# Introduction
Here's all you need to know about Grow Remote!
## Welcome!
Welcome to Grow Remote! You are becoming a part of an amazing community of people who believe in the power of remote work to enable individuals, community and companies.
Being a Chapter Lead can be an extremely rewarding experience where you get to support people and your community. This might be helping people who are already working remotely to find a tribe to connect with or in helping those who would like to access remote work. Chapters decide on their main goals and work together to achieve their goals. Another common goal for Chapters is to educate their community on remote work.
This guide is meant to help you along the way. Make sure to read through it, share it with the rest of your team, and use it as a reference. It may be long, but should have everything you need to navigate your role as an organizer. Good luck!
## How this Wiki came about....
Like most things in Grow Remote, it's not what we do, but why we do it. Grow Remote was built by a team of volunteers who felt compelled to take action, but we had no budget and needed jobs to pay the bills.
We were at the centre of a bunch of brilliant, magic work happening across chapters and we noticed that learnings were not being shared (because they were in our heads!). Here, is where we can share the magic...
### How To Use The Wiki
This Wiki is designed to be the ultimate resource for helping you in running the chapter. From high-level to nitty-gritty details, we’ve compiled and consolidated all our event and organizing experiences into an easily-navigable and accessible resource. The bulk of this guide, however, is broken down in sections based on topic.
> Attention!
>
> #### Common issues (A sample heading)
>
> Throughout this guide you will see sections like this one, to help you understand challenges that others in the community have encountered. We include these sections to help you learn from each other and help make the process smoother. If you have suggestions for the guide or these "Attention!" sections please email them to: with the title "Grow Remote Wiki".
>
> **Common mistakes before the event:**
>
> **Share the event with the wider Grow Remote community.** Make sure you let us all know the details of your event in good time so we can share it with the community.
>
> **Neglect to post & email out a final schedule & directions.** Double check the information listed on Eventbrite.
>
> **Live in a bubble.**Talk to previous organizers and others in your region. They have a lot of wisdom and love to share it
#### This Wiki is Ever-Evolving
While we have kept the information general enough so that it applies across many regions, many resources/suggestions may only be relevant in certain contexts. Currently, most of the guide and downloadable content is in English-only. Ultimately, in the spirit of lean methodology, this guide is a work in progress.
**A warm welcome!**
{% embed url="" %}
# Our Values
It's not what we do, but why we do it.
We're a can-do bunch with a bias for action on the ground. We maximise what *we* can do rather than think about what others are not doing, or what can't be done. We're kind, optimistic, and relentlessly ambitious for the future of work, and our communities.
The *Meitheal* is at the heart of Grow Remote and how we operate.
The word *meitheal* describes the old Irish tradition whereby people in rural communities gathered together on a neighbour’s farm to help save the hay or some other crop. Each person would help their neighbour who would in turn reciprocate.
It is held up as an idyllic example of community spirit. But the system was also an entirely efficient, speedy and cheap way to get a major job of work done.
The below mission and values were agreed by the group on a Google doc on February 25th, 2019. As we grow and develop our culture, we'll come back to these.
**Mission**
Our mission is to realise the potential that new ways of working present to local communities. By connecting all those already working remotely and giving them the community, support and resources they need, as well as growing the number of people working remotely, we can help to have a really positive impact in our local area.
\
**Vision**
A world where people are able to live, work, and participate locally. \
**Values**
Grow Remote operates according to the following values:
* We believe that local impact is the most powerful tool in national change, and we can make that happen.
* We believe in making friends, not contacts.
* We believe in approaching things in a positive way.
* We believe in generosity to our fellow volunteers, and the communities we work in.
**Tagline.**
We make remote work local
In October, 2019 Grow Remote became a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awardee - see the video [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeuUkEFQeGo).
# Code of Conduct
The Grow Remote team and community is made up of a mixture of professionals and volunteers working on every aspect of the mission – including mentorship, teaching and connecting people.
Diversity is one of our huge strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues and frustration. To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to. This code applies equally to all those participating in our events (organisers, mentors, judges, sponsors, facilitators and attendees).
This isn’t an exhaustive list of things that you can’t do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it’s intended – it's a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us and the technical communities in which we participate.
This code of conduct applies to all events managed by the Grow Remote team (pre- and post- Grow Remote events included). In addition, violations of this code outside these spaces may affect a person’s permission to participate within them.
If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing or directly, by engaging with the organisers.
**Be friendly and patient.**
**Be welcoming.** We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, colour, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.
**Be considerate.** Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take will affect colleagues and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions. Remember that we’re a world-wide community, so you might not be communicating in someone else’s primary language.
**Be respectful.** Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behaviour and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the Grow Remote community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the Grow Remote community.
**Be careful in the words that you choose.** We are a community of professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behaviour aren’t acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
* Violent threats or language directed against another person.
* Discriminatory jokes and language.
* Posting sexually explicit or violent material.
* Posting (or threatening to post) other people’s personally identifying information (“doxing”).
* Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms.
* Unwelcome sexual attention.
* Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.
* Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.
**When we disagree, try to understand why.** Disagreements, both social and technical, happen all the time and Grow Remote is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of Grow Remote comes from its varied community, people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere, rather offer to help resolving issues and to help learn from mistakes.
Original text courtesy of the [Speak Up! project.](http://speakup.io/coc.html)
# What is Grow Remote?
### **Who We Are**
Grow Remote, is a non-profit organisation founded in September 2018 by a group of amazing people who wanted to help repopulate and revitalise their rural areas across Ireland.
### **What We Do**
We call it “Remote Work In-a-box”.\
\
Our process makes it easy for future community managers to implement remote working locally. We do this by using an onboarding platform called ChangeX which allows local leaders to sign up and get educated on how to build and foster remote working communities locally by:
1\. Helping people (individuals) find full time remote jobs online\
2\. Helping employers (companies) adapt to the remote working culture\
3\. Building a community that will support both individuals and companies so everyone can work remotely in harmony.
We are hoping that by achieving these 3 goals we will be able to slowly normalise remote working in the future.\
\
Education is our top priority. We teaching people the differences between remote work, freelancing and entrepreneurship and we educate people on the definitions of "Remote work", "Flexible work", "Distributed teams" and many other things that might be confusing to people who have never worked online before.
### **How We Do it**
**For Individuals**
**●** We help individuals get started working online (Re-skilling and training)
● We help you convince your boss! (Guides on how to transition to remote working)
● We conduct local discussions, workshops and other Grow Remote events
**For Companies**
**●** We have field experts and organi**s**ational strategists available for consultations.
● We help promote remote working companies so people can find them.
**For Communities**
**●** We assist willing individuals to open a chapter in their area.
● We created an online job board for remote positions so companies can post their listings and individuals can also find these jobs.
● We partner with local government offices to do "Town Tasters" to help promote rural areas to remote workers and convince them to move and live in their areas.
\
In October, 2019, Grow Remote became a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awardee 2019. Learn more in this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeuUkEFQeGo).
# What problem does Grow Remote solve?
The problem started in rural communities which suffer from de-population, an ageing population, and main street vacancy rates. Community groups were trying to solve this by building digital hubs, of which there are now 242+, but they were left in a chicken and egg situation. They needed investment in the form of jobs, but that investment was hard to get, because they hadn’t been invested in.
We've since learned that this problem extends to all communities, including cities - as when work forces you to one location, you can no longer participate fully in your community or family life.
In 2018, we got together, a bit like the *Meitheal* of rural Ireland, and we found two things:
First, the jobs are already here. In fact, companies are out there building their entire model around a distributed workforce. The problem was that there was a disconnect between this model of employment and our rural communities. There was no one was bringing all of the information together, because there is no business model for that. So, we stepped in, compiled information and began to use ChangeX to equip local leaders with the power to make remote work local.
Second, companies were not listening to communities who wanted them to bring jobs there, but they *would* listen to talent. We capitalise on that by equipping employees with the information they need to bring about change and then help companies start that journey from in-office to remote.
So, we began hours and hours of hunting down resources, built one pool of them, and made them publicly available to anyone.
# The basics of a chapter
Chapters are all about ***local action.*** They're the missing link in making remote work local.\
[
](https://app.gitbook.com/@grow-remote/s/grow-remote-wiki/the-basics/what-is-grow-remote/what-problem-does-grow-remote-solve)The basics of what we do is educate local leaders like you. Because these jobs are not on the main street, not advertised on local radio stations, and not on the biggest 'mainstream' jobs boards, our communities didn't know about them.
The fundamental challenge for all is that remote work is remote from our communities, so, as a very practical example, when [Doist](https://doist.com/jobs/) advertises a head of marketing, they do so on their own website and maybe one other jobs board like [Remote Ok.](https://remoteok.io/)
Unless we know where to look our communities never see these jobs, and can not apply. When you search jobs.ie for a location, they give you only the jobs physically there, not the work from home roles, and not the jobs listed on [Remote Circle](https://remotecircle.com/jobs).
So you, the local leads, step in where traditional methods can't, or won't. With local meet-ups, talks, events, posters, social media posts, we can intercept the process and when remote jobs can be anywhere, they'll land with us.
Once a chapter lead is up to speed on all things remote work, they can do a host of activities that create and foster communities of remote workers locally.
By gathering all of the information like that contained in the [Get Started Guide](https://Growremote.ie/get-started/) Patrick built, we can empower local leaders to make remote work local. Last November, we didn't know about many of these companies, they simply weren't visible where we lived. Now [we can map out just the Irish ones](https://Growremote.ie/irishremotecompanies/)!
