If you needed to raise money quickly could you do it? And create it in a new way – either from new clients or a new product or service?
Well that was the challenge we were set last week by Bernadette Doyle on the Client Magnets LEAP Retreat.
We were given 72 hours and our goal was to generate at least £800 – the amount needed by a local charity group “The Spirit of Enniskillen” to complete a community project.
And we were not allowed to write out personal cheques. Now some might think “impossible”, or “that’s difficult”, maybe even “I need more time”. Fortunately the spirit of the LEAPers is different. We took on the challenge.
So the first step, generate ideas. For our group of eleven entrepreneurs all ideas count; every thought a possibility; discount nothing. And from these ideas – what could we do, what is possible? The focus was on the goal not the obstacles. Within 15 minutes we’d settled on the idea – to share the top money tips from around the group. Do what you know and what you do well.
Step two – offer it out. Many people have a lot to offer but simply don’t ask. We’d produce our 45 minute recording at the end of the retreat, so we could share what we’ve learned personally about money. So next was to let people know; everyone we could think of who might want to know how to make money and make money work for them. So we reached out to those who already know us (by phone, email, Twitter, LinkedIn, all the social media we know).
Step three – to make the recording. We had limited equipment and only a small amount of time. We made this our advantage. We only needed one laptop to record what we had to say and the time available meant we said exactly what was important to us at the time. It was spontaneous and personal.
And the result – we create a new product from nothing in 1-2 hours. From the initial challenge to being available to the public. And we exceeded our target. The Spirit of Enniskillen continues its magic.
