Where did it all go wrong ?

Interesting how we all get bombarded with News every day concerning the health of the Nation and the woes of whatever part of the community you care to mention. The advents of the changes over the years that have taken place without doubt have their consequences.

Education for example in the 60’s and 70’s complimented the domestic environment of activity. School time was spent part learning about academic matters and the rest practical life skills like, woodworking, metalwork, sewing, cooking, competitive sports, physical activities and the arts. As the education system changed, sports grounds and playing fields were sold off ‘life skills’ took a back seat to academia and the camaraderie changed also.

Three generations now of people not knowing how to use a screwdriver and more importantly cook or with the abilities to take care of themselves properly. The advent of the Instant Age and the ‘Quick Fix’

Is it any wonder we have people who are overweight or unhealthy when lack of life skills knowledge and a belief that if you get sick there is a pill for it and it will make you better?

The winner in the race of course the readymade food manufacturers and pharmaceuticals who promise that they will feed us well and make us better.

The price we pay and the profits they make defy understanding do they really have an interest in making us better?

The question is of course - is any of it good for us as we constantly learn of the consequences of our lifestyles whether the side effects of drugs and foodstuffs pumped with preservatives and chemicals making foods look and taste palatable. 

Is science really discovering more of what we didn’t know or are we creating complications from our increased expectancy being satisfied by commerce that constantly make more and more profits in the process.

For those who have the courage to slip off of the treadmill there is a wonder of adventure and satisfaction to be achieved without working arduous hours just to keep up.

Our young people are not stupid but need to be recognised for their unique ability to contribute to the community in whatever chosen field they may aspire to. To be given the appropriate support to achieve this. 

We should not be guided by Young Academic Gurus who have little life experience that encompasses commerce and craft skills. The seats of Westminster prove to be little more than a pantomime compared to those who really are making a difference by rolling up their sleeves and getting on with life.

For how much longer will the BIG Daddies of Westminster rule before complacency is averted in favour of the people really speaking out?

What is it all about?

Are you frustrated watching the younger generation attached to what seems every waking hour of the day attached to the appendage of their mobile device or wonder at their ability to be glued to the magic screen of the computer or any other gismo that gives them access to the worldwide web?

Then you may well come from a generation that used phones at the bottom of the road and when you wanted to know something you either asked somebody or went to the local library. Failing that you had a quill and ink or equivalent and wrote a letter to a person or sent a card. Letters to family in Australia could takes months and a response well who knows.

Nothing has changed so fast and so dramatically in the last 100 and more years than that which has developed in the past 20 so far as communication technology. The ultimate intrusion to our calm ordered lives which has seen the development of the Instant Age – Instant Coffee – Instant Tea – Ready Meals – Instant Porridge. Actually few people now know the rudiments of cooking or care that much and now we have a generation who either do care or don’t care about this new era.  One thing is for sure communication and the speed at which it can be transferred is NOT going to go away. So if you think that by putting your head in the sand hoping it will pass you by, then think again –

Somebody somewhere, is or has been talking about YOU on the Internet whether you are part of it or not or whether you like it or not.

So maybe you do remember how you used to meet people or engage with them. This would depend on whether you categorised them as friends – acquaintances – business related connections or other. At school you had class mates – some you liked some you didn’t. The same applied to work colleagues. Then you might have met fellow parents on the school run or people in the park whilst walking the dog. The engagements with people varied. Some endure and some move on and past by – some we contact at Christmas or just once a year. Either way these people have played a part in our lives in some way or other.

How many of us have been asked if they knew of somebody who did decorating or plumbing. Have you given a name or a contact that was familiar to you? One of the ways the freemasons worked – knowing a fellow colleague ‘on the square’ and recommending them to another brother. This is categorised now as ‘Networking’ or as Deborah Kerr sang ‘Getting to Know You’ – ‘Being Social’

Many have lived with colour television - some can remember black and white and some crystal radios. An AGE not so many years ago in the history of the world but an AGE away from what we have now and of no interest to the young of today who have no time for such stories or nostalgia.

We have brought them up in the Instant Age and yet some if us refuse or have chosen not to join them and enjoy the benefits of it.

Engagement with another person involves dialogue. Some stories you tell some you keep secret. Some you share, some you don’t, some of it is gossip or hearsay or tittle tattle it is like that and nothing more. At the end of the day much of it doesn’t really matter unless it is factual or relevant to the person/persons in receipt.

Regrettably one skill we seem to have lost not only in this but many other applications of life and that is Etiquette or having consideration and respect for our fellow beings.

