Escata

Liverpool1578

2012-02-19T03:22:00.002-08:00

I’m currently working on the Liverpool1578 project. See www.liverpool1578.co.uk for more information.

This is a marketing project as part of the High Street Support Scheme with a focus on Lodge Lane, Lawrence Road/Earle Road, Smithdown Road.

This week the community organised a Valentine’s Day Treasure Hunt and businesses participated by providing clues in their windows. Anecdotally I’ve heard that one of the café’s was busy all day and one of the participants commented that they now appreciated the area they lived as they had been encouraged to take the time to look.

It is so enjoyable to work on a project with such tangible results i.e. to see the website taking shape, to see events taking place. Karima did a great job week tweeting about the Valentine’s Treasure Hunt.

Book an appointment

2011-12-23T00:55:00.000-08:00

book an appointment here

appointments from 9th January. Book here

Community radio

2011-12-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

KVFM is a community radio based in Fairfield Kensington.

I worked on a project at KVFM earlier this year. They explained to me that community radio exists to provide a service to the community. Kensington residents have a ‘voice’ and forum to discuss issues of interest to themselves and people in the area. Have you ever found that when you are able to discuss something with other people you can develop links with them because the discussion creates a shared experience? Connection with other people is often cited in wellbeing philosophy. Maslow referred to the need to be loved which comes after safety and security and before status in the hierarchy of needs. The Liverpool Decade of wellbeing includes connect with other people as one of the five actions for a healthy life, the other four are: Be active, be aware and give. One of the discussions I listened to recently on KVFM covered a local woman who wanted to have a brass band playing and through KVFM was put in touch with an organisation who helped her to facilitate it.

I recently heard one of my lawyer colleagues in my BNI group talking about doing a review of the news at another internet radio station. This medium lends itself to both community and business and is so versatile useful for community discussions, book reviews, discussion, talk and of course music. Steve Farragher from KVFM told me that many bands send him music for playing on the radio station. It’s so easy to access this radio now, either through your computer, mobile phone or internet ratio available at online retailers e.g. a Foehn and Hirsch radio available through online retailers from £40.

You can listen to KVFM at www.kvfm.co.uk

Make 2012 your best year ever.

2011-12-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Those who set goals are more likely to achieve them.
Many people this year have said that they would like to feel more organised in the way that they work. If you are working for yourself this can be especially true and often you will find that there is a need to create some leisure time in addition to completing work tasks.
Creating of some leisure time could the the first step towards self management.

Work with KVFM

2011-11-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

click here to play soundListen to Steve Farragher from KVFM talking about increasing sustainability of the business.

Google for groups

2011-11-02T02:30:00.001-07:00

If you need to set up a virtual team you could use google docs to share information.

Is money a motivator to start up something new?

2010-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

In my work at Escata, a creative director that I have been talking to, is currently engaged in London as a freelance director has mega expenses, celebrity associations and almost guaranteed success is thinking about setting up a production company in the North West because it’s his birthplace, there is a lot of affection for the area and a desire to spend more time here.

Is it going to be easy to make the time or to set up a new project? Is it going to be easy to prioritise effort required to organise something new. In short no. Greater financial rewards from third parties and the ability to operate in comfort zones can be a strong reason to put off working on your personal goals.

To set up the proposed project in the North West will probably mean working with unknown names, application of a lot of hard work and adoption of a leadership role in addition to acting as a director. Whether the project will happen or not is possibly linked to the level of motivation for setting up the Northern project which is linked to the values attached to it.

Feather (1982) found that values had an influence on the perceived attractiveness of choice of alternatives and that the expectation of achievement of the chosen course of action also influenced the choice. It was found that the affect (feeling gained from the outcome) affected the behaviour choice. From this it would follow that if you attach a high value to the outcome of a course of action (value is not necessarily connected with money, but it could be) you’re more likely to achieve the goal you have set. If the outcome is linked to the performance of a specific task, even if the motivation for performance of the task is not 100%, the thought of achieving the outcome could act as a strong motivator. If the value of spending time the wonderful North West with its wit and humour, really carries value, the outcome may override the difficulty associated with working on a less glamorous project with lower financial returns. There may be additional spin off benefits like creating a brighter future for younger people, building more connections for a later stage in life.

