Estimated studying time: 9 minutes
2020 was a yr of many modifications and a yr which has eternally modified our enterprise. After we initially began our enterprise, the imaginative and prescient was to be just like the plumbers of the sensible residence world. A service very similar to some other residence commerce to assist individuals who perhaps lack the know-how, instruments or time to do it for themselves. Serving to folks to get the most effective out of their residence environments and empowering folks to be unbiased via know-how. A wonderfully legitimate enterprise mannequin, till you think about a extremely contagious virus and the truth that our fundamental buyer base are susceptible adults.
I wish to replicate on issues which have occurred. It’s essential for me to do that to then navigate the way in which ahead. As Steven Covey says “reside your life by a compass, not a clock”. Taking time to be sure to are on the appropriate course of journey is essential, regardless of how pressed for time you assume you’re.
I don’t dissect each element, however as an alternative attempt to put issues into context. This enables me to maneuver on. Throughout this reflective train I additionally really feel it’s important to search out the great, respect how far we’ve come and all of the issues we’ve got to be thankful for. In doing so I’ve realised how pivotal the those who we’ve got met on our journey have been and the way wonderful our assist community is.
We reside in an ageing society. However what does that actually imply?
Within the subsequent 20 years the stability of younger and outdated will shift to the purpose the place there can be one aged individual for each two folks of working age. The problem this presents is two-fold, a discount in relations in a position to present assist and a smaller pool {of professional} carers.
TL Tech is a Sensible Houses Options supplier with a distinction. We assist folks get the most effective out of sensible residence applied sciences and create distinctive residence environments to fulfill their wants and price range. Our imaginative and prescient is to “create a house that cares for you as you age”.
Sensible residence applied sciences have the ability to remodel lives, particularly for the susceptible in our society. This weblog collection can be seeking to showcase the alternatives, discover out extra concerning the folks working on this area and the way we are able to create a world the place “sensible meets sort” ®.
I’ve titled this weblog piece, “taking a distinct tack”, as Thomas is crusing fan, and I believe that it’s a very nice analogy for the way 2020 went for us. As Franklin D. Roosevelt mentioned “a clean sea by no means made a talented sailor”.
In March 2020 the world modified, and we recognised that this alteration meant that how we ship our enterprise would want to alter, and that now greater than ever folks wanted our assist to get via these tough occasions.
So, what did we do? We moved our service on-line. We now supply on-line appointment reserving, a free data base, reside chat service, Fb assist group with reside tutorials and YouTube channel with useful ideas movies. We created our new Sensible Meets Variety model, together with efficiently getting this wording trademarked. We began an everyday e-newsletter. We elevated our social media presence, curating, creating and sharing helpful content material.
We took on our first employees member, Ecaterina Vidrascu. Thomas was a finalist within the Abilitynet Tech4Good Awards. We ran a extremely profitable small crowdfunding marketing campaign. We took on a part-time Media and Communications intern, Victoria Nechifor, to assist with our movies and social media. And this all culminated within the creation of our personal voice software referred to as Kindspace for Alexa to assist folks to handle their self-care and know when to achieve out for assist. You’ll find out extra concerning the story of Kindspace right here.
Now this all feels like a vastly constructive set of achievements, however it’s just one aspect of the story. We additionally have been thrown into residence education our 11 and seven yr outdated. I nonetheless work half time within the oil business and there was a number of uncertainty concerning the work I used to be supporting offshore with the ability to progress. Thomas was placed on furlough from the work he does with Albyn Housing. We utilized for lots of various funds to get our on-line assist service launched and to construct the voice software, however didn’t get any of them, it has been a horrible expertise coping with a lot rejection. We obtained quotes for assist to create the tutorial movies and promotional content material, however these have been all too costly.
Slightly than let this stuff act as boundaries, we simply needed to get resourceful, do issues ourselves and study alongside the way in which. As Karen Salmansohn says “essentially the most difficult occasions carry us essentially the most empowering classes”.
