Five Tips On How To Help People And Actually Make Money While You Do It

This article was made possible by ING DIRECT’s Dreamstarter crowd funding initiative, turning big ideas into social change: head here.

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The phenomenal power social media has come to wield on our individual lives, and society as a whole, is incomprehensible — and it’s not even as old as the youngest member of One Direction. While most platforms remain, for the most part, fun diversions and handy social diaries, a few — like social networking site Be Collective — have figured out how to harness this humongous power for good.  

Be Collective is the socially conscious love-child of Facebook and various crowdfunding sites. It’s a social media platform, with all the associated cat videos and crush stalking capabilities, which also connects not-for-profits and the people who want to get involved with them.

We spoke to creator Rebecca Lovitt about what’s important for any ethical entrepreneur-to-be. Here are here top five tips.

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How you define social change is personal.

‘Goodness’ is inherent in all of us, but it’s easy to get diverted by the demands of daily life. We live in a fast paced, consumer driven culture, where we are constantly told we are not enough.

Aligning your work with your purpose is the most important thing anyone can do to affect social change. Individual experience and human stories are fundamental. It’s about bringing those elements together to drive social change.

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Create products informed by the market – not assumptions.

Understanding we’re part of the community – we’re not separate from it in any way – is essential to any new product development.

Technology alone won’t solve everything, but applied in the right way, there’s huge potential to bring people together, eliminate the ‘silos’ and social isolation that can be felt in a busy world. It enables people to connect to smaller groups where they belong and can feel part of the ‘urban fabric’ in a fulfilling way.

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Connect to the individual experience.

In tech, we talk a lot about the user experience, but essentially, it’s about connecting to the individual experience. Empathy and compassion with community is key. Keeping the individual and broader community in mind informs decision-making and leads to tangible impact.

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Build the smallest model possible.

Clarify your concept and pare it down to a working model that is as lean as possible – sounds like something from Mad Men, but it’s the only way you’ll survive the establishment years.

Keep your costs down until you see what resonates with your audience, what works.

You can’t just sit back and expect to achieve. Think creatively, be prepared to experiment and work for it.

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Great ideas can come from anyone.

So many businesses that haven’t figured out how to adapt to a humanist approach. At Be Collective, we run a flat team and everyone delivers insightful, community led solutions and outcomes. Everyone, regardless of age or position, have equally relevant insights into the companies they work for.

In leadership, I believe in empowering others so they can deliver their best work. Create space for others do be the best they can be. As long as you’ve been clever building your team, people will do great things if given the latitude to do so. When you let them operate in a way that acknowledges their purpose and values, they flourish because they’re allowed to bring the best of themselves forward.

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Head to ING DIRECT’s Dreamstarter to find out how to make your dreams possible.