Should small firms bother with the Big Society or is it something best left to charities and corporate social responsibility departments? A virtual summit held in November 2011 found that small businesses that take a strategic approach to charitable, community and environmental activities are more likely to prosper and grow in the current economic climate.
We organised the Small business SHAPING THE BIG SOCIETY virtual summit to explore the largely unrecognised contribution that small businesses make to their communities.
Small business owners and managers (like ourselves) can rarely afford the time or money to attend face to face conferences. However a lot of us share information and views via LinkedIn and other social media. A virtual summit is not confined to one location or a set timetable. Interviews with key speakers are broadcast as podcasts – you listen on your computer, laptop or iphone and discussions take place using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, opened the summit. Richard Blundel, from the OU's Centre for Innovation, Knowledge and Enterprise contributed on the shape of small business. We had entrepreneurs from a diverse range of businesses including Roast Restaurants, Panama hat firm Pachacuti, environmentally friendly printers Seacourt, and social enterprise 8Fold. The Federation of Small Businesses, Business in the Community, and Social Enterprise UK helped us publicise the Summit.
We had lively debates before, during and after the Summit, including on the OU Business School Alumni LinkedIn group.
The summit discussions revealed a link between the Big Society and growth. Even in hard economic times, companies that look, in the words of Iqbal Wahhab from Roast Restaurants, ‘beyond the commercial bubble’ sustain their position, grow and export. Martyn Smith of Pro Bono Bio explained their strategic approach to Big Society activities, so the more you succeed, the more you contribute. Jim Dinnage described how he couldn't accept that printing was a 'dirty' industry and is now one of the top environmental printers in the world.
We found compelling evidence that small firms contribute more to society than large firms. However, most take a fragmented approach often not connected to their business passion - so in hard times these activities tend to be reduced. The summit suggested that aligning Big Society activities to your business strategy benefits the business, the community, customers, and staff.
It’s not too late to hear some of the Summit interviews and join in the discussions - register at www.bigsocietysmallbusiness.co.uk. We are now working on an eBook drawing together the advice and guidance from the Summit. In the meantime, you can download a free checklist on strategies for growth from our website http://www.wilsonsherriff.com/briefings/strategies-for-growth.html
We’d love to hear from OUBS Alumni about your experiences of the Big Society. You can contact us on simon.wilson@wilsonsherriff.com.
Carol Sherriff and Simon Wilson are Directors of Wilson Sherriff who specialise in meetings and events that address the key issues. Both Carol and Simon are OUBS alumni.
www.wilsonsherriff.com
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