Using the model described earlier there still needs to be a belief that the effort expended will result in positive performance i.e. that the effort used in setting up the new project will result in a sustainable and profitable business. There needs to be an acceptance that the products and services produced by the business may not carry the same prestige as previous projects. There needs to be a view that the outcome i.e. the success of the business is linked to the value of spending time in the North West. The motivation for directing in London on high status, high value projects with celebrity associations, is a feeling of success. Perhaps that same feeling of success could be linked to production of different services in the North West. There are plenty of success stories of people setting up successful creative businesses and the skill set to move from director to leader/owner manager can be acquired through experience, learning and forming networks. This combined with the experience gained from previous roles has the promise of success.

In conclusion, money could be a motivator for continuing with the course of action in London where there will be higher financial rewards. Other values which are of importance to the person concerned may be a motivator to change direction and work towards different goals which could produce equal feelings of success.

Gill Hunt

http://www.escata.co.uk/

Creating an enterprising mindset.

2010-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

Andy Firr, Young Enterprise.

Mark Rea, Green Rock Property Group, Gill Hunt, Escata.

LJMU celebrated the success of entrepreneurs who had been helped by enterprise programmes.

LJMU is keen to encourage enterprise with a belief that students should finish university complete with a mindset open to enterprise creation and workplace skills.

I was very pleased to be awarded along with Mark Rea from Green Rock Group a Young Enterprise Volunteer award. The LJMU Young Enterprise Graduate programme brings together students from the business school and other departments to gain firsthand experience of setting up a business. Consultants and people from industry like me are invited to act as a sounding board to provide listening and gentle facilitation. In a remarkably short time scale the market research is completed, the business model has been tested for validity and profitability and plans are honed for operation before presenting a ‘dragons den’ style pitch.

The awards were to celebrate the success of people who had participated in the various LJMU enterprise programmes. Sponsors included T J Morris one of the UK's fastest growing discount retailers with a head office in Liverpool. It was held at the Athenaeum Club in Liverpool on 14^th October 2010. The venue is an established private members club and library originally established in 1797 as a place for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. There are plenty of leather chesterfields and it is normally be a place for talk and quiet reflection. Some of finalists from the Enterprise Fellowship Programme and Graduate Enterprise Accelerator programme included: Ilsa Parry from Re-Think Things – producing innovative lighting and other contemporary products with a purpose, www.rethinkthings.com , Ben Stead a unique music recording workshop programme for school children and young people www.benjamininstead.com and Kelly Gill of Coal Mine Productions, a comedy production company. www.thecanarycage.co.uk .

In my own business Escata, I also offer a facilitation service for people wishing to set up their own business or those who wish to revise their business strategy, for example due to a wish to explore alternative revenue streams due to changing market conditions.

Gill Hunt

www.escata.co.uk

Time created an asset

2010-10-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

L-R: Hariet Hinsley LJMU Researcher presenting the prize to Gill Hunt at TIYGA in Daresbury.

I was delighted to win an Ipod touch from TIYGA (Time is Your Greatest Asset) following completion of a time management survey. Many people wish to understand time either through a desire to manage their own time or understand other people’s use of time.

Already a TIYGA user, I’d started to use the time management software to help make time for tasks I wanted to do in preparation for achievement of a future orientated goal into my already busy schedule. I’ve become proficient at using the coloured bars and easy touch input of TIYGA to plan my time and the coloured charts to analyse time usage. I am now the proud holder of a degree in Psychology and English Literature studied part time, which was my goal.

Conversations with clients at Escata in the creative and technology sector has revealed that they are interested in team productivity. Over the next few weeks I ‘ll investigate the newest part of TIYGA , a tool to facilitate management of time in a community. Time is a planning element for job design, process flow and profitability and so the potential for a simple method of management and control offers promise.

Meanwhile I can now listen to music (during a break) on my new IPod and even download audio books. Out of interest the results of the TIYGA research survey showed that I’m future orientated. For more information on how TIYGA works ask me for a demonstration over a cup of coffee.

LJMU has the success formula

2010-09-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

The LJMU Formula Students

Jack Clisby 2009 Formula Manager, Gill Hunt Consultant,
Zhivko Staynov 2010 Formula Manager, Bridget Price Module Leader.

Engineering undergraduates at LJMU started their Young Enterprise business module in September.

Last year I worked with LJMU Young Enterprise students whose task was to create a plan which could be used for a racing car business to manufacture the LJMU Formula car under license. The business plan formed part of the class 1 entry to race at Silverstone and the team successfully passed the application process for a class one entry which qualified them to compete with over 70 teams at Silverstone in July this year gaining 21^st place in the race and scoring a terrific 71% for their business presentation. Formula student is the biggest of its kind motor sport event in Europe. The Formula car was produced in LJMU workshops and the programme received sponsorship and support from Aintree Racecourse.