Altruism at BNI City Lunch (October 2012)

This is the concept of the “greater good”. It is a motivation to provide something of value to another party other than oneself. True altruism is about sacrificing something for someone other than the self with no expectation of benefit – and whether this actually exists is often debated by scientists (although I know many parents who would say that it does). 

As a member of BNI (Business Network International) every week the Chapter Director tells us that only one person from each profession is permitted to join the Chapter. However he doesn't mention the other policy that members are meant to represent their primary occupation.

Many of us work for companies that cover a lot of different areas – Orion started life as a cleaning company nearly 25 years ago. However today it’s primary business is waste management. Yes we still provide cleaning services, and have some very big clients, but the mainstay of our turnover comes from the waste management arm of Orion.

We all know we need to grow the chapter and as such we need to get new members to join. Having members that straddle a number of seats may not be the answer and maybe we need to start thinking about the grander scheme of things. If I could get a cleaning company to sign up to BNI City Lunch I would – I have no objection to it. In fact I can see how we could do reciprocal business. Their client base and prospect database is likely to be very different to mine – thus spreading the catchment net wider than if it were just me sitting there with two hats on. Granted I may lose some cleaning business to them but I may also gain business that is not suitable for them as well as gaining the waste management part of a contract for which they are tendering.

I therefore ask you are you willing to give up a hat in order to grow your network?  Can you be altruistic?

Everyday Swap Schop

Marks and Spencer (M&S) brought us the concept of Shwopping in April – via adverts featuring Joanna Lumley.  The concept has seen boxes (Shwop Drops) placed in all of their shops and in Oxfam shops too – where customers can place their unwanted clothes (from any brand).  These items are then either reused or recycled.  M&S have reported that in the first six months of the scheme more than two million items have been shwopped – diverting  865 tonnes of textiles from disposal and raising over £1.5m for Oxfam.

In fact M&S have now put on sale a cost made from wool donated through the shwop scheme.  This too isn’t a new thing either - years ago people used the wool from outgrown jumpers or woollen items with holes in and knitted new items with the yarn.  So not only are M&S recycling and reusing clothing they are recycling old ideas too – and why shouldn’t they?  The modern twist is working for them and helping the environment too.

We must remember though that this is not a new idea– we have all had clothes that our parents got from jumble sales (or as we like to call them today: “nearly new sales”) and we have all had hand-me-downs from family members.  Many people are also at home with putting their unwanted textiles into Local Authority kerbside boxes or taking them to bring banks.  In fact the whole idea of reusing clothes is an everyday notion nowadays – we donate things to charity shops or are happy to leave bags outside for charitable collections.  So what can M&S’s success be put down to?  There is no reward for the shwopee apart from the little ‘lift’ they might feel from “doing the right thing”.  Is it that they advertised the idea or that they have provided the householder with another outlet – one that may not have the stigma of those previously mentioned?

A recent report from WRAP stated that clothing sent to landfill every year was worth £140 million.  M&S estimated that 1 in 4 items of clothing sold in the UK end up in landfill.  So who is it that still isn’t recycling or reusing or donating or shwopping?  If it is you, why not, what is stopping you – it costs you nothing….