PlanBig

Sunita Varlamos – Tapping the Experts Sunita Varlamos is Program...

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:59:00 +1000

Sunita Varlamos – Tapping the Experts

Sunita Varlamos is Program Manager, Projects at Leadership Victoria, a not-for-profit organisation which runs leadership development programs designed to foster outstanding leaders and identify and address community issues.

In this interview with Trevor Young, Sunita provides information on Leadership Victoria and similar organisations in other states, and explains how not-for-profit groups can tap into the skills and experience of professional people wanting to give back to the community.

Sunita’s advice to PlanBiggers includes the importance of seeking out organisations like Leadership Victoria, understanding where gaps exist in your organisation, and knowing how you’re going to use volunteer experts prior to approaching them.

5 practical ways to make yourself happier (and get more stuff done)

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:01:02 +1000

by Julia

Every year my mum and I save our money to go to the Happiness & Its Causes conference. The conference brings together science, philosophy, spirituality, psychology and people’s own stories to answer the question “what makes us happy?” It’s the only conference where I’ve been asked to bring a shawl¹.

The documentary film Happy, told us we can train to be happier; 50% of our happiness is determined by our genes, only 10% by our circumstances and 40% we determine through our thoughts and actions (the stuff we can control):

Source: Urban Playground

I keep a checklist of practical tactics on how to increase happiness and have applied some of them my own life to spectacular results. Implementing them will make you happier, more productive, and free you up to spend more time with your friends and family.

Volunteer

Heyyo, it’s national volunteer week so it’s the perfect time to investigate ways that you can help. Last year I wrote a blog about the QLD and Victorian floods and at the time experts were saying at that time the best thing you could do was to give money, because unskilled volunteers can sometimes hinder more than help. Now is the time to get skilled.

Volunteering helps you to look outside yourself to focus on something other than the problems in your life. I’m a volunteer director of a Community Bank branch and we feed thousands of dollars back into the community through grants and sponsorships. Last year we granted $10,000 to pay for a speech therapy program in a local primary school to help children from non-English speaking backgrounds who were struggling in class. It’s a great feeling to give my time, learn new skills, and be a part of something bigger than my group of friends.
Journal Gratitude

This concept came up on one of the panels at the conference last year. I’ve set up an app on my phone where every night before I go to bed, I list 3 things I was grateful for that happened during the day. Some entries have included this video of a cat vs. static electricity, being grateful for beers in the sun with my friends on a Sunday afternoon and graffiti like this:

I also write down the compliments I receive so I remember them. It’s made me happier and more appreciative when good things happen.

At the conference this year Dr Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, suggested to take it a step further and write down three things that went well during the day and why you think they did. I tried that for a few nights and it was cumbersome so I broke my habit. I went back to cat videos and when people said my hair looked good.
Meditate

“Your title said practical!” you cry.

Meditation is backed by research. Check out Matthieu Ricard, biochemist and Buddhist monk on the Habits of Happiness.

The most refreshing thing that I’ve learnt about meditation from Happiness and Its Causes is that you don’t have to be perfect at it right away. It’s something that takes practice, and the only way to get better at quietening your mind is by practicing it.
Give Away Your Money

Check out this research by Elizabeth Dunn at the University of British Columbia: “Dunn’s team gave 46 other students envelopes containing a either $5 bill or a $20 bill and told them how to spend it, those who shelled out on others (donating to charity or giving a gift) were happier at the end of the day than those who blew it on themselves (to pay a bill or indulge in a treat).” Larger surveys in the United States showed “happiness correlated with the amount of money people spent on others rather than the absolute amount of the bonus or income.” (Science Now)

Peter Singer, the Australian philosopher, blew my mind talking about The Life You Can Save. He asks you to pledge a small percentage of your income to fight global poverty. It’s your responsibility to research organisations that are using their funds effectively and with tools like charitynavigator.org it’s easier than ever.

On the most basic level, it’s a relief when I encounter obnoxious German travellers² who ask me to sign up to charities at the train station that I can say that I already contribute regularly, thanks, and please stop talking at me.

The organisation I support is Empower.

These four things that have worked for me, and in small ways have created a big change in my attitude. I hope they work for you, or at least get you thinking about your 40%. As Rob Schneider says “you can do it!”