Making it local means different things for different chapters - such is the nature of making it local. On Achill Island, that might mean integrating remote work as part of the live and work days. On Arranmore Island, that might mean just catching the younger generation who want to say, and telling them about remote work. In Castlebar, it might mean bringing together all of the remote workers currently working from their homes, not knowing about one another. In Tullamore, it might be convincing the ETB to develop a remote working course. In Boyle it might mean putting up posters letting people know that they can work remotely from there. In Ashford, it might be doing the talks to schools. And in Kinvara it might be all of the above.
To repeat, the premise is this: remote companies are location-less, so having them advertise jobs in our local communities is a model that doesn't fit the future of work. We bypass that by quipping local leaders with this information, so that our communities can live, work, and participate locally.
***We ask that you run at least 3 activities per year just to keep the momentum up. If you can't, let us know and we'll release the chapter lead position so that someone else can take it up and continue the impact you have started.***
From time to time, things get in the way. Meet-ups might be hard to kick off, bookings might fall through, you might get too busy. Grow Remote is a volunteer organisation led by volunteers - we get it. It should always be a fun and fulfilling thing that you do, not something that needs to be done. So let us know if you hit a stumbling block!
# How is it funded?
This section was written by Rose and Tracy in late 2019.
*In the beginning, Rose Barrett and Tracy Keogh did most of the 'wrangling' or 'bringing together' of work. Back then, both donated their time.*
Our biggest costs to date were our events and we secured event partners for those including FBD, Bank of Ireland, BDO Ireland, Sligo County Council, Smart Community South Sligo, The Western Development Commission, Irish Centre For Business Excellence and Blacknight Solutions.
Beyond that, here's how much it costs to run:
**— — Our Breakdown of Costs — —**
**Monthly recurring:**
Hosting €5.65
Buffer €13.10
G Suite €19.68
Zoom €13.99
**Total Monthly Cost:** 52.42
**Yearly Recurring**
SSL Cert: 9.95
Domain renewal: 24.95
**Once Off:**
Domain name: €19.95
Pop-up banners & fliers: €320
# Internal Communications
How we stay in contact as a community.
Ongoing updates happen in **Grow Remote Online** [via Slack](https://inside.growremote.ie/the-basics/www.bit.ly/joingrowremote), the home of our community.\
\
We also meet virtually via Zoom calls, connect through our [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/growremoteirl/), and collectively share and access our [GDrive](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EMZT9Z1YUX_yFpbiiG1iBNexMpOC6h8-?usp=sharing).
All other contact with Grow Remote must go through so that it can be picked up by our (volunteer) support team.
# Global Trends
### **Global trends in remote work**
* [**https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/331817**](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/331817) **- Why Remote Work Can Help Bridge the Hiring Gap, Especially for Rural Professionals**
* [**https://efficientgov.com/blog/2017/11/08/connecting-rural-areas-remote-work/**](https://efficientgov.com/blog/2017/11/08/connecting-rural-areas-remote-work/) **- Connecting Rural Areas to Remote Work**
* [**https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/how-remote-jobs-can-help-employ-rural-america-success-in-kentucky/**](https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/how-remote-jobs-can-help-employ-rural-america-success-in-kentucky/) **- How Remote Jobs Can Help Employ Rural America: Success in Kentucky**
* [**https://remote-how.com/blog/remote-work-influencers**](https://remote-how.com/blog/remote-work-influencers) **- 50 Remote Work Experts And Thought Leaders To Follow In 2019**
# Example of a chapter survey
This survey was sent out by the Grow Remote Ballinasloe chapter. This can help you design your own surveys. We regularly use Google forms for surveys within Grow Remote.
\
Remote Working Survey - Grow Remote is a 'not for profit' group on a mission to enable us to work, live & participate locally. We do this by making remote work visible & accessible.
