Category: Social Responsibility

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.

GOING TO MARKET – Tips for Small and Medium-sized Organizations

Paul Wagenaar

The original purpose of my website was to offer free tips and advice to the people who run and work for small and medium-sized organizations. Admittedly I have diverged somewhat to include many of the community social issues that impact and also can be impacted by these same organizations. Working in the charitable sector also made me realize many other organizations could benefit from the “lessons learned” included in these tips.

Today’s post is about procurement and/or buying of products and services particularly for people who run and work in organizations where everyone wears multiple hats.

21 Questions/Lessons Learned

Paul Wagenaar

Small and medium-sized organizations, retailers, service companies, and even charitable organizations struggle even in good times. When inflation is high, the labour market is tight, and competitive pressures cause many sleepless nights it is an even greater struggle.

Success, the ability to adapt and overcome is achievable, a good place to start is to consider the lessons learned in “beware the rabbit hole.”

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.

A short guide to spending time …

Paul Wagenaar

How often do you wish for just a little more time …

Time to finish, time so you don’t have to stay late or work from home. Time to better prepare, to do a better job, to feel less behind? No one is born with the ability to master time, we cannot save it, we can only spend it.

What follows is a short (very) guide to some “Tools Everyone One Can Use,” to begin to spend their “time” better. Each of the tools works, I use them daily. I have learned them, with difficulty (lol), from my mentors, from experience; and like all of my other posts I would like to share them.

ps. This post is dedicated to HM.

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.

Playing “The Game” Well

Paul Wagenaar

I look for inspiration everywhere, in the people I have know, in the people I meet, in everything I see, feel, or touch.

Most recently I was inspired by a documentary on Ernie Coombs, the man who was Mr. Dressup on the CBC. I had been working on a post about how to succeed though building others and he provided the impetus to finish this post.

When your organization is not your organization

Paul Wagenaar

Internal dynamics in any organization are interesting. All organizations, large or small, for-profit or not, all face external challenges. What happens though, when the greatest threats to growth, adaptation, and evolution come from inside?

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.