____
¹I’m not the usual demographic, in one of the emails leading up to the conference said to bring a shawl or light jacket because of the airconditioning; it makes me smile every time I think about it.
²They’re not all obnoxious and they’re not all German but you get who I’m talking about

Steve Rubel – Staying Ahead of Trends Steve Rubel is Executive...

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:04:13 +1000

Steve Rubel – Staying Ahead of Trends

Steve Rubel is Executive Vice President/Global Strategy and Insights for the world’s biggest independent PR firm, Edelman, based in New York.

Steve spends much of his time studying the future of media and works across the firm’s practices and geographies to help clients unify their communications strategies across traditional, emerging, owned and social channels.

We took the opportunity to interview Steve while he was here on a recent lightning trip to Australia and asked him why it was important to stay ahead of trends.

Steve’s advice to PlanBiggers includes the importance of networking and connecting with like-minds, spending time with people who are smarter than you, and why observing and collecting information is critical in staying up with trends.

Big News (April)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:21:56 +1000

Here at PlanBig we can’t believe it’s almost May! We’ve hit an exciting 3,032 likes on Facebook, 2,291 followers on Twitter and more and more fantastic plans are starting to blossom on PlanBig. Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support!

Some of our April highlights included:

Fairness for Freelancers

Unashamedly Creative’s Fairness for Freelancers plan has beenmarked a success!Rebekah set out to improve freelance culture and help businesses appreciate the value of freelancers. She created an online survey to get information from freelancers in the market and received an impressive 154 responses Australia-wide and also globally. Rebekah now knows what she can do to make a difference for fellow freelancers. Check out this successful plan here.

Morisset Peninsula Free Library

The Morisset Peninsula Free Library plan is a success! John wanted to create a unique book repository which would allow for books to be swapped, given away and made available to those who can’t afford them. John’s project is a great way of recycling books in the local community and sharing them with appreciative people when they would otherwise end up in the garbage. Read more about John’s plan here.

Expert video blogs

Thinking of starting up your own business, but finding it all a bit too much to take on? In our latest expert video, James Tuckerman, founder and publisher of online business magazine Anthill, talks about what’s involved in starting up your own business and has some fantastic advice to make your goals seem more achievable.

Thinking of reaching out to the media with your story? In another April expert video, Steve Speziale, Group News Director of Radio for Southern Cross Austereo, talks about ways to give your story the best chance of being aired. Check it out now if you’re thinking of calling those newsdesks soon!

Some more great plans to get behind next month:

With the fashion seasons changing as we head into the colder months, we’re seeing lots of fantastic fashion inspired plans start up on PlanBig such as these:

Handmade Bride Magazine kicked off on April 1^st

Bendigo Fashion Festival started on April 9^th

Fashion Design Training Videos kicked off on April 18^th

James Tuckerman – Entrepreneur’s Journey James Tuckerman is a...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:08:07 +1000

James Tuckerman – Entrepreneur’s Journey

James Tuckerman is a busy man who wears many hats!

As the founder and publisher of online business magazine, Anthill (http://anthillonline.com/), James is also an entrepreneur, angel investor, consultant, business coach and formidable public speaker.

In this interview with Grant Smith, James gives us a glimpse of what’s involved in starting up your own business as well as provides his top tips for successful entrepreneurship.

James stresses the importance of taking regular coffee meetings with strangers, sharing your knowledge freely and forgetting the words ‘social media’.

For more tips or to get in touch follow @jamestuckerman on Twitter.

A conversation with Shanil Samarakoon

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:37:55 +1000

by Julia Sharwood

Shanil Samarakoon is the Executive Director of Empower, a development organisation working in Malawi and Sri Lanka and my favourite PlanBig plan.

Shanil’s originally from Sri Lanka, grew up in Malawi, studied in Malaysia, and ended up in Sydney: first as an MBA student, then as a student of the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and now teaches at the University of New South Wales. He was SSE’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010.

Shanil and I first met last year through PlanBig and became fast friends. We talk a lot about cinema and joke about what we’d do if we ran the world (things would be better). Tonight it’s all business. We caught up over a beer in Sydney’s ArtHouse Hotel to talk about Empower, how to get stuff done and PlanBig.

You just got back from Malawi. What were you doing there?

