Category: Community Involvement

Many owners and managers underestimate the importance of this activity, they do so at their peril. Community involvement is a fundamental key to success.

What if it were your child …

Paul Wagenaar

I am writing this a few days before Christmas, my family is gathering, gifts and food have been bought, and we are not alone in these preparations. Like many Canadians, although I may appreciate and have awareness of what is happening to other people, they are an abstraction, in my reality I literally have blinders on, and we are blind to the reality our lives are not representative of the majority of people on our planet.

Yet, as I write this and as you read my words, life is happening for other people; and it is not the life we have. I hope you read this, and help to begin to make more of a difference for people who do not share in our prosperity.

SME SURVIVAL/thriving – 21 Prospecting Tips

Paul Wagenaar

We may live in the most competitive environment for small and medium-sized organizations ever. Competition for limited resources for charitable organization and for “for-profit’s” is literally a fight for survival. “Prospecting” for new clients and customers is some many smaller organizations should be examining. Today’s “Tools Everyone Can Use,” includes elements of the ongoing processes that can help you today.

Don’t cry, learn from spilled milk …

Paul Wagenaar

People are the “everything” for any organization. What if I told you, your organization could be much more successful without seeing any more clients or customers than you are right now? Every organization has “spillage,” clients or customers who leave your organization unsatisfied.

Starting today, especially after reading this short introduction, you and your people, regardless of your place in our communities, can do better. Providing an “Exceptional Customer Service Experience” is the starting point. This is true whether your organization is dedicated to sales or an established charitable organization. Take 5 minutes and see what you think.

The best working experience of my life …

Paul Wagenaar

At the beginning of the pandemic, I left a job I had spent forever doing and volunteered to work at a local charity. My volunteer work lead to a job working with food banks, meal programs, and community gardens to help alleviate local food insecurity. It began a process that opened my eyes to an entire world that had been mostly invisible to me.

The journey was filled with surprises, lessons, and revelations; please take a few minutes so I can share them with you.

– a basic guide to what everyone should know about employment agreements

Paul Wagenaar

Tomorrow I am speaking to a high school careers class about “How to find a job,” and it is a topic I am quite passionate about. During my preparation I was reminded about helping a friend understand their employment agreement. This “Tool Everyone Can Use,” is a very brief guide to learning more about your rights when it comes to employment agreements whether you are new to the workforce or just have questions about your work agreements, particularly for small and medium-sized organizations.

A Recurring Theme

Paul Wagenaar

I believe “for-profit” and “not-for-profit” organizations both can and must make a difference in our communities. Since my return to the “for-profit” sector my posts have refocused on issues and concerns shared by many small and medium-sized organizations; however, the perspectives and lessons learned while working for the United Way and Canadian Mental Health Association are just as important as marketing, sales, and logistics.

Please take five minutes and see if there are any tools in this post you can use. Change starts with one person and we need your help.

“The customer is not always right”

Paul Wagenaar

“The customer is always right …” is not a valid argument. “The customer has rights,” is. You have rights and you have responsibilities.

Take a few minutes, you will find this to be a short guide to finding the right retail organizations for you.

The people we don’t see …

Paul Wagenaar

Three years ago, I left the world of business and charted a new path in the charitable sector. I had always thought I was well informed and knew what was happening in my community. I was completely wrong. I am grateful for the people who volunteer and work for the United Way and the Canadian Mental Health Association for helping me to see what I couldn’t see before.

I have reentered the business world, but I am forever changed by what I learned to see, and hope to help other people see, what many of us miss every day.

Ask your people, “Do our meetings suck? … … lessons for every sector from retail to charities

Paul Wagenaar

At the risk of being flippant, this topic is very important. Too many meetings and training sessions for organizations are ineffective. This post is just a start, but it is a good place to start thinking about make changes in your approach to meetings. Leading innovative, interesting, and effective meetings and training sessions can make the difference between engagement and failure.