Your Quarterly Dose of Optimism #1

Today's newsletter is a 5-minute read!??

Welcome to 'The Optimist'. Here you'll find our quarterly newsletter, a one-stop-shop full of positivity, innovation and Optimo news! As this is our first edition, let's introduce you to the team:

Danielle - Our Founder and Co-Director who is passionate about making a difference in the world we live in. She's an expert in understanding businesses, building relationships, identifying improvement opportunities and solving problems.

Vicky - Our Co-Director who cares about businesses having a fair, inclusive, and diverse approach to their people strategies. People are at the heart of what she does.

Mollie - Our Improvement Manager who is focused on the delivery of client, team, and personal objectives. She is always looking for ways to improve processes, overcome issues, and develop opportunities.

Nick - Our Improvement Consultant is the newest member of our team. He helps organisations to streamline their operations whilst delivering sustainability and good ethics to their stakeholders.

Charlotte - Our Digital Marketing Apprentice who started at the company on a placement from university but then became a permanent member of the team! She has a passion for creativity, innovation, and sustainability.

How To....

Rather than just telling you what we've been up to, we thought it might be good to feature something helpful in each edition too! So you'll find a 'how to' section in our newsletters going forwards that will cover all things operational improvements! Make sure you're following each of the team members for more of this on a regular basis too :)

So, for our first newsletter, let's start with some of the fundamentals.

Do you want to improve your business processes? ??

Many companies stick to the same methods, even when they are no longer effective. It's important to take a step back and assess if changes are necessary. Today, we'll explore some methods of how you can enhance your business processes.

It can be hard to identify the problem- the key is process mapping. Everyone loves a process map! They help you understand how the work flows and identify any inefficiencies or redundancies.

1?? Identify the process to map- this may seem a little obvious but it's important you select the specific business process you want to improve. Define the scope and boundaries of the process so you have a clear understanding of what you're mapping.

2?? Gather the information- Create a team of people who are knowledgeable about the process. Together, collect the relevant data and documentation. Conduct interviews and observations to ensure there's a comprehensive understanding of how the process operates.

3?? Create your process map- the main step in your improvement journey! You can choose which method you use here but the most common are flowcharts and swim lane diagrams. Document each step, making sure to include inputs, outputs, decision points, and responsible parties. Try to be as detailed as you can! The more detail- the better.

4?? Analyse the map- you now have your map, it's like to look at it critically. Look for bottlenecks, redundancies, delays, and any other inefficiencies. Identify any areas that need to be improved and prioritise these based on the impact on efficiency, cost reduction, or customer satisfaction.

5?? Implement improvements and monitor- you've identified what needs to be improved, time to act! Work with your team to streamline steps, automate tasks, and reassign responsibilities. Make sure you're using KPIs to monitor the effectiveness of your new process and track your progress.

??Remember: improving business processes requires a commitment to change and clear communication with your team. You need to ensure your employees are involved throughout. It can be a long process.??

Penny for a thought? ??

Have you ever thought about getting a student from university to help out with your business?

It not only lightens your loads but also allows them to gain work experience. So often students leave university to pursue their 'dream' career without actually having a little taster- we can help with that!

We know firsthand the benefits of helping a university student gain experience. Our digital apprentice, Charlotte, was in her second year of university when we gave her a placement with us.

By dipping her feet into the field of marketing and business, she got a taste for it and became a part-timer. Since finishing university, she has become our digital apprentice. ????

"There are so many job options out there! I knew I had an interest in marketing but I never got a chance to try it out so I didn't know if it was something I was going to be passionate about so helping out at Optimo whilst, at university, it let me see that this is something I loved and gave me a sense of direction and purpose into what I wanted to do once I left." ~Charlotte

Some Positive News

We always like to look on the bright side of things so let's start this off with some?positive?news. Sometimes we can get consumed by all the bad news we hear so why not remind ourselves that there is some good in the world:

1. Solar energy investments are expected to overtake oil for the first time this year, according to the International Energy Agency! Read more here >>>
2. Glastonbury 2023- was run solely on renewable fuels. This is the first time the festival has managed to not rely on fossil fuels. You can read all the details from Emily Eavis Read more here >>>

Company News ??

What have we been up to?

?We attended the Yorkshire Sustainability Week in July - Danielle even took part in a panel discussion about 'how your business can contribute to a better future'. If you missed it click here.

?We welcomed our newest member, Nick, to our Optimo family last month! He's settling in perfectly and we couldn't be happier.

? We were nominated for not 1 but 2 awards!!!

• We made the top 50 Northern Game Changers - which we are super excited about. We'll hear in the coming weeks how we get on as the awards are being held later in September.

• We are the finalists in the small business category of the Scale Up awards sponsored by Theo Paphitis Retail Group!! Which we are super excited about.

Keep an eye on our profiles to see how we got on with these.

Events ??

Before you go, here are some interesting events that are coming soon for you to check out:

???We are hosting an: " 'E'Co Working Day" on the 19th of September in Leeds. A chance to do your work surrounded by like-minded people who have sustainability and social impact at the forefront of what they do.

???This month we are also hosting an event at Leeds Digital Festival for the first time! "Sustainable Bytes: A Planet and Tech Round?Table" is a captivating round table conversation with sustainability experts, IT professionals, and people who are passionate about creating a cleaner future for our planet.

???People, Planet, Pint is coming back to Leeds on 26th October! A chance for like-minded people who care about sustainability to have a chat over nibbles and beers. ?? Everyone is welcome, use this link to book your place.