Before I went to Malawi, I was in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was just to scope out a new project there but Malawi was mainly to check up on the project we have running there. In Northern Malawi we’re working with one community, Zatuba Village, and we’re working with them directly so that they would serve as an epicentre for development for 22 villages in the whole area.

The main things we were checking up on were the repayments for solar lantern projects that was part of the community’s vision to have energy access.

Do the ideas for your projects come from within that community?

Yes, the way we work is: we work with the community to set them up as an epicentre for development for the whole region but the vision or the specific projects that happen are determined by the communities in that area.

We work with the community only for five years, after that we pull out completely. Perhaps only having an odd visit or two upon request but the idea is that within those five years those communities set out to achieve whatever it is they want to to be self reliant. But they determine the content of their vision.

I know that you use local volunteers…

Yeah, in fact we actually only have a really small team because we bring in local project partners based on community need. More specifically over the last year we have been focussing on entrepreneurship and the community bank, so we have a partner organisation for that, one for renewable energy, one for sustainable agriculture, one for waste management, one for water purification, so different components.

We’ve had a volunteer project coordinator who communicates with all of them and manages visits that they make and so forth so it’s all coordinated. He’s been a volunteer with us for about a year and a half and we’ve just been covering his admin expenses and things like that but as of 1^st March, he’s going to be working with us full-time. That’s a pretty big development for us.

When I was in Malawi I was registering the organisation there, setting up a local board of directors and making sure that Jones [Natukira] – that’s his name, he’s also the executive director there. He’s a local Malawian, is also managing the project and is being paid for it so he can focus on it full time.

Were you able to make that position available through fundraising?

Yeah. Through the fundraising we’ve been doing through 2010 and 2011 we’ve been able to allocate a salary for Jones so he’ll effectively be the first person who’s paid to work on our project, everything else has been voluntary to date.

What do you do to fundraise?

At the moment I would say our fundraising efforts have been pretty modest, mainly through events and also through our own networks. In terms of events we’ve run things like cocktail events and dinner events.

We take part in things like the City2Surf and the Sydney Half Marathon over here. So we have teams that raise quite a bit of money. I’d say through running events alone we raise at least about $10,000 to $15,000 a year, minimum.

I’m impressed, how many people have you got running?

Well it depends on the events. So the City2Surf we’d have typically between 20 to 30, then the half marathon is much harder so we’d have 10 to 15.

So what you’re saying is if you want to start a social enterprise, then you may as well have some fit friends?

[Laughs] Yeah. That helps. Or at least people who want to get fit so you have them consistently.

It just so worked out that a lot of the people I know are really into fitness and running so it was quite an organic thing you know, it’s something I recommend to people who are starting up projects as well because it’s already set up for you, the event, it’s something a lot of people want to take part in and if you can attach a cause to it people are more motivated to do it.

It’s worked out pretty well but we’re also looking at local grants at the Malawi level as well as international grants at the Australian level that’ll support us more in the long run.

Why did you start Empower?

First of all, it’s not just me. I have two other directors; I have James [Feng] and Shyamika [Peeligama], who are very close to me so we have a similar mentality. Shyamika and I in particular, Shyamika also happens to be my cousin but she’s Australian, I haven’t spent much time with her.

When I came back here, I was studying my Masters at UNSW; I had previously done quite a lot of work since I was in uni at a relief level, mainly in Sri Lanka after the tsunami. And that was my foray into community development.

And I guess long story short that’s how I discovered that this is what I really want to do in terms of contributing with my skills in some way although I didn’t necessarily know the shape and form.

You’ve talked about the ambiguity starting this project, what was your biggest fear going into it?

I guess a few, what goes through every social entrepreneur’s mind starting a not for profit is ‘how am I going to support myself?’

That’s a very key one for me. I’ve never really been that much of a career or money orientated person so I’ve never really had high aspirations on that front but I guess there’s just the practical aspect of: ‘well, if you are able to earn a salary from it, if at all, it’s going to take lot of time to build that up, and there’s no guarantee, so how are you going to support yourself?’

A lot of it was learning on the job, initially there was that self doubt in terms of: I’m not an expert in international development, I’ve studied business. I don’t know how I’m going to necessarily support myself when I work on all this, and I don’t know whether it’s actually what people want, whether there’s a demand for this at a community level.

