We all get ideas. You know, the ones that sound like good ideas at the time. But we forget to think them through.
And business owners do the same thing. Business people get caught up in an idea that sounds fantastic, that can improve their business, bring publicity, help others. But we sometimes stop to think that our idea may not be the best for the people we’re trying to help.
Case in point:
I saw a news story about a business group called “One Laptop Per Child” that wants to donate laptops to kids in developing countries. Great idea! Or is it? Why would I want to give laptops to children who are dying of AIDS and malnutrition? Maybe they have the ability to email their friends to let them know of places they have the ability to sleep for the night or find food.
How will these kids run these laptops? Where will they connect to the World wide web? I get a mental picture of lots of big-eyed children huddled around outside some World wide web cafe’ hoping to catch a stray wireless connection.
I did see that the organization had a program where you could buy a laptop and give one to a child in a developing country, but I still think it would be superior to donate the money to a reputable charity that could give the children what they REALLY need - food, clothing, shelter.
As business people, we need to think more about the needs of the people we’re trying to help rath than our own needs.
Tags: , AIDS, kids, developing countries, laptops, One Laptop Per Child
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