The Start Up Journey - Part 3

One of the delights/challenges of a start-up company is not knowing how fast things are going to move.  For months it can feel like pushing a snowball up a hill then things suddenly change and you a rushing to keep up.  I suspect this transition point has hit Sizzle with the award of a sizeable grant and conversations bubbling.  So, in this time of change, what are the five B’s that have been occupying my thoughts?

Boring Basics

It is easy to forget everything needed for a functioning organisation.  Putting in place all the necessary HR procedures, setting up robust financial controls, securing the necessary insurance and sorting governance all take time and can sometimes feel excessive, but from previous experience I know how important they are for future viability. 

If you set off even slightly in the wrong direction it can cause difficulties later.  For instance, what sort of Board of Directors would bring most value?  How can you find people who understand the role of a Board, who can add strategic value, have amazing contacts and can ensure that the organisation is truly diverse and inclusive?  On the financial side, how can you establish systems that are appropriate for a low-cost start-up, but which have the capacity to grow and are sufficiently robust to satisfy the needs of funders?

My energy levels are highest at the start of the day and I always aim to get some of these basics covered at that time otherwise I know they will slide off the to do list.  Slowly I am getting there, which is as well because my tolerance for hold music with various institutions is nearing a limit.

Being Visible

‘What are you doing now?’ is the question I dread.  My Sizzle elevator pitch is frankly rubbish sounding like a mash-up of meaningless buzz words.  Fortunately, this is about to change.  We have successfully secured a £320,000 grant to deliver a localised trial that will bring together a wide coalition of organisation to hasten the shift from peat use in horticulture to more sustainable alternatives (more news to follow).

This trial will bring to life the myriad of thoughts that have been floating around in my head providing a practical demonstration of how Sizzle is seeking to deliver systemic change.  Ideally, I can use this as a hook to explain how we work, how it is different and how it could prove beneficial in other sectors.

Brand vs Impact

‘How are we going to feed all those hungry mouths’ was a constant question in my previous organisations.  Securing sufficient income to cover salaries and deliver projects was always top of mind.  Inevitably this meant searching out opportunities, keeping a razor-sharp focus on marketing and, in all honesty, sometimes taking on work that was a stretch for the resources and knowledge available.

With Sizzle, I don’t want to get on this path.  I see the organisation as being a convenor of different voices who together can find new approaches which can best be delivered by a plethora of different organisations each with their own specialist knowledge.  This flexibility will deliver better results and means that the Sizzle brand will remain subdued.

Breaking through the silos

I am increasingly convinced that the only way that we are going to deliver the systemic change required to address challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss is by getting people from across all sectors to work collaboratively together. 

The silo mentality exists within and between organisations stopping people working creatively together even when they are seeking to achieve the same outcomes.  The beauty about starting a low-cost Community Interest Company whose sole ambition is to deliver positive impact is that it can help to create these new conversations in a way that is authentic and non-threatening.  This will be fundamental to all our activities.

Bravery

I have reached a stage in life when it feels pointless to dance around some of the thorny difficult to answer challenges.  Given this, my Board and I have decided our next campaign will ask how we can change the fashion sector so that it stops creating so much stuff.  This fundamental question is being studiously avoided by the numerous sustainable fashion initiatives being developed and probably requires a change in the legislative framework within which the fashion sector operates.  It may be that no solution is near at hand, but we feel it is worth a shot.

I am writing these blogs to give an inside story on the challenges and joys of creating new socially driven start-up.  I hope that you find them of interest.  Over the next few weeks more details will be shared on the specific projects we are launching plus some job news. If you want to get in touch please email trewin@sizzle.org.uk