How did you overcome that self doubt?

The fact that I wasn’t alone was a big part of it. I had two other directors to bounce ideas off. When there’s self doubt, unless you’re having the same doubts on the same day, which is rarely the case, you feed off each other.

I think it’s about securing small wins as you go, trying not to view the whole thing as some massive end goal but kind of break it into little objectives and securing those little wins: doing our first fundraiser, having our first consultation with the community, mapping out their vision, okay wow, they’re coming up with ideas, this is what they want. Do we have partners to match them up?

Those little stages, little wins, goes a long way to getting rid of that self doubt. Say even in terms of income, let me just be really real about this and say, what do I really need? What really works out? And for me it worked out well. I just talked to as many people as possible and I said ‘look, this is what I really want to do but I want to support myself while I do.’

I even talked to my professors from uni. And then they were like well, you are a really good student, and you’re not that interested in research but I think you’d be really great at teaching. That was just through me trying to be positive and saying okay what can work out to sort my situation out? From last year I started teaching at the uni.

I think the more you stick in your own head and you don’t talk to people about what’s really going on, the more it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy or you stagnate. And it becomes an excuse, a story of why you never start. So in my experience the more people you go to and say ‘this is what I’m passionate about, this is what I want to do’ invariably there’s somebody who can help you in some way, or knows someone who knows someone who can help you.

How can people support your plan on PlanBig and how has PlanBig helped you? (Has it helped you?)

It’s definitely been useful from a social media perspective. Linking in with things like our website, Facebook, Twitter, that’s definitely been useful.

Obviously the encouragement and enthusiasm as well, I notice that whenever I post something as an update there’s always somebody encouraging, you can’t underestimate that. It’s important, especially at the formative stages.

There are a few possibilities in terms of project partners that haven’t eventuated into anything practical yet but could yield things in the time to come. I watched it grow, you do get a sense of it being a growing community and watching plans. There would be lots of space for collaboration in terms of looking other projects that would work in Malawi or in that region, or also just ideas: getting ideas from others.

That’s ace.

So is scoring points and being called a superhero.

Did I call you a superhero?

No, I have a badge. [Laughs]

Thanks for your time and being awesome.

Thank you for being awesome and thanks to PlanBig for being awesome.

The Empower team are running in this year’s Sydney Half Marathon and you can donate. You should like their plan on PlanBig, like them on Facebook and follow their tweets.

Steve Speziale – Dealing with the Media Steve Speziale is the...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:16:53 +1000

Steve Speziale – Dealing with the Media

Steve Speziale is the Group News Director, Radio for Southern Cross Austereo, one of the largest radio networks in Australia.

As a professional journalist, Steve has been on the receiving end of literally thousands of pitches from companies, organisations and PR firms wanting to gain editorial exposure on radio news.

In this interview, Steve tells us the best way to get past the news ‘gatekeepers’ and give your story the best chance of being aired.

Among Steve’s many tips, he says to keep your pitch simple and relevant to the media outlet’s target audience, always have a tightly-written media release on-hand, and be very singular and focused in your approach.

Be a good egg and show your support for these great plans this Easter!

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:39 +1000

Be a good egg and show your support for these great plans this Easter!

It’s Easter this weekend! What will you be doing? Enjoying the time off with friends and family and filling up on chocolate? Have you considered putting aside some time for a charity? Easter is a great time to give back, for example communities across Melbourne get together every year for the Good Friday Appeal in an effort to raise money for The Royal Children’s Hospital. So in the spirit of giving, we’re celebrating the fantastic charity plans on PlanBig this Easter, all of which have been started by people who work hard to support those in need.

Walk in Wardrobe fashion market supporting Multiple Sclerosis

This innovative fundraising project was developed and brought to life by Melbourne girls Angie Dimitriou and Meg Rayner. Walk in Wardrobe gives women a chance to set up stalls and sell unwanted clothes, shoes, jewellery and accessories and 20% of what stall holders make go to charity. Angie and Meg have held two Walk in Wardrobe events so far and in the past two years have raised more than $4000 for Australian charities YoungCare Australia and Clown Doctors. Their up-coming Walk in Wardrobe event will be held on Sunday May 6^th and will help raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis Australia. Angie and Meg have already secured lots of stall holders for the upcoming event, showing the success of this great plan. Interested in attending? Find out more here.

