Last Updated on March 21, 2024

Tech should be inclusive – and we should encourage and allow access as much as possible

The Internet is About Inclusion

So, these things recently happened to me:

✓ I believe I lost out on a project because I really don’t think you should have a facebook business account in lieu of a business website.

✓ I gained more small business and non-profit clients this month than I did the entire summer.

✓ I reduced my hourly wage to accomodate a worthwhile online project I believed in that wouldn’t have been able to afford me. (I know, but I could not help it.)

In my last post, I wrote we should “embrace small in order to win big“. I was talking about the people focused aspects of Agile and Design Thinking, but today I am thinking it also rings true for my client focus.

How many good reasons to work for less money?

I googled “working for non-profits”, which many of my clients are, and I found results for 5 reasons, 8 reasons, 12 reasons, 19 reasons. I think there is 1 good reason to work for non-profits, small local businesses, and educational organisations.

That reason is that without them, I think we are going to be kind of lost. Also tables may be reversed and, being way over 50, I will probably soon be a client of these non-profits. (cue laugh track)

As the 1% balloon climbs higher away from us, the small guys and gals are like this stage on which the rest of us remain standing. Beneath that stage is nothing good, and we are probably heading towards some sort of dystopean swap economy anyway. I mean, I don’t have any solid numbers available but it’s a hunch.

It’s this thinking that also encouraged me to work with open source systems like Drupal, and WordPress, and to support kid’s coding like Hacker School, or to offer free time explaining SEO at community clubs. It’s because Tech is inclusive – should be, inclusive – and we should encourage and allow access as much as possible.

I believe this so much that I’ve written books for schools, small businesses, and nonprofits to help them with their online marketing.

So, that is why I feel great about what I do. I spend my time working for low hourly rates on a homeopathic caregiver’s website, or I teach kids programming at a local school, or help challenged people blog – there are a lot of these little jobs.

I feel really much better at the end of the day than I did selling google ads, or planning corporate social media posts.

Disclaimer and Shameless Marketing

I know I’m privileged to be as busy as I want to be rather than I need to be – but on the other hand my car is 15 years old, I get my shoes repaired when needed, and I rent an apartment – so you make choices for yourself.

However, at the end of the day, when the plug is pulled on the whole internet thing we do, I think I’ll still be able to get a bowl of soup at the local cafe because I once did their website. That’s pretty cool.

Blog post photo thanks to rawpixel.com – www.freepik.com

Are you a small business, non-profit, school or same and need help with Digital Marketing and the Web? Do you have budget constraints? Drop me a line. We’ll work it out!