Two adages most frequently used in business (or anywhere else for that matter):

“Our best resources are our people”

“It’s not what you know – it’s who you know”

I first dreamed up mycelium some years ago, and would occassionally discuss it with trusted friends, all of whom thought it was a great idea.  However, it wasn’t until creating this website that I realised the web was the powerful tool needed to develop this concept.

I’ve met hundreds (well probably thousands) of people I admire who have skills, knowledge and talents that it’s worth others knowing about.  I meet many people who are making their way in the world doing things they believe in passionately, and I’m very lucky to move in circles where such folks predominate. I also know there are many more people out there not doing exactly what they want.

The concept for mycelium came from discovering the importance of fungi in natural systems.  When you see a mushroom or toadstool it is only the outward fruiting body of a living organism spread by millions of interconnected strands through the soil and flora of its environment.  Every part of the network is connected to every other part, and the function of the mycelium (which is what this organism is called) is to exchange nutrients – aiding the decomposition of old material to create fertile conditions for the creation of the new.

So our virtual network will do the same.   And just like the underground plant that we know as ‘fungus’ because that’s what we see of it, we’ll just carry on building contacts, learning about the resources of our network, feeding each other, quietly.  So when you register at mycelium (and it only takes a minute or two, so do it today!), do take the time to fill in your profile – because as this mycelium grows we will want to share what we have to offer and what we are looking for, gaining mutual benefit.  Later on we will have developed enough to burst into full view and scatter some wisdom and good consequences.  Our ability to inter-trade ideas, goods, services and support will feed that ability.

The spores have landed, and they are starting to germinate and take root. Then the network spreads.  Later it will fruit spreading new spores.  And so on.  I look forward to your contribution to that process.

Graham

I have been working for Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce on a contract basis for over five years, handling their Press & Policy functions.  Publicity is a key part of the Chamber’s strategy to grow its membership.  You can’t be the Voice of Business without a strong understanding of the needs and aspirations of entrepreneurs and how local, national and international conditions affect their ability to succeed.  So to be a spokesperson and manage a communications programme you need to be well informed, up to speed, and cultivate a wide network of contacts to develop the respect that gets your views heard.  The success of this contract is borne out by over four hundred interviews in the last twelve months (that’s nearly two per working day) and a growth in membership of 9% over that period.  You can check out a selection of issues and coverage here.