Bendigo for Homeless Youth

Luke Owens is gathering a group of Bendigo’s most outstanding musicians to write and record a collaborative song that will be launched and performed live at the Bendigo Christmas Carols in December. Copies of the single will be sold to raise funds for homeless youth, with a target goal of $100,000 to help give children the best possible chance at life. The song will be a tribute to the children who don’t have the privilege of enjoying Christmas in its entirety and to reach out to the heart of the community to make a change. Can you help Luke make this happen? Show your support here.

Opportunity To Do Gardening

Opportunity To Do Gardening will allow individuals and groups to grow plants that will be sold in a charity nursery with profits going towards programs that benefit children and young people, both in Australia and overseas. Based in Lancefield, Victoria, Opportunity To Do Gardening is building an enjoyable and sustainable way to generate ongoing funds for charity and connect people through volunteering. As the program’s fundraising efforts become more successful, it will be able to support more charity organisations. Read more about this plan here.

Big News (March)

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:24:08 +1100

Big News (March)

The weather may be cooling down but PlanBig is heating up! After recently celebrating our second birthday, our online community numbers continue to grow and we’ve now reached 2,975 likes on Facebook and 2,249 followers on Twitter. Thank you to all our awesome supporters!

Some of our March highlights included:

Ride to Cure Diabetes

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Ride to Cure Diabetes plan has been marked a success! The ride took place at the Barossa Valley from January 13^th to 15^th. The riders raised a phenomenal $220,000 for type 1 diabetes research to ultimately help find a cure. Check out this successful plan here.

Great and Unique Crafts Display!

The Fraser Group of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria recently held a crafts display which was a great success! The display was held at Ashburton on March 17^th and, together with 22 volunteers and three CWA husbands, the group made it a fantastic event for all. CWA cook books, raffle tickets and hundreds of scones were sold. Read more about this plan here.

My Redfern Rocks!

Unashamedly Creative’s plan to help the Redfern community grow and prosper has been marked a success! Rebekah Lambert helped foster a positive approach to Redfern as a suburb both online and offline through social media and local meet ups, bringing people together to share the joy of the community and help remove the stigma attached to what is a great community-oriented suburb. Check out Rebekah’s great plan here.

Expert video blogs

Need help from someone in the know? PlanBig now has a range of videos from experts here on The Big Blog and on the PlanBig YouTube Channel. Check out the videos for advice on how you can take your idea or project to the next level. Our latest expert videos are from:

Scott Kilmartin, founder of haul.com.au, who talks about what’s involved in getting a start-up enterprise up and running
Trevor Young, PR Warrior and Director of Strategy and Innovation at Edelman Public Relations, who talks about personal branding

Some more great plans to get behind next month:

Walk in Wardrobe fashion market supporting Multiple Sclerosis kicked off on March 2^nd

Mental Health Awareness Social Project started on March 6^th

The Early to Bed Festival kicked off on March 19^th

Scott Kilmartin – Persistence Pays Scott Kilmartin is the...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:46:55 +1100

Scott Kilmartin – Persistence Pays

Scott Kilmartin is the founder of haul.com.au, an independent design brand based in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

haul upcycles used vinyl advertising billboards, rubber print blankets, truck inner tubes and number plates into uncommon lifestyle accessories such as Macbook cases, laptop bags, messenger bags, luggage tags and iPad 2 cases.

haul also has a corporate arm that makes promotional products and eco gifts for companies from their old advertising campaign billboards.

In this interview, Scott paints a picture of what’s involved in getting a start-up enterprise up and running and provides would-be entrepreneurs with experience-based practical tips and advice.

Things are revving up on PlanBig this March!

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:22:00 +1100

Things are revving up on PlanBig this March!

The 2012 Formula 1 is about to kick off in Melbourne this Thursday and in the spirit of sports, we’re celebrating the active and adrenaline pumping plans on PlanBig. These plans encourage Aussies to get up and moving, and the following plans support great causes!

