The Eyes Have It
It has been said that The Eyes Are The Window Of The Soul. I’m not here to argue by whom it was first said (it has been attributed to at least The Bible, Shakespeare and Da Vinci – and probably several others). I want to talk about looking from the opposite perspective: from the inside out. In that, it is my assertion that The Eyes Are The Windows Of Learning. It is for us to draw aside our personal curtains and use our eyes to absorb the wisdom that is all around us.
Everything that we do, everywhere that we go, every person that we meet represents a learning opportunity.
Let’s take our recent trip to Winter Wonderland as an example. On the surface: a fun day out. But draw aside those curtains and we find that there is much more to see! At the event’s core is entrepreneurship at its best: taking an empty patch of grass and turning it into a phenomenally successful money-making venture. It might be argued that that same principle could apply to any empty patch of ground… … even your own back garden.
Dig a little deeper and consider how the entrepreneur makes their money. Do they take the responsibility (and expense) of building huts to lease out to stall holders? Or do they sell patches of ground to the highest bidder? How might they earn in addition to this leasing of space? A percentage of profits? A percentage of takings?
What will they have to provide? Security? Cleaning and waste services? Generators and water points? These represent sub-contracted services of course. Their costs need to be covered by the profits from the stall-holders – and the ideal business model for these is the cash neutral one, where there is money coming in from stall holders that will cover these outgoing expenses before they are due.
And the stalls themselves? Our eyes first take in the overall impression, the vibrant colours, the motion, the aromas. But then those same eyes can dig deeper: what is window-dressing and what is selling? How are items priced – compared to other stalls and to the high street? How are they marketed? How are they merchandised? Those same eyes will learn from both good and bad examples. What type of customer demographic is shopping (actually buying, not browsing) from which type of stall?
You might also ask yourself about technology, signage, payment, waste management, recycling and a myriad of other aspects that are relevant to you, your studies or your future career.
Think of it as a highly visual study manual!
Bruce A J McLauchlan
Manager: Knowledge Exchange Centre