| | | |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | -- |
| Q1. Are you currently working from home in Ballinasloe town or hinterlands ? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Yes | 86.67% | 13 |
| No | 13.33% | 2 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q2. Did you work from home before Covid-19? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Yes | 46.67% | 7 |
| No | 53.33% | 8 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q3. After a year working from home, how has the experience been ? Is there any support you would have liked to have had then, or what do you know now that would have been helpful to a year ago? | | |
| Answered | 14 | |
| Skipped | 1 | |
| | | |
| Q4. Would you like to: 1) continue working from home in the future or would you 2) prefer to return to work at your corporate office or 3) combination of both? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| 1) Continue working from home | 13.33% | 2 |
| 2) Return to corporate office | 6.67% | 1 |
| 3) Combination of both | 80.00% | 12 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q5. Would you have an interest in working one or more days a week from a co-working hub in Ballinasloe in the future (assumes sanitation and protected safe working areas and social distance)? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| 1 or 2 Days a Week | 53.33% | 8 |
| 3 or 4 Days a Week | 0.00% | 0 |
| 5 Days a Week | 0.00% | 0 |
| From time to time / Drop in a few hours a month | 13.33% | 2 |
| Not interested | 33.33% | 5 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q6. Are you interested in attending a training course to learn about tools, skills and competencies, policies etc., to enable working from home? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Tools that enable working remotely (e.g. Zoom, Google hangouts, MS Teams, Slack, Mural, Trello, Time Doctor etc.) | 26.67% | 4 |
| Getting ready to work remotely (prepare CV, apply for jobs, interview skills, where to find jobs, etc.) | 26.67% | 4 |
| Managing teams remotely (building effective teams, communication & connection, wellbeing, performance management, remote team culture, L\&D, change management etc.) | 13.33% | 2 |
| Establishing remote work policies and procedures and embedding remote as 'business as normal' post Covid-19 | 13.33% | 2 |
| I am not interested | 20.00% | 3 |
| If you would like more information on training, please type your email address here: | | 5 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q7. Do you see remote working as an positive opportunity to develop new innovative businesses and smart ways of working for people living in Ballinasloe ? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Yes, I agree it there is good potential for remote to deliver greater employment opportunities & drive innovation | 100.00% | 15 |
| No, I only see it as an opportunity for a small cohort of individuals | 0.00% | 0 |
| Not sure, I don't have enough information about it | 0.00% | 0 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q8. Would you like any assistance in seeking remote work ? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Yes | 6.67% | 1 |
| No | 93.33% | 14 |
| If you would like assistance finding remote work, please type your email address here: | | 1 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q9. What is your biggest concern with working remotely? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Isolation - miss the face to face company of colleagues | 20.00% | 3 |
| Takes longer to get things done | 6.67% | 1 |
| Communication with colleagues is difficult due to working different hours | 6.67% | 1 |
| I work longer hours than when I was in the office | 20.00% | 3 |
| Hard to switch off and separate work from home | 20.00% | 3 |
| Privacy concerns / data protection | 0.00% | 0 |
| Internet connectivity / reliability | 26.67% | 4 |
| Other | 0.00% | 0 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
| | | |
| Q10. What is your biggest benefit working remotely? | | |
| Answer Choices | Responses | |
| Get more done, I am more productive, less interruptions | 33.33% | 5 |
| More autonomous, feel there is a greater trust built up | 0.00% | 0 |
| I have got to know my colleagues better ironically ! | 0.00% | 0 |
| Taking the time back for myself / my family that I used to spend commuting | 40.00% | 6 |
| Feel more balanced and less stressed | 6.67% | 1 |
| Carbon footprint impact is the biggest benefit for me | 0.00% | 0 |
| Savings from no commute, lunches at home etc. | 20.00% | 3 |
| Other | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ballinasloe Grow Remote Group, aims to make remote work visible & accessible & highlight benefits of working remotely to companies and individuals, whilst also providing support & Community to its members. you would like to connect with remote workers in the Grow Remote Community ([www.growremote.ie](http://www.growremote.ie)) or if you would like to share your story about remote working please type your email address here and we will contact you: | | 2 |
| | Answered | 15 |
| | Skipped | 0 |
# A sample article from Grow Remote Ballinasloe
Grow Remote Ballinasloe submitted this article to their local magazine as an update for the local community
\
**Update from Grow Remote Ballinasloe Chapter:**
To join the chapter, you can find us at the Grow Remote Ballinasloe Facebook Group or register into the Group in Changex from the Community Tab at [www.growremote.ie](http://www.growremote.ie)
**Finding Remote Work**
Grow Remote has launched a **free online mini-course** available to anyone who would like to find a remote role. As a CLG (non-profit) organisation, focused on community development, Grow Remote's return is when you become employed and can live locally. Because of this, we can bring together everything you need to find remote work. Sign up now to **the Grow Remote Learning Hub**! You can access the Course through the landing page on the website [www.growremote.ie](http://www.growremote.ie)
This course runs alongside the **Monthly Jobs Club** that is free for all to attend. The Grow Remote Jobs Club is based around a monthly meetup (via Zoom) to help people in the search for a remote job. Updates will be posted in the **Grow Remote Ballinasloe Facebook Group.**
**Partnership**
In February Grow Remote partnered with Regional Skills West, Galway Executive Skillnet, iTag Skillnet, and Gréasán na Meán Skillnet to hold a Free Workshop ‘Remote West Works’ targeted at remote workers and managers of remote teams, to give practical advice on how to remote work more efficiently and deal with challenges in the current environment.
Well done to our Pulse Club & Grow Remote members involved in this event. Dorothy Scarry of [Workplace Health & Wellbeing,](https://workplacehealthandwellbeing.com/about-us/) spoke on Psychological Safety & Wellbeing and Renate Kohlmann of [Grow Remote](https://growremote.ie/) & [RK Consulting](https://www.shopballinasloe.ie/store/rk-consulting/) helped with the facilitation.
**Remote Working Survey**
In 2020, after Covid forced so many people to work from home, we ran the first survey about remote work in Ballinasloe. A year later a revised survey has been launched. We are interested to received your feedback and would kindly ask as many people as possible to complete the short 2 minute survey. We will post the results in future editions. To complete the survey simply scan the QR code or follow the link
\[missing QR code from the original article]
Thank you for reading!