In case you have a look at our first movies you will note how unhealthy they have been, as we struggled with gradual web, a gradual laptop, poor microphone and unhealthy lighting, however we felt it was higher to begin after which hopefully study and enhance than attempt to polish and ideal. What mattered to us most was serving to folks and exhibiting them how voice assistant know-how might assist them whereas isolating and shielding. I wish to focus this overview on the individuals who’ve helped us, quite than fill this put up with all of the issues that we’ve got realized (very often the arduous approach), I’m planning on doing a separate put up on instruments for bootstrapping. After we speak about tech it’s by no means concerning the tech, it’s at all times concerning the folks.
So, who has actually helped in 2020? Too many to say everybody individually, however I’d say that there have been just a few which have (maybe unknowingly) strongly influenced our capacity to climate the storm. Right here’s just a few examples of the ability of connection and serendipity:
- My brother Ian was placed on furlough and got here to stick with us to assist take care of the children till his work have been in a position to make changes and reopen on the finish of the primary lockdown.
- Elevator and the Enterprise Gateway service launched us to Roddy McLean (Feral), Bob Mild (Amplify) and Lara Moloney. Roddy helped with 1-2-1 assist to show me about digital content material advertising and how you can assume like a media firm, numerous his ideas have been put into motion. We’ve loved listening to Bob’s common podcasts and “assembly” his wonderful company, to listen to their journeys and ideas. Some favourites have been Ash Boreland a private branding professional and Col Grey from Pixels Inc who specialises in brand and model design. Extra not too long ago Lara has shared all her B2B gross sales knowledge which has actually helped with the launch of Kindspace.
- We’ve got a tremendous community of associates via ONECodebase, together with Barclays Eagle Labs, Kate McKay (Design Dash Academy) and The Datalab.
2020 was a relentless yr, all of us dug deep into our reserves of hope and pulled collectively to get via. Our attitudes to wellbeing, loneliness and psychological well being are eternally modified. These emotions are very actual and all of us now have a greater appreciation for the way it impacts our capacity to perform. After we determined to construct Kindspace, I don’t assume we fully knew what we have been getting ourselves into and to be trustworthy I nonetheless don’t, however the expertise has been fairly magical and virtually serendipitous in locations, so I’m simply going to carry onto that magic, and perhaps on our subsequent crusing journey we’ll meet a mermaid (did I let you know that my favorite Disney Princess is Ariel from the Little Mermaid).
Earlier than I’m going, I assumed it is likely to be good to provide you an perception into what we’ve got deliberate for 2021. Whereas I say that is the plan, it’s a very unfastened plan and if final yr taught us something is that you must embrace change, search for the constructive and hold going, following the course of the compass.
In lots of respects, the arduous work is just simply beginning with Kindspace. We’ve got an ocean to cross (perhaps fairly actually) to lift consciousness about Kindspace and acquire extra suggestions. We began our journey with the query “can a dialog with a voice assistant present an perception into wellbeing, such that the person can then motion enhancements?” Sustaining wellbeing requires well-timed nudges and continued motivational assist. To personalise content material, this wants knowledge and opens moral dilemmas about how the info is used. Taking the time to map out the info technique is subsequently actually essential in order that we are able to honour folks’s knowledge and use it to meaningfully enhance their lives.
My final reward to you is somewhat video I created with some additional motivational sea themed quotes:
“Twenty years from now you can be extra disenchanted by the issues that you just didn’t do than by those you probably did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the protected harbor. Catch the commerce winds in your sails. Discover. Dream. Uncover.”
Mark Twain
“The pessimist complains concerning the wind; the optimist expects it to alter; the realist adjusts the sails.”
William A. Ward
“We will battle the ocean, or we are able to embrace it. Typically she can be candy and typically imply as a snake. We should embrace the expertise and belief we’ll get via it.”
Michelle Segrest
“No pessimist ever found the key of the celebrities or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a brand new heaven to the human spirit.”
Helen Keller
In case you preferred this put up, try our different articles, we’ve got some very thrilling plans for 2021 with visitor interviews, which I believe you will love. You too can subscribe to our mailing checklist to be notified when we’ve got new posts and assist materials accessible.
We love to listen to your tales of how you could have been utilizing sensible residence applied sciences and voice assistants and what ideas that you just may need found to share with others, so please do get in contact additionally on our social media channels. We’ve got a devoted Fb Group neighborhood that you’re greater than welcome to affix, simply click on right here.
