YouWish

A recent report from Boston Consulting Group concluded that “Most women around the world are over-extended, over-worked, over-stressed and under-served by consumer providers. They want time leverage, more value and suppliers that specifically understand them.” 45 percent said they don’t have “enough time for me.”

I think we can all relate to this problem, but it does indeed seem to be true that women suffer more than men.

Why is that? 

Men can multitask and specifically in their working lives, but whether we like it or not men tend to be fairly hopeless at multitasking across their work, family and personal lives at the same time. Conversely women don’t have a choice. They have to multitask across all areas and are just bred differently to accept this. This means women invariably do have to carry the burden of more things than men. They do have to look after the home as well as the job. There are exceptions, but most men take much less responsibility for doing things outside their careers. We may not like it, but it’s a fact!

But what is more important is that we find solutions to help women deal with this issue rather than simply debate a subject that is discussed all to regularly. Increasingly women are setting up businesses that fit with their needs and their requirement to multitask. At You Wish we certainly believe that there is a need to win back some time and this is truer of women than men. That’s why the happiest customers we have tend to post several wishes at the same time, as they get more answers and more potential solutions in one, rather than seeking singular results in multiple places.

We want to hear more from women about how You Wish can help them specifically find more time for themselves and make more use of that time. We want to hear from service businesses that really value their customers and make a difference to their lives.

It may or may not be helpful to read Trendwatching’s new report on “Nowism” or why currency is the new currency”. 

This just celebrates the fact that our society wants everything immediately in real time. I am not sure that is always the answer, as sometimes it’s nicer to have some time out to reflect on what you want. Anyway let us know what you think. Let us help address the imbalance in people’s lives and particularly women’s lives

My mother died 3 weeks ago. It was very unexpected.  I was sure that she would make it through the final 2 doses of chemotherapy and we would take her on holiday to Sicily, as we were planning. Yes she was fighting cancer, but she had successfully fought off the first part. It seemed such a certainty to me then. But sadly now it is all over. As my godmother said to me afterwards, becoming an orphan is never easy, whatever age you are. How right that is.

My mother was a fighter. She was an Australian who had lived in many parts of the world. She had married my father here in England and after their divorce began a nomadic trail, living in different countries and trying out new places. She had lived many adventures and was afraid of nothing and no one. She had a full life. There were things that she wanted to do still but she had few regrets. She had successfully come to terms with everything that had passed in her life. And in the end she had settled back in France, near Cognac.

I know that when she died her biggest regret would have been not saying goodbye, because we had so many plans. We were also going to move her to Paris to be closer to her friends and family. She would have loved to have gone to Sicily again, once she was feeling stronger. She would have loved some wine, nice food and amusing conversation, as the sun settled over the sea. But actually she would have been content that she had tried most things and done most of what she had wanted.

She hadn’t taken up the Internet or email yet as she loved the phone, but I know that she loved the idea of You Wish. She loved the concept of getting other people to do the work for you, of getting stuff done, of living life to the full. She could see no reason for not doing what you wanted and no reason for carrying around a large to do list. There was no time like the present to say you wanted and try and get it. And that’s the thing. We all only have one life and yet we all have tons of things that we never get round to, especially for ourselves. Why wait any longer. Now’s the time to post what services you want that will make your life better or more enjoyable. Is it someone to do your garden or is it a programme to get you fitter and healthier. Whatever is it my mother would recommend you crack on as you never know how long you have and death and taxes come to us all!

Thanks

Chris

As we all know the world has been venting their anger on MP’s for their completely dishonest handling of their expenses. That’s old news. And yet it plays to a topic that is equally important but less widely discussed, namely people’s honesty on the web.

There seems to be a sort of unwritten law that it is ok to dissemble, cheat, lie, mislead and generally obfuscate on the web. In fact anything that avoids one having to disclose proper information. Why should this be acceptable? Just because the web police haven’t been created yet and Stallone is yet to appear to sort out good from evil, that is no reason for people to behave like that. Much of this has originated from the fact that people have an aversion to revealing their true identity on the web. And so it is increasingly hard for people to work out what stories are true or false and nowhere more so than on Twitter.

Why do I care?

Well I care because there are so many double standards being applied by people in different circumstances. It’s ok for Journalists to reveal information about MP’s expenses and yet media insitutions like the BBC have such a problem with being fully transparent about their own organisations.

If we want other people to take each one of us seriously then it is high time that we were all a little more transparent about who we are and what we want. And so if we expect companies to take time to give proper service, then it is equally important that people give out the right personal information to help them do their job. That’s why I find it frustrating when users of You Wish don’t put in their postcodes or other critical information that a business needs to sell them something. We shouldn’t have to mandate that people fill in a ton of personal information. Instead people should just think through what is important for that company or person to deliver what they want. They shouldn’t need prompting.

After all we protect people’s personal contact details. No-one gets those unless the individual concerned wants to give out their telephone number or email address. But we’re trying to create relationships here between companies and people and both sides need to honour an unwritten agreement. If I am going to take you seriously then at least think about my needs and respect my position. If all sides do that then everybody should find it much easier to get what they want.

It’s simple really. It’s like any friendship. It’s built on trust and it’s maintained by honouring that trust. Perhaps we can teach MP’s a thing or two after all!

I was just strolling home yesterday  in London enjoying the evening sun and how fine the world looked, when I heard a horrendous roaring noise. I carried on round the corner and alighted on a group of blokes attacking a rather proud tree! They were cutting large branches off it. I was horrified. My second reaction was to look to see what company they were from and to consider reporting them. They seemed absolutely non-plussed at another person gawping at their work.

I suppose in some environments one would call them tree surgeons – a very refined name for what appeared to me to be like environmental vandalism. I mean I know that there are times when they are an invaluable resource and prevent damage and cut down dead trees etc, but far too often nowadays they seem to be called out to do someone’s bidding just to make something more civilised. In this particular case clearly they were blocking the sunlight going into a top floor room, but that was no reason to cut down half the tree.

Trees are so precious and no more so than in London, where more and more get cut down and replaced with rather less mighty imitations. I wonder whether the Council even knew that this was happening and whether they would  bothered if they were told.

But then I thought maybe I might need a tree surgeon one day – I could be that person wanting my view cleared. And actually where did one find a good tree surgeon. Certainly I had never heard of a company that does it. Are there any national tree surgery companies – who knows? And how would I know if they were any good or if they just hacked down what they were told for a fee- the mercenaries of the spinney! It’s time for some tree surgery company ratings just in case someone needs one. Hopefully it won’t be me since I don’t want to encourage that sort of behaviour!