1. How to be a social entrepreneur

2. About me 1.Failed at school 2.Learn by doing 3.Start stuff... 4.Written 17 books 5.Rock boats 6.Often quoted 7.Have a reputation!! 8.Like lists... It’s how others see you that matters most!

3. My social enterprise Confronting the inconvenient truth that the best way to reduce youth unemployment is to grow small businesses!

4. Facts: 7% of SMEs hire apprentices 99.7% Norfolk biz is SME 9.4% NEET in Norwich Government policy is changing – currently in our favour Public sector partners can be unpredictable - beware Not everyone fits the box – and those that don’t are often the most interesting! ‘Be led by your gut and your market, not by trying to deliver what Government says it wants!’ Robert Ashton

5. Social enterprise is all about pedalling like heck in the opposite direction to almost everyone else... but things are changing!...... now think about spinning

6. Top tip Why bust a gut to re-create a wheel when all you need to do is put a new tyre on one someone else made earlier?

7. 1/10 ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world’ ‘As human beings our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world- as in being able to remake ourselves’ Mahatma Gandhi

8. Which means for us.. 1.Harness the pain of personal experience 2.Be true to yourself & your values 3.Sacrifice what’s not important What’s Jeremy Corbyn got in common with Martin Luther King?

9. 2/10 ‘Nobody can hurt you without your permission’ Mahatma Gandhi

10. Which means for us.. 1.Conquer your negative responses 2.Focus on the possible 3.Accept that not everyone will understand Why is now a good time to step inside the public sector tent?

11. 3/10 ‘Forgive and let it go’ ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong’ Mahatma Gandhi

12. Which means for us.. 1.Accept that some are ignorant 2.Understand fear & prejudice 3.You won’t win every battle Times change, values change but do people change?

13. 4/10 ‘Without action, you’re not going anywhere’ ‘An ounce of practice is worth a ton of preaching’ Mahatma Gandhi

14. Which means for us.. 1.You have to start before you feel ready 2.Acknowledge, then take risks 3.Don’t wait for permission – just do it! How can you help reconcile growing demand for services, reducing budgets & increasing regulation?

15. 5/10 ‘Take care of the moment’ ‘I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. I have no control over the future’ Mahatma Gandhi

16. Which means for us.. 1.Do it now, don’t wait ‘just in case’ 2.Share your success & build support 3.Enjoy each day; it will not return When did you last spot, and grab an opportunity that won’t return?

17. 6/10 ‘Everyone is human’ ‘It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err’ Mahatma Gandhi

18. Which means for us.. 1.Allow others to see your vulnerability 2.Make your mistakes public 3.It’s OK to change tack when the wind is against you I learned to walk by falling over. How do you learn?

19. 7/10 ‘First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win’ Mahatma Gandhi

20. Which means for us.. 1.Stick close to those you seek to support 2.Recognise that attack is a sign of success 3.Don’t become complacent when you win! Ask me why we’ve re-invented Swarm three times now!

21. 8/10 ‘See the good in people and help them’ ‘Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow men’ Mahatma Gandhi

22. Which means for us.. 1.Accept that even evil people do good 2.Support turns vulnerability into commitment 3.Knowing yourself really well is vital! How can the black sheep in your family make you a better person, and a more compassionate social entrepreneur?

23. 9/10 ‘Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self’ ‘Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony’ Mahatma Gandhi

24. Which means for us.. 1.Saying no to things we cannot support 2.Saying no to grants with strings attached 3.Standing firm when pressed to do things your gut tells you are wrong Are you bold enough to swap block contracts for the accountability of payment by results?

25. Finally, three more things The least likely people have the most likely answers If the answer you get is no, change the question You’re on the right track when you sleep through the night – apart that is from waking up to pee!

26. ‘To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity’ Douglas Adams 10/10

28. www.robertashton.co.uk