Those of you who are running Transition Enterprises will know that there is a lot of desk time involved in developing your business. A lot of this time is spent alone, moving the idea and the reality forward inch by inch. Because of this networking events can be a fantastic resource for people running enterprises. When you think you are too busy for an event – stop, think – “perhaps I am too busy not to go”.

OK, so let’s back up a little. You might have run a business before. If you have, then you will have immeasurable experience to share with the rest of us. If you are new to leading on projects or taking and enterprise idea to market then you probably have your eyes wide open from other parts of your life to know that your new endeavour might be a bouncy ride.*

Many REconomy related Enterprises find they need to pioneer a ‘different’ or new way of doing things. This can add an extra layer of effort that perhaps those in more traditional modes of business do not encounter. You are promoting an approach to business (and perhaps an ideology or vision), not just the business itself. In any case, we all know the edited reality of TV entrepreneurship is just that – edited. The hours of toil that, even with great partnership and groups around you, there are a lot of lone hours to make stuff happen.

So what can events do for you in this time of busy, often lone working, or periods of reflection, or writers-block [insert your positive or negative challenge here]? Events have a great amount to offer in terms of developing or marketing your business: trying out your idea on new people, finding new connections to business partners or customers, raising awareness of the new business. These things are often right up there on the list of ‘things to do at an event.’ So yes, don’t forget your business cards, demo app or favourite product, catch that train, hail that bus – the event will be an energising fest of connections.

Ok. Now let’s slow down.

What if YOU need the event more than the business does?

You are the life force of your enterprise. Even in a partnership you will have an important role to play. And it may be an exhausting role, or one where if not exhausting you might need a bit of ‘something else’ from time to time. Some people can switch off easily (back to family, novels, TV, cycling [insert hobby/lifestyle/pass-time]. But others of us don’t necessarily want to completely switch-off to have a break from pushing a metaphorical rock up a hill. Or perhaps want a number of ways to manage that rock (and the hill).

So hail that bus and go to the event. But perhaps go with less aims and objectives around the enterprise itself. It can be really liberating to leave your idea or entre business in your back pocket for a while. Exchange conversation about how you are doing things, what is going well, and perhaps what is not. Or perhaps just listen. Listen to other ideas, other processes. Might sound obvious but when you are pushing hard towards something it is important to just consider what you need right now. And it might be less than you think.

We probably all know that the best events are when people are in service to one another. Listening, offering, exchanging, talking, moving around, sitting still. All the good things in life mixed together in one venue. Sometimes being with other people at difficult or brilliant times in our lives can really challenge us. Events are great places for conscious discomfort when it comes to remaking businesses, places, organisations or movements. So it might be a breath of fresh air to live with your challenges for a day or a weekend without needing them to progress. This way you really give your head the space to be re-energised, perhaps resolved, perhaps restored. And perhaps not. But because events are about people (not just projects) you will probably get just what you need anyway. The rock lighter and the hill less steep perhaps…?

 

This September members of the REconomy Project team will be running a day-long skills workshop at the Transition Conference. There will be a number of smaller workshops in the main conference connected with REconomy. Take a look at the programme for the weekend.

Powys Transition are running a REconomy event on 17^th October. So if you are in Wales put that date in your diary. And if you are a Transition Initiative and want to run a regional REconomy event with us then do get in touch.

 

* New to business, or want to develop what you have?  – Download the new Transition Enterprise Handbook.

 

Blog written by Anna Lodge, working with the REconomy Project team at Transition Network

 

This REconomy Project work is generously supported by the Friends Provident Foundation.