7. Drive big business by understanding your customers on a local level | Andy Cook, Centre for Social Justice

Being a socially conscious business is becoming more and more important, but can it really help you grow your brand long-term? In this episode of All About Business, James Reed sits down with Centre for Social Justice CEO and proud Leeds native, Andy Cook. They explore the unseen world of philanthropy, why small charities are often more powerful, the best interview questions to ask future employees, and the steps you can take to become a brand locals love. Andy is CEO of The Centre for Social Justice, an award-winning organisation that aims to solve Britain’s most pressing social issues through political change. Hailing from Leeds, Andy founded another award winning charity that helped disadvantaged youth across the Midlands. Since then, he’s become an advisor to several leading philanthropists and CSJ has been awarded social policy Think Tank of the Year for the last 2 years. 1:56 - Introducing Andy Cook - CEO for the Centre for Social Justice 2:48 - The Centre for Social Justice 8:43 - The five areas of help that affect Society 9:58 - The Big Give 13:38 - The importance of giving people opportunities 16:56 - The power of smaller charities 19:04 - Where do donations go and how to make the process better 21:07 - Should businesses engage more with philanthropy? 25:35:00 - The Kickstart Program 27:40:00 - Finding a balance between education and employer's needs 31:36:00 - The Centre for Social Justice Foundation 34:36:00 - Why businesses should be more involved in the education system 38:18:00 - How you can help 40:10:00 - Reed interview segment 41:50:00 - Wrap up and final thoughts Find out more about the CSJ Follow Andy on LinkedIn Register for the Green Match Fund Donate to a cause you care about Follow James Reed on LinkedIn All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at: www.reed.com This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to get your brand heard, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk