Back in 2003 Sarah and I started a joint venture with one of our customers called ‘Liverpool back in business.’ We’d just been selected as European Capital of Culture for 2008 and our venture was going to take advantage of this renewed interest in all things Liverpool and give visitors to the city ‘insider’ tours of a place getting ready to welcome the world. We bought the domain name, engaged partners, tried it out, set up a website. Did everything, in fact, except sell our idea to enough people. Too far ahead of the game? Maybe, because now it looks like Liverpool really is back in business.
I’m here at West Africa House, opposite the Liver Buildings, for a book launch. And to see and celebrate what two of my friends, Fiona Shaw and David Parrish, are contributing to the well being of our city. And I’m here to talk business.
Yes, normally this blog concerns itself more with the society and structure of Liverpool than the grubby business of making money. But the blog is, let’s face it, part of the website of the business that’s kept me and Sarah going these past 20 years. And it’s business, trading, commerce, creativity and ideas that help pay for the running of the city. That turned the little port into a city in the first place. So business does matter, even though I don’t usually talk about it much.
We’ll come back to David and his book, bur first Fiona and what she’s up to.
Continue reading “Liverpool: Back in business?”
Yesterday I published my arguments about the dangers of over regulating social enterprise in ‘Sectors are where movements go to die.’ Saying at the time that I’d be happy to publish the counter arguments of my debating partner in this inaugural Ethos Paper debate at Baltic Social a few days ago. Good enough, Matt Donnelly of Health Equalities Group has sent me what he said and here it is. Over to you Matt.
