An estate agent sponsored a school production of The Lion King...
...as well as getting pupils a behind-the-scenes tour of Silverstone and the Ferrari pits
THE SECRET TO BUILDING LONG-LASTING PARTNERSHIPS
How can you pick the right partner to deliver the right outcomes and build long-term relationships for ongoing mutual benefit? Howard Rose explains…
O
ne question I keep getting asked is, ‘Should a school really run like a business?’. For some it’s a genuine
question, while for others it’s a dig as they hark back to the ‘good old days’ of education. My answer is always a resounding ‘Yes!’. We have to accept that schools are
a business, we just have a different product. Once we accept this – or, better still, embrace the fact – we can start to make the magic happen!
Getting started When I first started in my role, the only thing I knew was business, so it was time to go back to basics – this was covered in the spring 2016 issue of FundEd (available online at
funded.org.uk/magazine). Conduct a SWOT analysis – assessing your school’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – and look at what other schools are doing: do they have a funding manager or similar? Share best practice – you don’t need to reinvent the wheel!
38 SUMMER 2018 FundEd Another apt business approach
I use is ‘plan your work, then work your plan’. Think about what you want to achieve and not only how you are going to get there but also how you are going to maintain it. I have always set out to build
relationships rather than just do business. If you have a ‘smash and grab’ mentality you will be on the treadmill for life. Work hard to build relationships and you will be amazed at how easy things become. Meet for coffee and get to know
potential sponsors – talk about their interests away from work and you will be surprised at what you can find out. I have one sponsor (an estate agent) who is into amateur dramatics and also teaches racing drivers at Silverstone. As a result, he sponsored our school production of The Lion King and also facilitated a behind-the-scenes tour of Silverstone, where the children got to meet the Ferrari team! Ask partners what they would like to do or to get involved with. What
are their interests? Then match them to projects in the school. So many businesses have links to learning and the curriculum, you just have to think creatively and be able to explain to your sponsor how your partnership might work. I nearly always start with our
sponsors’ wall and build up from there. This is where small bricks featuring sponsors’ names are displayed on the side of the building, near the school entrance. I charge £150 a year, which is a great way to start building your passive income, and most businesses understand the concept. You can also point out the fact that it is tax-deductible! Suggest how your relationship might develop from there and then give examples of bigger projects, planting the seed for future growth.
Work smarter, not harder If you are giving updates or asking for help/support it might be nice to send individual emails, but do you really have the time? If you do have time then try to include something personal, but if not, send a blanket email with your generic ‘good afternoon’ greeting and blind copy (bcc) everyone – for data protection
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