This is what the politicians wanted us to do isn’t it, be brave, be ballsy, put the country back on its feet.

This is of course a lesson in do what I say not what I do.

Take the debate over the benefits cap, a proposal that affects a reported 67,000 people out of the 60′ish million that live in the UK and would save £290m out of a £192b work and pensions budget (figures reported in BBC News). The debate itself has rattled on for days (that on its own costing a fair bit) and now the prospect that it might go regional, the cost of administration to support that will erode even more of that saving.

This wouldn’t get past the Project Board in big business today, it would get sent back with a REJECTED, reason? No game changing ambition and poor ROI. The debate on the matter would either end or the team proposing would work on it to show that a real difference could be made…

They might take the total £192b work and pensions budget and say “there will be no benefits system going forward”. The concept behind this would be that all people on benefits today become employees of the Company for Work and Pensions tomorrow. Suddenly everyone has a job. The admin that today is put behind assessing, giving and taking away benefits would be moved to assessing and giving people work. There would be no sick pay but a bonus for those who turn into work everyday. If you don’t show, or don’t work, there is no money. These jobs would not be classed as public sector jobs, they will be part of a growing number of entrepreneurial companies funded by us the taxpayer. The opportunities would be as diverse as the community of employees within it.

The ROI here is uncapped and the future proofing benefits that support ongoing positive outcomes of a country with zero unemployment…priceless.

OK, I might be dreaming now but I wish I wasn’t.

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“We don’t believe our problem is too much capitalism – we think it’s that too few people have capital” – Nick Clegg

He said, “We don’t believe our problem is too much capitalism – we think it’s that too few people have capital.”

Capital is earned it’s not a right. It involves blood, sweat and fear – I speak from experience. Surely the message to send out is around supporting the British Entrepreneurial Spirit and introducing mechanisms for starting your own business. In a World where all you need is a good product and the social media consumer does the rest for you through free digital channels there has never been a better time to be brave and strive to make a difference to our economy and to yourself.

The business news is depressing – I have been on my usual news websites today to update on the World and what is happening and I’ve been met with:

• Dixons festive sales fall by 5%
• Premier Foods to cut 600 staff
• 11,000 jobs at risk as 2 more British businesses fall into administration

Time for positive press – wouldn’t it be great if these headlines changed to Britain shows the highest increase in new start-up businesses during 2012 or economy strengthened by fearless British entrepreneurs – Don’t fear what is happening to other Companies see it as an opportunity to create your own niche.

Research done by the Insurer Hiscox showed that 17% of all small businesses were formed after the founders had been made redundant and over 50% of new entrepreneurs had simply taken an existing business idea and used it as a template of their own.

Insurantz found that nearly half of all businesses were started with less than £5k of their own capital and for sole traders 40% had only used £1k to set up on their own

It’s time we started taking control and changing the headlines – everyone is in charge of their own destiny, what’s yours?

We are looking to change the headlines by offering limited edition workshop places with Nina on how you can take your idea to market and become tomorrows success story – if you are interested get in touch

I am drawn to how she became the most powerful female leader since the age of Queen Elizabeth, a person who tore apart the rule book with regards to gender and class and why that didn’t open the floodgates of women who believed they could do the same…what happened why don’t we have at least a handful of women who followed the trailblazing path she made and are rule making now?

So I thought about my own position…did MT make me think about going into politics…yes, in fact tried it at a local level and I hated everything about it. Did she inspire me to do anything else…yes, I always saw her smashing that glass ceiling as a moment that signified women could do anything, between her and the Queen, women were holding the most powerful positions in our country, the world was mine for the taking. So I looked to see if these role models have contributed to the shrinking of the entrepreneurship gender gap, what I found sent me into a depressive state.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2010 Womens Report makes miserable reading for an optimist like me. Although these are global statistics the UK is not a beacon of hope and the bit that made my heart sink the most was “compared to men, women are equally likely to see entrepreneurship as attractive, yet they lack positive attitudes about their own personal capacities or inclinations for starting businesses, and they have less personal contact with entrepreneurs.” WHY?

