You may have noticed a drop in the number of blog posts recently. This is because an opportunity has finally come through. On Monday this week I was confirmed as a volunteer in Marketing for the Solent Credit Union, a co-operative organisation for savings and loans mostly used by people the banks rejected, it is a sort of cross between a charity and a business.
My official title is "Marketing Officer", my actual job is somewhat vaguer. I have a Marketing "team" of four individuals, two of which I am yet to actually meet. How they work and what they actually do also seems to a mystery to me. All my interractions have been with the vice president of the organisation, a super pensioner, who seems to be vice president, marketer, leading a take over, volunteer co-ordinator, general helper and full time employee. Like me he is a volunteer, but it seems to me at least he is "The Solent Credit Union." That is not to say I am suggesting the many other volunteers do not do anything, Phil just seems to have an impressive remit.
Phil believes the SCU need a marketing officer as their current marketing is a mess. From what I have seen so far this is not far from the truth. The promotion, website and customer interractions all need improvement if the Credit Union is to actually maintain consistent growth and continue to be a force for good in the community.
On Wednesday I got to travel with Phil to the offices of the Coastal Credit Union in Bournemouth, an organisation not unlike our own, but fields ahead in terms of members, promotions, quality and growth. We met with two paid staff members to discuss marketing ideas. The CCU has done fantastically but this has been in no small part down to luck. One of the members believed so strongly in the cause that he remortgaged his house to buy the CCU a premises from which to work from. This and the fact they have 5 paid staff including a CEO can help explain why they are so far ahead of us in all terms. The meeting for me was challenging, I wanted to appear confident but not brash and overconfident, whilst at the same time I did not want to appear like I did not know what I was doing in front of people with decades more experience than me. I am currently writing a preliminary marketing plan/strategy for the organisation but realistically have no idea how good or useful it is. Something I will have to discover when I distribute it on completion. The fact is though the CCU have resources we don't and that is at the root of the problem.
We need skilled volunteers. We need young enthusiastic people who understand web design, marketing, graphics designing, promotion and lobbying. Until we have the resources its hard to really improve. I found out for instance our website has been created in microsoft publisher. We had information to add in to the news section but the person responsible couldnt get it to work.
This is ultimately frustrating. Without belittling the actions and achievements of the current volunteers, we need new blood, with new ideas and that for now is going to be my priority.
Should anyone be interested in volunteering or the areas above. Feel free to contact me for a chat and then I can direct you to the relevant person. The SCU has enormous potential, I just need help realising it.
In other news just got a rejection notice from Fubra. Apparently although they were impressed with my written and research skills, as well as with this blog, other candidates had more relevant skills.
*sigh*
The search goes on.
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