Constraints and Resource Efficiency 

Having some sort of constraint or scarcity surrounding your business can seem like a negative. What if I told you that’s usually not the case? Actually, in many cases, it’s a blessing in disguise. A Beautiful Constraint is a book about how to turn limitations into opportunities. It’s written by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden, who are both experts in the field of creative problem solving. 

The book is full of case studies and examples of how businesses and individuals have turned constraints into advantages. Not only did I find the book motivating, but it also helped me to see the potential in every challenge that I face personally and in regards to business. 

This concept of constraints leading to innovation goes hand-in-hand with resource efficiency in the nonprofit world. The ability to use resources in the most effective way possible. This includes saving time and money. One of the best pieces of advice that I can give to a non-profit organization is to save your time and money by not buying or renting a space or building too early on. 

Why You Shouldn’t Buy

There are many downsides to renting a space for business. Here at ROI, we don’t rent office space because we don’t want to take on the expenses or have the liability of managing the space. To put this all into perspective, ask yourself these questions about wasted space and time:

• How much time does a building sit empty?
• How much time does a car or vehicle go unused?
• How many churches, classrooms, rec centers, ect, are sitting empty a majority of the time?

When you think about these things, you see that resources and assets are all around us. As a non-profit, especially during the early stages of your organization, why would you accept the constraint of not having a place to work? There are likely (free) solutions all around your community.

How To Find Your Workspace

ROI was fortunate enough to have found partners with empty office space and schools with empty classrooms. Here’s how you can find your own resources and assets within your community.

Step 1: Find Someone who’s so fired up and passionate about your mission that they might let you set up a desk at that empty corner in their office.

Step 2: Get really clear on:

• What times of the day would you need space for?
• For how many people?
• How many days a week?

Step 3: Work on having one-on-one conversations with the people in your community who believe in your mission and have buildings or spaces. If they want to see more of your work, ask them if they would be willing to share their empty space with you. 

Not sure where to start looking? Here are some buildings in your community that may have some empty space?

• County government buildings
• Schools and classrooms
• Church buildings
• Rec centers
• Community colleges
• Libraries