Renate Kohlmann, Grow Remote Ballinasloe. Contact:
# Talks & Presentations
Storytelling is how we communicate best with others.
Talks and presentations give us a chance to do some, or all, of the following:
* Educate people about remote working
* Educate people about Grow Remote
* Recruit new Chapter members
* Recruit new Partners and Supporters
* Update the Chapter or stakeholders
* Educate your community to the benefits of remote working
* Encourage companies to embrace remote working
For the more common talks and presentations you will find a presentation deck in the Chapter Leads Google drive.
Copy the presentation to your own drive for your use. We ask that you only edit the sections we highlight and keep the colour scheme and logos the same.
If you have suggestions on how to improve the presentations please email us at: \
\
Links to talks:\
\
**Hybrid remote:**
# How to - Remote Work 101 Talk
**Link to the talk**: Create a copy and edit as required or share this link (but please keep the Grow Remote references)\
\
\
\
You can share this link as is, which will allow anyone to view the talk, or you can create a copy by going to File->Make a copy and edit as required. You will need a Canva account to create the copy, the free tier of Canva will work perfectly for this.
## Step 1 - Planning
* Identify your audience, online or in person
* Identify a person to set up the event
* Think about the information you want to get across
## Step 2 - Planning - Logistics
* Decide on a date and time
* Confirm the venue or platform, we mostly use Eventbrite and then Zoom for online events
* Ask what equipment is available for the presentation if doing in person - can you use a USB key or will you need a HDMI cable to connect a laptop, or check your setup if doing it online
## Step 3 - The "Night" Before
* Give yourself time to do a run through of the presentation
* Make some notes on the key points you'd like to make
* Perhaps there is specific local information that could be more relevant to the audience
* Make sure your presentation is good to go
* Confirm the date, time and location with what you have on your event page (probably Eventbrite)
## Step 4 - The talk!
* Have fun with it!
* Notice their reactions, assumptions etc (we're really interested in what we can learn from them too)
* Ask for feedback from attendees
## Step 5 - Bravo! Now let us know!
* Firstly - go you! Be proud of taking the time to help your community
* Don't forget to let us know in the rest of the Grow Remote community what you've done!
* Send your updates to
* Where appropriate we love photos - perhaps one of you with audience, it helps to bring these events alive for everyone else
And now put your feet up knowing that you've helped to spread the word of the flexibility and choice that remote work brings.
# How to - The School Talk
The goal of this talk is to get children excited about remote working and for them to understand that it's a viable option for them.
## Prefer video?
We do a 9 minute run through here:
{% embed url="" %}
## Step 1 - Planning - Outreach
* Identify the local schools
* Decide which one you will speak to (either first, or at all - you might want to delegate it within your Chapter team)
* Identify a person to reach out to the school
* Send them some information about Grow Remote and why you would like to give a talk at the school
## Step 2 - Planning - Logistics
* Decide on a date and time
* Confirm the venue and age/class of the students - older students are often better placed to understand the impact but we also want to plant the seed for younger students
* Ask what equipment is available for the presentation - can you use a USB key or will you need a HDMI cable to connect a laptop
## Step 3 - The "Night" Before
* Give yourself time to do a run through of the presentation
* Make some notes on the key points you'd like to make
* Perhaps there is specific local information that could be more relevant to the students
* Make sure your presentation is good to go
* Confirm the date, time and location with the school
## Step 4 - The talk!
* Have fun with it! We want to inspire future generations to see remote working as an option for them
* Notice their reactions, assumptions etc (we're really interested in what we can learn from them too)
* Ask for feedback from the students and the school
## Step 5 - Bravo! Now let us know!
* Firstly - go you! Be proud of taking the time to help your community
* Don't forget to let us know in the rest of the Grow Remote community what you've done!
* Send your updates to
* Where appropriate we love photos - perhaps one of you with faculty, it helps to bring these events alive for everyone else
And now put your feet up knowing that you've helped to spread the word of the flexibility and choice that remote work brings.
# How to - Hybrid Remote Talk
The goal of this talk is to give context on remote work in general and to encourage a thoughtful approach to hybrid remote.
A walkthrough of the talk
{% embed url="" %}
**Link to the talk**: Create a copy and edit as required or share this link (but please keep the Grow Remote references)\
\
\
\
You can share this link as is, which will allow anyone to view the talk, or you can create a copy by going to File->Make a copy and edit as required.
## Step 1 - Planning
* Identify your audience, online or in person
* Identify a person to set up the event
* Think about the information you want to get across
## Step 2 - Planning - Logistics
* Decide on a date and time
* Confirm the venue or platform, we mostly use Eventbrite and then Zoom for online events
* Ask what equipment is available for the presentation if doing in person - can you use a USB key or will you need a HDMI cable to connect a laptop, or check your setup if doing it online
## Step 3 - The "Night" Before
* Give yourself time to do a run through of the presentation
* Make some notes on the key points you'd like to make
* Perhaps there is specific local information that could be more relevant to the audience
* Make sure your presentation is good to go
* Confirm the date, time and location with what you have on your event page (probably Eventbrite)
## Step 4 - The talk!
* Have fun with it!
