Pop-up Ideas Shop - Manchester/London

I'm running a series of pop-up idea shops in Manchester and London. It's not really a shop - more like me at a table in a cafe with an empty chair waiting to be filled. It's free ideas for anyone who needs them. I've never done it before, and I don't know if anyone else does them, but I'm giving it a go to see what happens.  

So here's the idea...

This Friday (November 16th) between 1pm and 4pm I'll be sat at a table in Fyg on Tibb Street in the Northern Quarter, Manchester. If you need ideas, a new perspective or a fresh set of ears for whatever you're working on then do drop in. You might be taking your first steps in digital or social media and don't know where to start. You may need help shaping the story of your brand - come say hello. There's no charge for this. I may be able to help you or I may not. Either way I'm happy to have a brew with someone new if you are. 

Why am I doing this? Many reasons. Because I'm in a position to. Because when I have free time I don't mind helping people. Because I spend a hell of a lot of time in cafes anyway. I can also learn from meeting people who work in different fields. And partly because of this which says that 56% of charities struggle with digital because they need training. 

Who am I? Briefly, I spent 15 years working in digital at the BBC. I have my own digital media consultancy. I'm also a creative strategist at Storythings. I run a series of events at Shoreditch House on the subject of Where Good Ideas Come From. I specialise in helping companies tell stories about themselves and teach them how to get better at generating ideas. I've spoken at various conferences including a couple of TEDx events. Occasionally I lecture at Salford University.

Who is it for? Anyone really. Charities. Small businesses. Big business. Media organisations. Creatives. Jobless. Idealess...

So if you want to come along, or know someone who you think might benefit let them know. You can get in touch with me on twitter (@huey) if you want, otherwise just turn up. I'll try and make myself noticeable somehow. I'm heading off to Tanzania next week but will set up something for London end of November/early December.

Comments

[Tim Dobson]

Hey Hugh,

Sounds fun, I'd have liked to have dropped past but I'm rushing tomorrow's scheduled so I can go and spend a whole weekend hiking in Scotland this weekend.

However, I do have a question, if you'll accept it in an electronic format.

Surely the biggest problem is that most people don't know they have a problem like the ones you mentioned.

I mean, I'm a sysadmin (amongst other things!) if you ask me how long it will take me to fix a problem, I won't know[1] - until I've actually located what was broken and fixed it.

Surely most people's problems won't be that they have a problem, but that they don't know that they have a problem. Fixing the problem will be relatively straightforward, noticing and locating the problem, relatively difficult.

Is there anyway to help people notice if they're having problems, and helping them identify the problem?

Cheers,

Tim / @tdobson

[1] http://blog.tdobson.net/2012/02/problem-how-long-will-it-take-to-fix-it/

[Hugh Garry]

Hi Tim,
I'm not sure I totally agree that most people don't know they have a problem. And if they don't know they have a problem, then they won't pop in and I won't be able to help - so not a lot I can do there. The survey pointed to the fact that 56% of charities struggle with digital because they don't have someone to train them. An easily recognised problem with a very simple solution. Also, lots of small businesses struggle to tell their own story because they are too close to what they do - all they need is a fresh set of ears who knows too little to get bogged down by the little details making it easier to recognise the larger strands. If I can be those ears and provide those strands then job done I guess.

Having said all that great people are able to find the problems people didn't know they had - which Steve Jobs was a master at. I don't recall a single person saying 'My problem is I need a device somewhere between my iPhone and my MacBook' before the launch of the iPad. Steve Jobs sold the people that problem along with the answer. So you are kinda right too.

In answer to your question I'd say measure. Measure everything. From performance to productivity to staff happiness to personal happiness. Measure the small things and keep a close eye on them for changes. Have an awareness of the relationship between the different elements of what you do and how small things can effect much bigger things. Sometimes you can make tiny adjustments to prevent bigger problems.

[Hugh Garry]

Tim. Just clicked your link. Should have read it before I replied. Nice post.

[Kenny]

Tim, good idea, but it doesnt solve the problem of the British reserve in approaching strangers and that's before you solve the problem they want solved. Free coffee may help.