Offline2On.com - Where are we now?

Just want to update on the offline2on.com initiative and current status.

Why we Did Offline2On.com

You can see my other articles and Linked In Posts on this. My aim, and I know Kelly Vaughns aim, plus others around us, was to create a place to offer help for small businesses that needed help getting online. I've always been a big believer in supporting local, in ensuring the survival of our high streets, I often listen to the great podcast Conversations of Inspiration in the UK which champions the small, the unique and all that is quirky in the UK high street and beyond. In my opinion diversity is one of the greatest things we have as a society, I dont want to live in a world where the shop becomes a vending machine, I want to have relationships and I want to talk to my neighbor and support the world around me.

Living in Austin, TX you see this more fully, the weird shops selling records, or just the candy shops where I can get my UK sweets, the Austin Art Garage with great local artists, some of which hang on our walls at ShipperHQ. Its part of our life, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

So this is why I felt compelled to act. I am lucky to have built a lot of connections worldwide, and I asked them to come join me, and bring others to get an initiative running that could help offline businesses get online.

So What Happened?

Well Deb and Kelly, Allan and Laura, Mindy and Elena, Darin, and many others got on slack and they built offline2on.com. I spoke to Joe from the Buzzlabs and they did this absolutely superb video, we created a mechanism where people could ask for help, and people could offer help. It was that simple.

What I didn't personally take into consideration was that I'd get unwell with COVID-19. I havent been tested, I can say with a good degree of certainty that I had it, and the onset started just as we were talking about offline2on.com. I also had a company to worry about, as we all do, our lives, our homes, etc. Its been a hard few weeks. Luckily I didnt have the illness affect my lungs, I'm now 4 weeks since first symptoms and can say it felt like I'd been run over by a bulldozer, and I'm forever grateful to people like Quentin and Genevieve, Jared and Nicole in the firm, and those working the calls for just keeping ShipperHQ rolling, in what are unprecedented times. I'm getting there, prob these last 2 days I've really started feeling like I'm getting back on the bike and ready to roll. I've had to switch off at times, and accept I can't solve everything.

Despite this honestly the guys did brilliantly in offline2on.com. We could have done with more leadership for sure, we had a lot of hustle, a lot of chaos at times, and we didnt expect over 1300 people to join slack, just dealing with the DMs and the reach outs has been exhausting for all. Trying to rally volunteers and get people organised is hard work, I've got a company of 35, its not something I've ever had to deal with, and I think all of us could say that. For most of us on that slack we run small businesses, and we have to put those first. As much as we wanted to help we needed to consider that. And I respect this at all levels. Even those in larger companies had obligations.

My one regret is not getting more definitive structure in earlier, it was hard to do, especially battling what was happening on the outside. For all the emotional situation is hard. But you guys got it up and running, we have the system in place and offline2on.com is taking requests.

What needs to happen now?

Well thats your choice. Why did we invite you into this channel? It wasnt to sales pitch, it wasnt to push your agenda, or any of ours, it was to help small business. We as technologists honestly are in a priviledged position, there are small business owners out there watching years of effort just disappear. They are laying off loyal staff, they are facing ruin in some cases, and as much as the governments are helping there are core costs they just can't ignore. And many are sitting at home with closed shops just in despair. One of the aims off offline2on.com was to provide some hope, to connect people with people, and to help our local communities.

I want everyone to see this initiative as a way to go out to your local communities and offer help. Go bring a site online, go see how your shops near you are doing, and offer help. We have to help each other at this time. I know its hard, we all have our own priorities, I get it. Between us tho we can pull each other up, we can reach out and give that helping hand. If doing that by yourself works then great, if using offline2on, even just the video to reach out and get them to ring you direct helps, then use the video, use the site, see it as marketing material and resources you can use to go help your business.

What Aspirations Do I have?

Personally none. I'm a middle aged woman flung into a world of ecommerce honestly my closest friends will tell you I never really asked for, I just jumped on the train and the train got faster, bigger and somewhat carried me along for the ride. I'm here because of my team, they carry me more often than they realise, and I want to provide a good future for them, and just have some fun. I'm a coder, I like engineering, and I'd be quite happy just getting back to normal times. I have no aspirations. But I would like to go back to London and see the little shops in Teddington, or walk around the market in Bangkok, or know that my old town of Leigh-on-Sea still has the gift shops, the cake shops, and even the little embroidery shop that I never had time to go visit as life was too busy.

Personally, when this is all said and done I'll remember all those that stepped forwards. Thank you for being there. In particular Yoav, Darin, Ves, Laura, Mindy, Allan, Brent Alan, Alex, Elena, Luke, Alana, Tory, and I'm sure i've missed many thank you. These are times when you find out who is made of the good stuff.

What else is Happening

When we first started this I early on spoke to Adam Grohs who was working on the initiative #keepSmallStrong that is has similar aims to offline2on.com. I'd encourage you to go look at this, its a great initiative, and clearly Adam has much more powerful connections than me, he was able to do some amazing things here! Any initiative that can get these businesses up and running online has my support, any of them. This isn't about us, this is about them. We'd all do well to remember this. Our children will thank us.

Your call to Action

It's with you. I was a small part, and a very small part of setting up offline2on.com. We have people right now volunteering on it, if you want to volunteer yourselves to actually work on the initiative use this form. If you want to be added to the list of helpers who can connect with merchants asking for help then goto offline2on.com and add yourselves there. We don't have the capacity to create a directory of all the help, that was never an original goal and I think its not an advertising machine, its about those needing help being able to connect with those offering help. We spoke about putting other stuff on there like about logistics or payment, etc but have pulled away, its just too hard to manage in a volunteer capacity.

Get the word out, get all the words out. Go offer help.

I appreciate everyone who did step forwards. I know we havent got to many who offered help, we were overwhelmed. We have had to pull the remit back, its been important to care about all those involved in the initiative aswell, and not overload them. The action is now yours - use it for helping your communities is my request. Or don't, use what you have, but step forwards, remember what privilege we have. I certainly do.

And I'll leave you with TJ's video. Love it to bits, thank you TJ. If this doesnt inspire you I dont know what will. #stepForwards