F.A.Q.s

I'm now not only on Linkedin but also on Facebook, where Habitat Aid now has a page all to itself as well. It's been a great excuse to catch up with all sorts of folk who must have thought I was dead and who are now asking all sorts of very reasonable questions about what I'm up to. So to avoid needless repetition:

Q: What the hell is Habitat Aid? A: Look at the website.

Q: It's nothing to do with Terence Conran? A: No.

Q: Blimey - it looks blissful - you must have made a ton of money to do this. A: It is blissful, but as for the money you must be joking! I spent 1987 - 2008 advising and investing in the Japanese stock market: ...even working with some of the best people in the business, that's a tough ask.

Q: So this is a proper business proposition, not a hobby? A: Ask the Woolwich.

Q: Isn't this a bit of a doss compared to that high pressure City life though? A: You must be joking. I last worked this hard c.1992.

Q: And you really believe the mission statement on the website? A: Er....yes...

Q: So why have you done this? A: 1) Have you just read the mission statement on the website? 2) Because my 10 year old understands what I do now and because his children will understand what I'm doing.

Q: What does the wife feel about this? A: She's been fab. I don't think either of us really understood the magnitude of what starting HAL has meant, to be honest, and she's been incredibly supportive.

Q: It sounds a bit New Age to me - you've been in Somerset too long. A: I don't think so. Social Enterprise is a huge growth area, and I'm confident what we're doing will make a real difference.

Q: Yeah, right - but don't you wake up at 3.00 in the morning worrying about the new venture? It's a very different model to the norm, after all. A: I do - pretty much every day.