I have now had a full 24 hours (give or take swimming lessons and school drop offs etc) to start actively promoting my new business. Interestingly it is the piece that is least likely to contribute to my early retirement plans that is occupying most of my own mental bandwidth.

As the world continues to crash around our ears, markets plummet, financial institutions implode (and the rest of us will get the shock wave sooner or later) I can’t help feeling there’s something quite cleansing about the whole thing and that something this drastic must also present opportunities. Believe me, I’m not in any ivory tower and fall prone to the same insecurities as everyone else but I can’t shake this feeling that there are good things coming with this latest chill wind. Along with increased awareness about how we are using all sorts of resources, it’s got me thinking more about what’s really important, and what I can, frankly, live without.

Anyway, the point in this post is to reflect more on the concept of sharing good management knowledge with those who can least afford it but potentially make the most difference with it. I’m always looking for max cost/benefit opportunities.

Only today I’m listening to the fact that the voluntary sector is now feeling even more pressure for survival. I was working for a charity that had all it’s savings with Baring’s Bank in 1995 when Nick Leeson mislaid $1.4bn. We weren’t reckless, Barings was about as safe a pair of hands as we could have hoped for (we thought). For a few tense days we considered a bleak future. As it happened the money was protected and we got unprecedented mainstream airtime as a result! (see – opportunities!). Now it seems history has repeated as good causes with prudent savings in off-shore banks are biting their nails.

This is the best possible time for those with anything to spare to help out, and no cash needs to change hands.

The other thing that gets trimmed when money’s tight is training (mistakenly of course in my opinion). So I’m thinking there are a lot of Charities out there who could do with some excellent management training in how to survive in hard times and there must be trainers out there with a bit of time on their hands. Let’s see what we can do to help both parties.

If there are a few less fee-paying or in-house (you big corporates) jobs to do, this is a great opportunity for us (trainers) to give a bit back and at the same time try out some new ideas in readiness for when, as inevitably it must, the economy picks up again. We have no excuse for running stale training next year if we are able to innovate, whilst running free training for charities.

This is also a superb opportunity to create some much-needed “feel-good”. It’s easy to get a little gloomy in the face of such a down turn but, believe me, there’s nothing so self-actualising as the feeling that you’ve done a solid day’s work just for the good of it. The only way to test my claim is to try it.

So, if you’re a trainer and can free up some time, please let me know. I want to build a list first then go confidently to the voluntary sector with a bulging hamper of training goodies.

Drop me an email at spencer@projectfour.co.uk if you want to get involved.

As I was writing this I got my first two offers – the list has increased 200% already!!!! Great stuff Kate – please check her out, if it’s quality you need, go no further! http://www.capellaassociates.com

And thanks Resh – more strength to your elbow at Equal Adventure.. http://www.equaladventure.org

Cheers!