“in only one of these 59 economies (Ghana) did more women participate in entrepreneurship than men. While most policymakers and academics agree that entrepreneurship is a catalyst for economic growth and national competitiveness, they must also acknowledge that not all groups in their societies have equal access to this endeavor. When a major part of a population does not engage in entrepreneurship,these economies lose the benefits that would otherwise be provided by new products and services, additional revenues, and new jobs. More specifically, when women do not participate equally in entrepreneurship, society loses out on the value that can be created by half its populace.”(Gem Consortium)

At the same time I came across some female statistics that are on the increase. 1 in 4 assaults now committed is by a women under the age of 25, horrifying tales about the rise of Girl Gangs. So on one hand, women are still insecure about their own capacity to be an entrepreneur on the other hand they are fighting back on the streets. I don’t want to generalise or trivialise very complex issues but its hard not to join some dots and look at cause and effect…

MT did ignite our capitalist culture, she followed her fathers view that not everyone was equal and never would be, but it didn’t mean we couldn’t aspire to and have the same things. Her policies made that possible and did start the “what’s in it for me” boom that so many benefited from (privatisation, home ownership, etc.). Past her reign because the going was good those policies spanned political parties and we have seen a deterioration of the social structure that had been in place, families have become broken, estranged and extended, respect for others has become tribal and some people don’t feel guilty about robbing – they just see it as getting something they want.

Is this the legacy of the first and only female PM? No, it’s the legacy of many decisions made by many people but we can only ever look back and learn and I for one think that that’s something worth doing as we find ourselves at another turning point for our country. MT was elected at a point in time where strong leadership was critical and she provided that, I’m not so confident our current coalition are doing the same. So do we wait or do we do something?

I don’t believe in positive discrimination and I’m not a member of any women’s groups but I don’t like what I’m hearing and I am more about the do something than waiting for something to happen. So anyone women reading this who wants some help setting up their business or wanting to know where to start, call me 07837 536979 or email ninadar@cheeky-monkey.co and I will give my help for free. For me MT’s legacy was “do something rather than try and be somebody” our culture could definitely benefit from that right now.

Homelessness is more than just a housing issue; family problems , mental health issues, losing your job and so confidence, not feeling like you can be part of society for a variety of reasons – every person has their own story, you need to get beyond the drink and drugs issues, of course sometimes that is why they are there but it’s also a way of surviving where they are.

When I lived in Bristol I could walk to work everyday (the only time I have been able to do that), when you walk through a city early in the morning and late at night you can’t ignore how many people are living in subways, under bridges, doorways and park benches – I just couldn’t walk past them day in day out as if they weren’t part of my life, I saw some of them more than my family at that time! So I didn’t, I made them part of my life and it was an experience so rewarding I remember them dearly…BUT generally people thought I had finally lost it and I found the preconceived ideas of why people are homeless and the way they were judged very sad.

So this year we have donated the money we would have spent on Christmas cards to The Wellspring in Stockport, they have done a fantastic job for years and this year you will add to their Christmas cheer.

From everyone here at Cheeky Monkey we would like to thanks you for your support this year and hope you have a brilliant Christmas and New Year. Spare a thought for those not as lucky as we are and as you walk past the homeless as you rush getting your last minute bits, stop for a chat make them feel part of your life – it’s the warmest feeling you’ll get all season.

It is great to see more and more local businesses going back to basics and organising events that will bring customers back into the area. Over the year, we’ve had vintage clothes days, farmers markets, bonfire night events and festivals; all of which have been organised by the local business owners to increase custom and develop the sense of community for the locals.

Needless to say, the Trafford Centre was manic. After fighting my way through the crowds, I ran into the shops to pick up the things on my list and then got out of there as quickly as I could.

In fact, it was such a relief when I got to the concert to be greeted by a local brass band and a glass of mulled wine that I ended up spending more time (and bought more items) in his shop than I did in any of the earlier ones.

It is great to see more and more local businesses going back to basics and organising events that will bring customers back into the area. Over the year, we’ve had vintage clothes days, farmers markets, bonfire night events and festivals; all of which have been organised by the local business owners to increase custom and develop the sense of community for the locals.