So maybe my waffling has gone on enough but now we have to introduce Media - a tool of communication. Whether Television, Radio, Newspapers or Cinema. These are all ways that we receive information and some of it is intrusive some of it we ignore. Most of this we just go along with and have no recourse or ability to respond on whether we like it or not – it is a one way flow of traffic........................

NOW let’s add SOCIAL into the equation and put MEDIA to that. We get the application of the earlier paragraphs and add the later ones and arrive at SOCIAL MEDIA – Communication in both directions over the Internet.

The Internet is a library of information which has very few boundaries. Just type in your name on one of the many search engines and see what turns up – you will be amazed or even shocked at what you see or find. Our minds are a catalogue of enquiry and questions absorbing information constantly and now it is all at our finger tips 24 hours a day.

Communication with family across the globe is a mere press of a button and with cam cameras you can actually see each other too. In addition you have all this facility too in the palm of your hand if you have one of the new generations of ‘Smart ‘mobile phones.

Where will it all take us I am sure we all wonder – but the technology continues to develop and is so far limitless. The old TV series of space age imagined gismos are now a reality and will continue to be for sure.

So in conclusion.  

Do not expound your thoughts on Social Media if you don’t understand it – be honest and admit you don’t.

Do not dismiss it – over 800 million people around the world are using it. The highest users at present average age are about 35 – the next growth area is expected to be the older generations as they grasp the concept.

Do not enter into or start a site – before you do some research and get some advice or information of what to do or not to do.

Do not talk about the wrongs of it –until you have set up your choices, security settings and your preferences, correctly. 

Do not put things – on the site that might offend others or cause controversy or that you might regret late in life

And most importantly

Do not let this wonderful world of technology pass you by....LEARN and don’t stagnate or become a crusty old dinosaur and become extinct. 

WHAT RECIPE IS YOUR BUSINESS

Have you wondered why you started your own business or are you thinking of starting one ?

Maybe you should do a Health Check in answer to either of those questions and look at it in a fundamental simplistic way that makes it easy.

In Culinary terms was it as a result of using ‘leftovers’ a redundancy package,  maybe an ‘old favourite’ that’s familiar like a hobby or interest,  an inspiration from a friend or a new recipe you saw in a book or magazine. Either way you will be venturing onto new territory and don’t always know the pitfalls or how confined you maybe by your own limitations to try new things.

A good place to start is to have a piece of paper with two columns.

What am I GOOD at                        What am I NOT GOOD at

You have to work at this for a few days or weeks and you will see it evolve into

What I LIKE doing                           What I DON’T LIKE doing

Now we have a start. The Recipe begins.

Ingredients first:

Do you buy from a reputable supplier like a butcher, fishmonger or go to the Supermarket – pay for quality or go budget.

(This will affect the quality of the end product irrespective of packaging)

You also need to know the cost effectiveness of craftsmanship of the product.

Take a piece of meat for example.

If you go to the butcher and have the meat prepared, boned and tied ready for use or do you buy the raw product and prepare yourself.

Both have cost and skill implications.

This is where you have to decide where your time and efforts are best deployed for maximum profitable return.

TIME MANAGEMENT

There is no point spending hours on preparation if you don’t have the knowledge or the skill when your forte is selling Ice to Eskimos.

The next consideration is what meat do you buy.

Are limited by your own choice and preference or do you have your potential customer’s needs and choices in mind.

MARKET RESEARCH

Method:

So you have your ingredients.

These have to be accounted for.

STOCKTAKING, COSTING, ACCOUNTS, BUDGETING. 

You start to make your recipe it all goes well – oh and we have to account for

FUEL, EQUIPMENT, PREMISES, ENVIROMENTAL LEGISLATION, LEGAL LIABILITIES AND maybe the need of STAFF and all the responsibilities attached to that also.

Consumer:

Who is what is your customer and how do they get to know about you and what you are doing.

This means communication

PR Marketing, Advertising.

Some People talking about you or recommending you.

This can now be done or a much bigger scale by using SOCIAL MEDIA and the Internet supported by a GOOD WEBSITE.     

CONSCLUSION:

Do not be a JACK of ALL TRADES and realise, indentify your weaknesses and strengths.

What YOU Like Doing is your best and most productive and profitable tool.

What YOU DON’T Like Doing is your Achilles Heel and maybe should be delegated or outsourced to an expert in that field so that you can concentrate on your strengths or seek training to improve your skills.

You cannot and should not do everything - DELEGATE

Outsourcing may include Accounting, Advertising, Social Media, Legal Matters.

You do not save money doing everything.

All you do is weaken the effectiveness and profitability of your strengths.

In addition being physically involved with your Business does not give you the time or opportunity to look from the outside in, doing a Health Check, Developing a New Recipe or creating new ones.

SO DO A HEALTH CHECK AND BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT COME UP