Vancouverites are no strangers to homelessness on the Downtown Eastside.
The government has pumped taxpayer dollars into the creation of food banks, shelters, and transitional housing, however these bandaid solutions merely create dependence, a danger that drives individuals deeper into the poverty cycle rather than offering them an escape. I believe the solution lies in self-sufficiency, the product of social enterprises that collaborate with the homeless to promote the psychology of independence.
SOLEfood is a pioneer in social enterprising.
SOLEfood Farms is a pioneer in social enterprising, with hopes of fulfilling social and environmental goals. This company employs the marginalized – those living on the Downtown Eastside or in the inner city – to cultivate neighbourhood fruit and vegetable gardens. Partnerships with local restaurants, who buy the locally and organically grown produce, maintain the enterprise’s survival, but it’s the transformations of society that maintain the enterprise’s success.
I believe that a social enterprise does not have the goal of moneymaking for ITSELF. But the employment opportunities, the distributing of social tools (communication skills, team dynamics), and the dignity and confidence created in its employees guarantees the regeneration of THEIR financial health.
The following are the distinguishing characteristics of SEs that I have discovered: while businesses strive to earn profit, SEs strive to generate social change. While charities strive to aid those on the edges of society, SEs strive to integrate them back into society’s core.
In the realm of marketing research, understanding Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs means understanding consumer behaviour. However, I want to use Maslow’s Hierarchy to examine employee behaviour.
I believe that an indicator of a company’s strength is how invested its employees are in its success. If employees work simply to receive a paycheque, with no motivation for self or company-development, they are struggling to scale tiers 1 and 2 of the triangle. In order to meet tier 3, employers must pay employees enough for them to feel secure in fulfilling basic human needs.
Social or Emotional needs represent the third tier. I interpret this tier to represent the working environment – are employers and fellow employees supportive? Do they reflect community or selfishness? An environment of encouragement is needed to move up to tiers 4 and 5.
A company that raises employees up to tiers 4 and 5 (Esteem and Self-Actualization) gives them opportunity to strive for recognition. Whether this means moving up the ranks or getting a pay raise, employees now have the foundation to seek involvement in their position – looking for ways to excel and improve. Now, further growth is up to the employee.
Notice that in the last tiers, we moved away from “needs” to choices that beget fulfillment. When being a company member generates fulfilment, the success of the individual translates into the success of the company.
I discovered a Business Career Blog that I wanted to share. What caught my eye was its writer. Guy Kawasaki worked personally with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs to market the first Macintosh in 1984. He was an “Apple Fellow” when the company was merely a budding business. I believe that a company’s success is built on the intelligence, creativity, and perseverance of it’s members, which is why Kawasaki himself might hold the secret to Apple’s triumph.
2) Customers cannot tell you what they need.
Kawasaki claims that customers can only tell companies they want “better, faster, cheaper.”
I believe that any company entering a technological industry should be able to accomplish better, faster, or cheaper. Accomplishing more than one, however, can be risky, as outlined in Porter’s Generic Strategy. Nothing triggers more customer suspicion than a company that promises both the highest quality and the lowest price. It is up to the company to choose a strategy based on their product and their fit, but as demonstrated by the concise statement “better, faster, cheaper,” simplicity is best. Picking a unifying strategy and remaining consistent will ease confusion and position the product securely in the consumer’s mind.
7) Changing your mind is a sign of intelligence. In order to stay ahead of the competition, a company must constantly reanalyze and revaluate. Re- is the key, and this includes reexamining ideas that once seemed unattractive. Because as times change, so do the viability of ideas.
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