In contrast to the High Street, these businesses are successfully doing this without drastically reducing their prices (virtually everywhere in the Trafford Centre had a sale on). Of course, these events are not free and take a lot of organising but I think their benefits reach much further … I’ve already made a New Year’s resolution to shop local.

Nick Clegg today announced that 8 cities outside London are to be given new financial powers to borrow and spend. They will be given a single pot of money to spend at their own discretion rather than having to apply for capital against individual schemes as they do today.

This was a welcome announcement as Work Foundation think thank released a report on Wednesday which stated that Cities outside of London and the South East risk being “left behind” by the government’s pre-existing growth strategy, while enterprise development zones are “outdated” The feeling was that the previous government acted as parents deciding what local agendas should be without really understanding the impact of their decisions.

I think Nick Clegg’s announcement would be a welcome change in the way many businesses operate. We deal with a number of Global businesses who face the same issue, the people authorising the budgets don’t understand the impact of their decisions.

Lizzie Crowley, the report’s author and a researcher at the Work Foundation, said. “Many cities outside London have a huge amount of economic potential, but they need the freedom to build on their own strengths, and to develop a unique appeal to businesses.”

We support many organisations in building their change agendas and often build business cases for programmes of work to help form their budgets for the new Financial year. The challenge is often that the amount of money that is allocated to new initiatives is already fixed and mirrors last years budget. If this is the case surely rather than spending resource and money on building an investment appraisal that will be irrelevant for decision making purposes it would make sense to allocate one pot of money and ensure there are processes in place to sense check the spend with the business as and when it becomes relevant? This way the people who understand and will be impacted by the change get to decide what the right projects are to do at the right time rather than it being a decision made from an ivory tower?

Maybe businesses need to loosen the reigns and move away from justification dictated by a budgeting model and give the freedom to their employees to make the right investment decisions which will ultimately support delivery of the business strategy?

The difficulties with the Euro have of course now spread into the European Union, it’s a messy project without the involvement of politics and I for one, would find it easier to follow if I didn’t have to listen to the politicians jockeying for position, if I hear one more time that Labour would have done…

Europe is the world’s largest borderless market and we benefit from being part of that. When I studied Business at University I was always amazed at how much the UK drove and underpinned the European agenda, without the UK it wouldn’t be what it is today and still we are key players in that forum but are we really committed?

When France and Germany decided to support the Euro as a common currency and we didn’t – our relationship changed then didn’t it? Now the Euro is in trouble and although our financial institutions are exposed to this, we aren’t committed in the same way those that did are…it’s that eggs and bacon thing we aren’t as committed as the pig?

It feels a little bit like we want a bit of everything in a time when there isn’t much to go around. The concept of Europe as a single market with a single currency is like the idea of Communism, it works on paper but in practice human nature takes hold and it never works as planned. Maybe the Euro should be given up as a bad job and energy back into the strength of a single market that can compete against Asia & Latin America…my thoughts aren’t clear on this and my enthusiasm for clarity is waning the more that the press yabbers on about power playing and tribal rifts

The role we play in Europe is critical to us all, we need to understand the decisions that are being made and the consequences of those actions and we need to make those decisions openly, while exercising leadership in this international forum.

I would like to see Cameron and Clegg get together and have a televised debate on the pro’s and con’s on the decisions being made like the leader’s they are meant to be and showing the benefits of having a partnership in charge of this country – that two people with differing opinions surely means we cover all bases.

Ultimately Cameron has to make a decision and history will tell if it’s the right one. For once my day doesn’t seem too bad, what about yours?

PLM may sound simple, the art is all about science and magic. Ensuring that you understand what is happening in the world, in terms of the environment (where the stuff to make everything comes from = science), knowing as much as you can about the people who could buy it and what they need and want (even if they don’t know it yet = science) and putting something together that talks to you and me in such a way that we want it (magic).

This article focus on the start of any PLM journey WHO, WHAT, WHY…How could Reebok sell trainers for $1?

So, what is this really about?

• Generating employee loyalty?
• Creating and innovating projects in poor and developing areas of the world?
• A chance for people to feel good again?
• Corporations doing good, really? Just think about what Coke did years ago. They went to the far flung places in the world and sold their product at a price point that area could afford. Where ever I went with my backpack in the world I could share a coke with a local it was awesome and created world domination because of brand loyalty, people have grown up with that brand – it’s a fundamental part of their lives and has kept Coke at number 1 – creating brand loyalty is what this is all about isn’t it?
• Even if it is it’s a slap on the back all round because economically this is what developing areas need. Source the materials locally so the people involved in that get money to invest in looking for better materials, get the local workforce to make them, so they have money to buy them (and educate their families which will lead to lots of other ideas) – it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Sustainable PLM is still finding its feet in industry and I think this is a great example of just what can and needs to be done by companies who want to future proof what they do and how they do it. They say it’s a social project which is interesting and I assume a nice PR angle. Social is just one aspect of work that is being addressed adidas are creating projects that address the future needs of doing business, finding new markets and ultimately new consumers.

Interestingly the article focuses on the price point and how they are having to go back to basics to figure out how to make this work and what the price point is, it may not be a $1…this is fantastic and a exercise every business should be doing right now. Forget the term recession, our world has changed and we need to know how to work within the new rules.

How are you looking forward to see who your future customers are and how you are going to reach them no matter how unrealistic that may sound? May be everyone should start a $1 project…

Also really interesting that the fastest shrinking country is Moldova, why? emigration. Whereas the the fastest growing country is Qatar, why? immigrant workforce. Bring in the statistics on urbanisation and a good bottle of wine and we could be hear for some time.

The numbers are not accurate but we know that the message is correct the world population is growing at speed and we need to be aware of the challenges that creates.

Impact on the environment depends on population size, consumption and how technology effects the environmental impact. Of course we need to look at ways we can reduce consumption and improve technology – we need more innovation in these areas.

Is a diverse group of people more innovative and creative than a homogeneous one? Is migration going to be the worlds self healing programme? I have no factual data on this but I do know what I see. The worlds greatest cities are already inhabited by large and diverse foreign populations and there are lots of migrant entrepreneurs. The transnational companies we work with have diverse working teams that create innovative behaviour just because of the differences in the group.

The world is getting bigger and its changing.

Mobility of highly skilled workers has been increasing due to globalisation and the growing importance of the knowledge economy, many companies already benefit from this and countries too benefit from the transfer of new ideas and work practices; there is an increasing amount of new knowledge and ideas that we should be harnessing and using to solve the problems we face.

The younger migrants seem to have a great skill base, are more entrepreneurial, less risk averse and believe that they will move several times in their life and commute between countries. This is just what the world needs surely? Is the biggest challenge how we bring that together and make it work? The heart in the picture represents what we need to achieve, as we tell our clients most weeks; talking about and planning change is easy its the execution of sustainable change that is difficult and of course makes the difference.

As the 3,641,850,266th person alive on earth I want to make a difference, what about you?

We have identified a number of considerations that need to be tackled in your business strategy. Chief Monkey has actually written a book called 99 steps to Business transformation where she lists what these considerations are and what you should do about them. Here are just a few:

• The World economy will remain volatile and chaotic
• Market changes will be fast and unpredictable
• Competition will be Global
• Emphasis will be on the ability to deliver change, not manage it
• Differentiation will win

The first 2 are already proving destructive as the PMI (Manufacturing purchasing managers index) fell to 49 last month which indicates contraction, this is a 26 month low. New export business, new orders and employment all fell.

August also saw the sharpest fall in new orders for the sector. This was a sector that was leading the way in growth and was encouraging the positive signs of economic recovery. However, experts are now talking about a double dip recession and the British Chamber of commerce has reduced its economic growth forecast from 1.9% to just 1.1% this year.

At a Chamber of commerce event 2 years ago I heard a speaker state that any businesses that come out the other side of the recession won’t be the same as they were before, the businesses that are the same won’t exist anymore. I believe this is more true now than ever.

Change is difficult when all is stable so it takes a leap of faith and strong leadership skills to embrace change when all is far from stable but the risk of not making decisions today is the decisions won’t be yours to make tomorrow – so are you an Ostrich or a giraffe?