St.Kilda Beach Volleyball Teams

Youth ADHD Bipolar Initiative (YABI) is giving mental health sufferers and volunteers an exciting, social opportunity to create long-lasting relationships through beach volleyball. Teams will play at St Kilda Sea Baths every Tuesday night. This plan will help mental health sufferers, supporters and volunteers by providing social inclusion opportunities and the chance to meet regularly in a fun and healthy environment. YABI is looking for players and sponsors, can you help? Get in touch here.

One for the Bucket List

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is planning an adventurous event, Jump to cure Diabetes, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most Australians to jump out of a plane! Whether it’s for team bonding, adrenaline or to face your fears, you can Jump to cure Diabetes this March and also help raise funds to find a cure for children living with type 1 diabetes (a lifelong autoimmune disease). JDRF hopes to raise $200,000 nationally from Jump to Cure Diabetes and encourage 200 Australians to take up the challenge. Are you up for it? Find out more here.

The long road to a new recreational ice rink facility for Bendigo

Karen Lucas is planning for Bendigo to have a brand new recreational ice rink to enable the local community to get involved in a variety of different sports including activities that families can participate in together. This would mean that Bendigo ice sports teams and competing individuals would no longer need to travel to Melbourne at very early hours every weekend to train. Not only would this be great for ice sports enthusiasts and the local community but it would also encourage more visitors to the great town of Bendigo! Show your support here.

Personal Branding with Trevor Young Whether you’re starting your...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:29:00 +1100

Personal Branding with Trevor Young

Whether you’re starting your own business or are in charge of a non-profit group or social venture, having a personal profile within your industry can help you not only better promote your cause, but also create opportunities to collaborate with others.

In this interview, PR Warrior Trevor Young takes us through the importance of spending time on your personal brand and provides tips as to how to go about raising your profile, especially in the online world.

Trevor, who works in a strategic capacity at Edelman Melbourne, spends considerable time helping individuals and companies navigate and more effectively leverage social media. Trevor’s blog, PRWarrior.typepad.com, was a finalist in last year’s ‘Best Blogs in Australia’ competition; he is also the founder of BlogHUB Australia, an online news and events site for Australia’s blogging community.

For more tips or to get in touch follow @trevoryoung on Twitter.

Big News (February)

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:31:14 +1100

Big News (February)

The start of the year has flown and we can’t believe we’re approaching Autumn already!

February marks our two year anniversary and as our community continues to grow and we reach an exciting 2,823 likes on Facebook and 2,199 followers on Twitter, we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for the ongoing support.

There has been lots happening on PlanBig, with more and more projects kicking off and others achieving goals.

Some of our February highlights included:

A New Pathway for the Elderly at Graceford Retirement Village Byford

The pathway plan is a success! Developed by the Byford and Districts Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank, the plan was to build a new 44m footpath out the front of the Graceford Retirement Village. With the help of big-hearted Rod Beaman from SJ Landfill and Jarrod Daniels from Dowsing Concrete to do the job, the path was built and has since eliminated the need for residents to travel on or near the main road. The area which was once loose gravel is now a fantastic brand new path with yellow paint on its border to assist the visually impaired. Read more about this plan here.

Cruisin 4 a Cure

27 year old cancer survivor Vanessa Wyder has been Cruisin 4 a Cure for a month now and has already raised $16,249 for cancer research. Vanessa hopes to raise $1 million in her 12 month motorhome journey around Australia. She was featured on Channel 10 News last week raising awareness for her cause – check out the great footage. Vanessa arrives in Border Village between SA and WA at the start of March and you can show your support for Vanessa here.

Expert video blogs

Need help from someone in the know? PlanBig now has videos from a range of experts on The Big Blog. Visit the blog for advice on how you can take your idea to the next level. So far, you can hear from

Michel Hogan from Brandology talking about branding for non-profits
Kate Kendell who is behind theFetch, Cloud Peeps and Social Melbourne talking about building a community
Sam Saltis, the founder and CEO of bwired, talking about developing a website strategy

There are more inspiring plans to get behind next month – here are a few to check out:

The Otesha Project: Cycling for Sustainability, Tassie Cycle Tour kicked off on February 8^th

Five Point Five started on February 14^th

Sports STAR Cards kicked off on February 24^th

Developing a website strategy with Sam Saltis PlanBig recently...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:25:00 +1100

Developing a website strategy with Sam Saltis

PlanBig recently spoke with Sam Saltis, founder & CEO, bwired on developing a web strategy.

