Raising business

Raising business

Entrepreneurs can raise business to do better for society

As entrepreneurs, we have the capacity to create social change on a much wider scale. Businesses shape the world, and the people who choose to build things and bring people together usually turn out to be the change-makers. Some get swallowed by the current paradigm of consumerism and capitalism, but most entrepreneurs want more than that. Bill Gates wanted to change how we use computers. Steve Jobs wanted to change how we communicate. Mark Zuckerberg wanted to change how we connect. They made money, yes, but what they wanted was to change how we live.

We can all choose to change it

One of the things I believe most strongly is that although what you create with your business matters a great deal, how you do it matters more. It matters how we engage with people in society. It matters how we treat the people inside our own businesses. It matters how our business affects minority groups. It matters that we do as little harm as possible to people, and to the planet.

If more people decided to run their business only in the way they want society to run, and stopped agreeing to take part in the broken systems that make inequality worse, we could produce enormous change. Humans learn best by watching other humans. We have to be the change.

My businesses

CalmFamily

CalmFamily is a social enterprise and a collaborative community of educators. We educate and support families so that children develop well and family life feels calmer.

New Forest Slings

New Forest Slings is a not-for-profit sling library. It supports families across the New Forest to carry their children, through a hire service and a range of educational activities.

Waterside Home Ed

The Waterside Home Ed Network is a not-for-profit community of home educating parents in the Waterside area, who collaborate to organise educational activities for their children.

Kick and Connect

Emily is a third dan black belt and level 2 coach in Taekwondo. Kick and Connect was created to offer specialist coaching for people who benefit from Taekwondo, particularly for building self-esteem.

Business structures

Collaborative leadership. Matrix structures. Profit sharing. Social enterprise.

Business cultures

Learning organisations. Play-based business. Sustainable practice. Conscious consumerism.