OpenIDEO
Cancel
OpenIDEO is an open innovation platform. Join our global community to solve big challenges for social good. Sign Up / Login or Learn more
Phase: Impact

Working towards a better job creation model using startup methods, openly accessible business models and local support.

This challenge has given me an incredible opportunity to validate an existing idea. Thanks to OpenIDEO's community collaboration, I was able to evolve my previous thinking into a solution that is poised for implementation with experienced partners. We are really excited about the potential impact of this project on a world that desperately needs an intervention for job creation.

Photo of Simon Blampied
5 9

Written by

Open Source Business Models Open Source Business Models
Off platform, I'm starting a social enterprise with a core focus on inclusive job creation, so I was really excited when I saw this challenge. I joined in to learn from others, contribute to a collective knowledge and see if I could get some positive contributions from others on my start up.

During the Research phase, I read a fair amount, threw in my 2 cents and debated whether I should share my idea. When we got to the Ideas phase, I saw that it would be a great opportunity to develop my idea through the structure of the challenge and support from the community. 

The idea started out as a database of business models. I visualized a comprehensive space tailored to the individual, aiming to make it easier for people to start businesses. I felt it would be cheaper than buying a franchise and less risky than starting from a blank slate.

Then I started speaking to people, Aditya got on board from New York and we agreed that working with local partners would be key. We were prompted and aided by the OpenIDEO Team members, Meena and Luisa, to improve our write-up, which we did. We also had some notable community contributors to aid us – Bettina and Wekeza. This collaboration would not have been possible without tapping into the OpenIDEO platform and it contributed greatly to the development of the idea.

I spoke to organisations such as Business Bridge and RAA, and I gathered feedback from potential users, including Zolile and Gcobisa. I also received some valuable input from Brian at the Cape Town Meetup. 

Zolile has a business that he recently started and is looking to start-up more. I sat down with him, found out he loves starting businesses and he is very keen to use the platform. We agreed to stay in touch so that he could help me refine the offering and we could help him with more businesses to start. 

The assimilated feedback illuminated a need for more support within the business model, so we decided to expand the "guidelines to start-up" into a structured startup program that walks participants through the startup phases, has the ability to overlay the business model database onto the process and will translate instructions into home languages when our users need it.



Thanks to this iterative process, I now have the confidence to execute this idea in the real-world, with experienced partners who want to collaborate on it. This is an incredible gift. 

My next steps are;
- Structured start-up program: I will be helping Gcobisa work on her idea to refine the process, then we will mockup an MVP. 
- Database of Business Models: We are pursuing implementation with partners, collaborating to create a richer resource. 
- Local Support: Maintaining and building relationships with local organizations and partners.

So lookout for this idea, with wide-scale applicability and great potential outcomes, its impact could be significant.

If you want to stay in touch or get progress updates, feel free to connect. Details are in my profile. 

Inspired by (1)

Open-Source Business Models
Open-Source Business Models

Find this story inspiring? Add your own!

Add your story

5 comments

Join the conversation:

Comment
Spam
Photo of Juan Chong

It is a great idea. I will like to learn and study it more to implement it in my office space in Central America . It has 5,ooo feet. I will like to have a business plan to : how can use it to benefits many graduates students.
My original idea were divided it in several area to lease as offices for the new enterpreuars,whom wanted to start their carriers what they had learned from school. Such law firm,accountant,real estate or others. But they have little capital and no experiences.

So the new open office space for rent and having a legal company name stablish with local gobernment ...offering with a Central Company name to support them. And have the support from local business in the same field or mentors from retired professionals. And can be partnership with the local communities to have financial and their needed services in the many fields.....as stated. So the new professionals can gain experiences and the way ,place to start their dreamed job to fulfill they had spent so much time and money to finished their carrier. Such like this program . I believe it will be great to elaborate it more to implement it.
Need your input and help to put it in action !

link
View all comments