* Notice their reactions, assumptions etc (we're really interested in what we can learn from them too)
* Ask for feedback from attendees
## Step 5 - Bravo! Now let us know!
* Firstly - go you! Be proud of taking the time to help your community
* Don't forget to let us know in the rest of the Grow Remote community what you've done!
* Send your updates to
* Where appropriate we love photos - perhaps one of you with audience, it helps to bring these events alive for everyone else
And now put your feet up knowing that you've helped to spread the word of the flexibility and choice that remote work brings.
# How to - Introduction Talk
How to deliver the presentation/talk introducing what Grow Remote is. This is often the talk that is used to recruit members to a Chapter.
### Prefer video?
We have a 10 minute video here:
{% embed url="" %}
### Introduction to the Introduction talk!
The introduction talk is often the first time people are learning about Grow Remote. It's a chance to explain, quickly, the how, what and why.
This talk might be the first ever event you run for your Chapter or you might use it to encourage stakeholders in your community to get involved.
It is also a useful tool on a semi regular basis to bring in new members to your Chapter. This could be your bi-annual "Learn about Grow Remote" talk or meetup.
Feel free to use it as makes sense for your Chapter and needs.
The presentation deck can be found here title ["Grow Remote Explainer" ](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GT3u2KRxzNuy7azC1IaCwdT9gUjhKCWA8pQBHqYjIw8/edit?usp=sharing)in the Chapter Lead Google Drive
Find a video [here](https://www.loom.com/share/eb8dbbbdd1b74ecba4ee2db721e2d470) that goes through thinking about things like goals, venue and feedback for this talk/presentation - (10 mins)
### The steps
1. You will need a Gmail account for this - find the presentation in the Google Drive, Go to "File" and select "Make a copy" - you now have a copy in your drive that you can edit
2. Run through the presentation so you are familiar with the content, this is to help you tell the story of Grow Remote
3. Look for a venue - e.g. library, hotel, community hall - talk to groups like a chamber of commerce if you need help with this
4. Decide on a date and time - once you have your venue discuss some potential dates - consider when your preferred audience will be able to attend - e.g. if you wish to attract people who aren't already working remotely it might need to be in the evening or at the weekend
5. Ask about presentation facilities - do they have a projector? Can you use a USB key or will you need a HDMI cable to connect a laptop etc
6. If possible go to view the room ahead of the selected time
7. What is the venues capacity, this will influence the number of tickets you make available on Eventbrite
8. Create an event on Eventbrite - this platform is free if you don't charge for your tickets
9. Share the event with us so we can add it to the Grow Remote Facebook page and share across other social media
10. Create a "wish list" of guests - who in your community, or beyond, would you like there.
11. Decide where to share it - Social media works well, having it as an Event via the Grow Remote Facebook page helps to increase the number of people it can reach. Share it to local pages on Facebook such as local businesses and clubs and groups. If there is a local website as if they would share it there and any other social media accounts that are popular in your area.
12. Email - Create an email to send out to local clubs, businesses, politicans, press and anyone else you can think of. Your local chamber of commerce might help in sending it to their list. Contacting local government can help in getting the word out there (County Council in Ireland).
13. When sharing use either the Eventbrite or Facebook event as this will help you to keep track of the number of tickets "sold"
14. On the day enjoy yourself, we are inspiring people to embrace remote and helping to make their lives and our communities better, remember that!
15. Ask for feedback after the talk - this helps us to learn how to better communicate - and please share it with us in the community, we are learning from each other
16. Take photos and send them back to us! Photos can be emailed to
After your experience giving this presentation if you feel that we could improve this guide please let us know.
This is a living, breathing document that will grow and improve over time (just like all of us!).
### And thank you for being a part of this community!
# Inviting them to the event/talk
Here is a sample invite sent out over email for a chapter event
Here is a sample of an invite sent out over email for a chapter event in early 2021:
Email Subject line: "Grow Remote Invites you to "Remote Work Mayo", March 8th, 7-8pm"
\
\
Grow Remote and associated chapters would like to invite you to **Remote Work Mayo - Monday, March 8th, 7-8 pm**
\
This is a showcase of open remote roles from employers based around Mayo, stories from those living and remote working locally in Mayo, and a discussion around what remote work can mean for us all in Mayo, for employers and employees, communities and individuals.
\
\
\
**Supported by**: Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Gréasán Digiteach na Gaeltachta\
\
\
\
[Register your spot now here on Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/remote-work-mayo-tickets-143137053781)\* **(event link will be obsolete if visiting after the event date)**\
\
\*(The video call link will be emailed to attendees a few hours before the event).