Most small companies, start-ups and non-profit groups need a website that acts as the digital hub for their business, cause or issue.

But how should we go about doing this and what costs are involved?

In this interview with Trevor Young, Sam Saltis - the founder and CEO of Melbourne-based web strategy and development firm, bwired – explains how a little planning early on will help you get the most out of your web presence.

bwired has helped companies like Australia Post, The Frontier Touring Company and Nintendo build their presence online.

For more follow Sam on twitter @samsaltis or visit www.bwired.com.au.

All things romance this Valentine’s Day

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:19:01 +1100

All things romance this Valentine’s Day

Whether it’s exchanging cards, sending a big bunch of red roses or making an extravagant gesture, Valentine’s Day is all about the romance.

Romance and the arts go hand in hand, so this Valentine’s Day we’re celebrating the creative and artistic plans which promote beauty, romance and connecting people.

The Poetry of Motion

Photographer Tanya Douthie is capturing the grace, strength and beauty of dance in an ongoing conceptual photography project. Away from the studio and stages, Tanya will be capturing the raw emotion of dancers in different surroundings such as gardens and places of interest, while at the same time reigniting her passion for photography. Do you have any ideas for Tanya or know any dancers willing to pose? Get in touch here.

Three Wimmera Women

Contemporary artists Karen Wiseman, Jenny Lester-Smith and Anita Condon are exploring the feeling of isolation associated with living in rural Australia and connection to places through art. Jenny’s work explores the rhythms of the landscape, Anita’s art explores the female spiritual connection to land and Karen’s work looks at the connection to place through floral explorations that are site specific. Show your support for their project here.

To grow a tribe of 100 to Moving Theatre

Moving Theatre is a Melbourne based group of artists who want to engage, inspire, challenge and entertain while creating opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their talents. The company is dedicated to bringing arts back into the west, particularly the local area of Sunshine, and wants to grow its following of those who wish to see a change in their community. Find out more here.

Building a Community All successful brands need to build a...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:41:00 +1100

Building a Community

All successful brands need to build a community of fans, followers and supporters if they are to be sustainable over the long term.

Whether you’re a business start-up, a social enterprise or are developing a one-off campaign for a community issue, understanding how you can effectively connect with people and get them behind your cause is critical.

In this interview with Trevor Young, self-confessed ‘digital thinker and doer’ Kate Kendall provides insights into how business and community-based brands can develop a gain support by building and cultivating a community of followers and advocates.

Recently named amongst The Age (Melbourne) magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential, Inspiring and Creative’ people, Kate has been building and managing online communities for many years.

Kate is behind two new start-up enterprises – theFetch (a ‘what’s on’ directory for the business, digital and creative communities for Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, London, New York and Berlin) and Cloud Peeps, which provides social media services for startups and small businesses. She also founded Social Melbourne, a weekly get-together for Melbourne’s social media community.

Big News (January)

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:09:42 +1100

The new year has kicked off with a bang – with more and more plans popping up and achieving success with the help of our much loved supporters.

Our community continues to grow as we start the year with 2,680 likes on Facebook and 2,127 followers on Twitter – we really appreciate the ongoing support from all of you!

Some of our January highlights included:

Clipsal 500 Adelaide – The Race that Rocks

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Clipsal 500 Adelaide plan is a success! JDRF set out to recruit volunteers to attend the Clipsal 500 Adelaide this March to help shake tins, sell merchandise and dress as the JDRF Giant Jelly Baby mascot. JDRF has successfully recruited up to 60 volunteers per day for the event, and each will contribute to the ultimate goal of raising awareness about type 1 diabetes and $100,000 towards type 1 diabetes research. Read more about this plan here.

Dismantle – Bike Recycling

After a year and a half from concept to delivery and hundreds of volunteering hours dedicated to this project, the Dismantle plan is a success! With a vision of creating a vibrant community hub that celebrates sustainability, physical health, environmental friendly living and recycling, Dismantle has achieved all of this and more using bicycles as a medium for generating long-term social change. Hats off to Dismantle – check out the plan here.

Angels House

The Angels House plan was to help equip kids in care with the skills needed to lead successful and fulfilling lives. The plan has seen many achievements such as a steady army of volunteers working hard to help kids in crisis or care, the Wagga Wagga community donating items for crisis care packages, and care packages being sent to multiple states for kids in crisis or care. Congratulations to all involved on this great cause! Show your support here.

