Business Design OP

I: Abstract:

         In this output packet (OP), which is my final project OP for the MSc ‘Integrative Ecosocial Design’ program, I dive into business design.  This is a process that deeply involves the self: Self-creation, Self-empowerment, and Self-manifestation.  The process also deeply involves others: admitting when/how I need help, finding synergetic connections, and directing my efforts appropriately.  I first cover the business hypothesis, philosophy and methodology.  Next, I go on to describe the business design itself, then what services the business provides and how.  I conclude with reflections on the various processes involved.  

II: Introduction:

         Welcome to the OP on Ecological Business Design.  This output is the culmination of years of hard work at farms, construction sites and classrooms, at home and abroad. For me, creating a business is based in my desire to help others, and to re-conceptualize human habitat to be more harmonious with the planet’s patterns.  The business is also a way for me to express the practical experiences that I have gained along a path of transformative action learning in a cohesive way.  It is my hope that I tie together the strands of my life in a way that shows how passionate I am about the services I bring forward.  I am excited to be in the position that I’m at on a life-long path of development.  The large-scale time frame of this OP entails all of my prior life experience, as well as my future journeys on this vocational path; however, this OP was written between October 2013 and January 2014. 

     The past two and a half years have been the most focused and goal oriented in my life.  I have moved towards expressing myself in a way that is in integrity, as well as being able to provide a right livelihood.  I would not be where I am today without the constant support of everyone in my life, and I am very grateful for all of the shared moments along the way.  Therefore, this business design is a synthesis of people, places and ideas; from the Rocky Mountains to coastal California, tropical dairy farms, holistic institutes and urban permaculture design courses; the business model represented here and the services offered are truly capable of bringing about a mutual harmony between human habitat and our natural environment. 

         In the introduction to a business design I must discuss the fundamental hypothesis from which I am basing the decision to dedicate my life and self to providing certain services.  My hypothesis is as follows: Providing services that regenerate ecosystems and reduce our impact on the environment, while increasing sustainability and health, are necessary to our well being and survival and will thus be adopted, whether voluntarily or in response to an emergency.   Basically, what I set out to do is change lose-lose patterns pertaining to water, energy, food, and waste into win-win situations, where we pay less to have more abundance.

The business development component is based on information from two books.  The first is The E Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to do About It by Michael E. Gerber.  The second is The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries.  I have also been fortunate and grateful to consult on business development with Kevin Bayuk, who is a business coach with Lift Economy, as well as an instructor at the Urban Permaculture Institute of San Francisco; and Kieth Holtaway who is a business consultant with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).  In addition, I attended a workshop entitled ‘Writing a Winning Business Proposal’ through the SBDC.  In it, I made connections and learned many of the writing methods that are contained within this essay.