**Cianobair Mhaigh Eo**
Foghlaim faoi na comhlachtaí is fearr maidir le cianobair a thairiscint d’oibrithe
Rogha de chainteoirí ó chianoibrithe na haimsire, ó fhostóirí agus ón bpobal cianoibre I gcoitinne
Ar lorg ról cianoibre? Bí linn chun foghlaim faoi jabanna atá ar fáil faoi láthair & freisin chun treoir agus leideanna cuidiúla a fháil uatha siúd atá i mbun an saghas seo oibre cheana féin
\
\
**Any help you can provide in sharing this event to your local community and job seekers would be hugely appreciated.**
\
**Grow Remote has grown from a fully community-based volunteer initiative into an award-winning social enterprise. The meitheal is at the heart of what we do.**\
\
\--
| |
| - |
| |
| - |
# The Background
Projects came up in the same way the first Meitheal did, lots of chapters had similar ideas or challenges at the same time and we wanted to facilitate coming together so we could take some action.
They can be useful to
* Get to know other chapter leads
* Learn more about the world of remote work (particularly if you're a more practical learner)
* Make even more of an impact, beyond your chapter
* Learn a new skill
Projects are led by [Laura Hanlon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahanlon1/), if you'd like to join a project, or think you have an idea for your own, just let her know!
# The Jobs Board
It's really important that remote jobs are both visible and accessible to our communties. It's space that can be filled with noise, and before this, we didn't have one place where we could skim through all of the remote roles available just in Ireland.
[John Brett](https://twitter.com/johnbrett_), a member of the Carlow chapter built the jobs board to solve for just that need. It's free to use for both employers and employees.
It's Ireland's first and only remote jobs board, and fits really nicely for Irish companies who won't hire across a timezone (which sites like [Remote Circle](https://Remotecircle.com) or [Remote OK](https://remoteok.io/) cater for) but will hire remotely within Ireland.
Projects hold weekly or monthly calls, if you'd like to join, just contact Laura!
# Case Studies
Case studies bring to life the stories of remote workers and companies. They help us champion both sides, and educate our communities on what this form of employment is like!
The goal of this project is to have 20 case studies from remote workers and companies that we can use to point people to when they want more information. \
\
Examples include [this story of moving from Dublin to Cork](https://growremote.ie/moving-from-the-city-working-remotely-scraping-hub/)**,** [this story of 10up](https://growremote.ie/why-remote-10up/), or [this story of a remote worker.](https://growremote.ie/how-remote-john-brett/)
If you'd like to help, gathering stories from your local community, please let us know!
# Town Tasters
Town Tasters are a way to act as a concierge service for a local community and also allow us to directly track the complete funnel from thinking about moving through to landing in the community permanently.
We have updated the [general web page here]() and linked it into Hubspot CRM. The idea is that we will, for the first time, have a central place for everything so that we can decipher from the hype and manage people who may be looking to move - we would also be able to directly quantify the economic impact.
Communities have run Town Tasters both in person or virtually. \
\
If you're interested, please let us know. Come back with details on how you'd like to run it, please also include a photo, bio, and description of the local area.\
\
Find and use information that will help to sell your area to those interested in moving. Information that people are looking for:\
\
\- Accommodation costs (rental or for sale)\
\- Amenities, transport links & shopping options\
\- Local activities & clubs - sports & social\
\- Internet connection speeds & options\
\- Hub & co-working spaces\
\- Networking opportunities\
\- Community activities and groups
Get in contact with your local tourism bodies and businesses, they already have a wealth of information. Tell the stories of people living locally, the chance to pop out for a swim, or the lovely local walks, the award winning coffee spots, tennis club and play grounds. The school options, how great your local butcher or green grocer is and the fun of the community choir. Once people have their basic needs met, these are the things that drive people to move to a particular community.\
\
\
\
The blurb from the main "make the move" page:\
\
*"Town Tasters is a concept developed by Dingle Hub, Co Kerry and taken all over Europe. Most recently it has seen great success in Portugal.*
*Town Tasters are generally run by local chapter leaders who donate their time to Grow Remote locally."*\
\
This is the main page that all participants will be filtered through to: - this links them to the CRM.\
\
When a group of communities come together to do a themed event we can create a campaign around that similar to this event created for Kerry:\
\
Link to the **"Live by the sea"** Town Taster for Kerry, scheduled for September 2020 - \
\
Blurb:\
\
"Come and Live By The Sea!
Sep 21st, 2020 | Online
When you can work anywhere, you can live where you love. The reasons behind where we live are changing, and so too is how we move. We’re here to help you make the decision and get access to a community of movers."\
\
The page includes the schedule for the event, a list of speakers & bios and a link to register.\
# Resources
As we create more assets and resources to share with the community we will archive them here to make accessing them as easy as possible.
If you have an asset or resource that you feel would be of use to others in the community please do share it with us -
Or if you feel we need a particular resource then look at setting up a project to work on it. Reach out to the wider community to support your project - in collaborating we lighten the load and improve our creations.