There are more inspiring plans to get behind next month – here are a few to check out:

Walk every day for 60 days kicked off on January 3^rd

The Arcadia International Environmental Film Festival plan started on January 12^thBe Creative, Save a Life started on January 25^th

Australia Day coming soon!

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:53:49 +1100

The Christmas and New Year celebrations have come and gone and I’m slowly getting back into the routine of work possibly just like you. Before you start thinking about Easter (bit hard not to do when the shops are already stocking Easter eggs) set your sights on planning an Australia Day to remember.

If you are stuck for ideas on what to get involved in, check out what is happening in your State here.

Here’s my tips for a fun filled day……

1. Dress for the occasion – Wear the colours of the Australian, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flags with pride. Get it all happening, the togs, the thongs and the Aus Day tatts. Whatever you decide, enjoy the day and have a laugh.

2. Put on a good ol’ Aussie bbq – cook up a storm and chuck another lamb chop on the barbie just when you think you can’t eat anymore.

3. Don’t forget dessert. Now’s the time to learn how to make Pavlova.

4. Be inspired by the awesome stuff we Aussies do. Wonder who will walk away with the Australian of the Year award in 2012?

5. Last, but not least…after spending the day with friends and family, enjoying the sun, surf and Aussie grub you might be inspired to think up a brilliant idea to contribute in your own way to making Australia great. If the time is right, please share your idea…I’d love to be inspired by you.

Terri

PlanBig recently caught up with branding expert Michel Hogan,...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:32:27 +1100

PlanBig recently caught up with branding expert Michel Hogan, independent brand advocate with Brandology.

In this interview she talks about branding for non-profits and offers her top five tips for our PlanBiggers. Check it out!

For more tips follow Michel on Twitter @michelhogan or visit http://www.brandology.com.au.

Stuff New Year's Resolutions and Get Stuff Done

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:36:55 +1100

I’m pretty skepty about New Year’s resolutions. Sitting deep in the collective consciousness are promises to eat better, exercise more and quit smoking. This is the year we’re going to flip a switch and just be better.

Or in the words of Liz Lemon: “Well, I had a great summer, too… I started a quilt, I did yoga twice a week, I wore flip flops in public. I really feel like this is going to be my year.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love goals. A couple of weeks before Christmas I was having lunch with my friend Tammy and we shared a high-five over the fact that 2012 would bring more goals and new ways of achieving them. The thing I’m not hot on and something I’ve often done is setting resolutions in the week of excess that is Christmas/New Years. We often feel guilty after stuffing ourselves with plates of food and boxes of alcohol in our holidays. It lends itself to setting unrealistic expectations of gastronomic purity to repent for our recent caloric sins (and other hedonistic/lazy pursuits such as smoking, not being organised, wasting money and not exercising).

In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, clinical psychologist Grant Brecht outlines the problem with New Years Resolutions: “People come up with the resolution with very little thought, often alcohol-fuelled, and they don’t go through goal setting in a strategic manner. These are knee-jerk reactions and a bit flippant, not actual goals.”

Brecht recommends that you call them goals, not resolutions and you make sure that they’re SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based (which if you’ve ever taken Marketing 101 may cause you to roll your eyes. Go with it.) Making sure you’ve thought through your goals carefully and created some boundaries will mean you’re far less likely to abandon them in the average of three to five days.

Brecht also recommends that you share your goals with others. When we did the Half Six Breakfast Club, getting up every morning at 6.30am every day for 30 days, the social pressure of telling everyone that’s what I was doing and having to update the time I got up every morning was the only thing that got me through. Without it I wouldn’t have lasted a week. A delightful side effect to putting the updates out there through PlanBig, Facebook and Twitter was that a bunch of people joined in and encouraged me along the way. As Scott Belsky says in my favourite book, Making Ideas Happen, “your accountability to your own ideas is greatly amplified when you “go public” on any project – and even more so when you publicly proclaim your goals.”

So take some time, reflect on the last year and what you’d like to achieve in 2012, write it down and tell someone about it! I’d love to hear what you’re up to, what are your goals for 2012?

— Julia