425
I love what you guys have created. Blessings to you all
Mel
oh shit I didn’t realise this was a public comment page. I thought it was a private message. How do I delete. So clever aren’t I. I really dont want the public knowing about my weird collection of stage manager cues.
Please Help! Pease Delete!
Mel