# Graphics & Brand Guidelines
To ensure that we are a recognizable community across the web and print please use the following guidelines and assets.
**Media Kit**
**Here are the images you may use to create your chapter’s online presence. Please refer to our brand guide when using any of our images. Please refer to our** [**brand guide**](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GpYKnj0r5jYC540XTpY9y1q1DI9dDNOw) **for full instructions on how to use the Grow Remote Brand.**
### **Main Color & Gradient**
**PURPLE**
**C69 M55 Y0 K0**
**R104 G123 B253**
**#687bfd**
**BLUE**
**C54 M0 Y3 K0**
**R103 G215 B251**
**#67d7fb**
### **Grow Remote Logos**
**Click the links to go to download folder**
[**Logo Guide**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pgmn00I0YrzRRAJaG4tiP-GQXkhjRWGg/view?usp=sharing) **- how to use our logo (pdf)**
[**Logo Folder**](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XzxbfOu2giMZb9ti7qukJzM_V2ygg1g_?usp=sharing) **- all colors**
### **Social Media Images (Canva editable templates)**
**Please duplicate the template first and make your own copy before editing.**
#### **Facebook**
[**Profile Picture** ](https://www.canva.com/design/DADnMERjkD4/share/preview?token=hoedSijqdDuCxN0lLQbBiA\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADnMERjkD4\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
[**Country Cover**](https://www.canva.com/design/DADlpd8Cyf4/share/preview?token=_wEY9DyCLSCJGgVN0YD7Cw\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADlpd8Cyf4\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton) **(for country leads)**
[**Group Banner**](https://www.canva.com/design/DADnL0Czxuc/share/preview?token=UzboNIbX2mJOgk1X7fNXFw\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADnL0Czxuc\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton) **(for chapter leads)**
[**FB Event Banner** ](https://www.canva.com/design/DADnL7EncnU/share/preview?token=om4Dj1Gb0rF3P2iXOJk_8w\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADnL7EncnU\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
[**FB Posts default size** ](https://www.canva.com/design/DADlpguDTxY/share/preview?token=bX76oO-BMPZbYqos9j8l6w\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADlpguDTxY\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
[**FB Post square size**](https://www.canva.com/design/DADlpsa5lb4/share/preview?token=W8LnB_pwV4r79GyYFCam6Q\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADlpsa5lb4\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton) **(IG friendly)**
#### **Twitter**
[**Profile Picture** ](https://www.canva.com/design/DADnMERjkD4/share/preview?token=hoedSijqdDuCxN0lLQbBiA\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADnMERjkD4\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
[**Account Header** ](https://www.canva.com/design/DADm_T6dZro/share/preview?token=0Zxmuocf2Dr7EGzB9LxlYQ\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADm_T6dZro\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
#### **Linkedin**
[**Profile Picture**](https://www.canva.com/design/DADnMERjkD4/share/preview?token=hoedSijqdDuCxN0lLQbBiA\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADnMERjkD4\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
[**Banner**](https://www.canva.com/design/DADm_bfKqgA/share/preview?token=19EB-HG4eYsc98TklnCbMg\&role=EDITOR\&utm_content=DADm_bfKqgA\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
### **General Grow Remote Images**
[**Grow Remote Images** ](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_O0c6il3dSJWdTSSHb5GEaSXmCGpllZj?usp=sharing)
[**Grow Remote Logos**](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XzxbfOu2giMZb9ti7qukJzM_V2ygg1g_?usp=sharing)\
### **Enterprise Ireland Logos**
These will only be relevant in very specific cases. As one of our funders, it's important that we acknowledge EI in the programs that are supported by their funding.\
\
[**Link to folder containing EI logos**](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TmLbkwVWObeQpGUj2aT82q93UXfoXui0?usp=sharing)
# TYPOGRAPHY - Quick Guide
List of fonts:
Montserrat Thin
Montserrat Thin Italic
Montserrat Regular
Montserrat Italic
Montserrat Semibold
Montserrat Semibold Italic
Montserrat Black
Montserrat Black Italic
# Free resources to support companies
The more companies who hire location-less, the better it is for us all. We do 5 things to help make that happen currently:
1\) Provide them with a 'Shop Window'
First of all is the 'quick wins', as we're in an emerging market, we're finding companies who come to us and tell us that they hire remotely, but just never thought to promote it that way. Over the years as staff asked to leave city locations, and as the trust built, they let them go. Now they're used to it they'll hire remote, but job boards like jobs.ie still force them to put in a location as opposed to remote.
To help them promote the roles, and to make them visible to our communities, [John Brett](https://twitter.com/johnbrett_), a chapter member in carlow, built Ireland's first public, free, remote jobs board:
{% embed url="" %}
2\) Promotional case studies
A lot of these companies wouldn't be known in our communities, so we build case studies around them to help promote their company, as well as help our communties get to know them better.
If you'd like to capture a case study of a local remote working company, just send them the questions and we'll add them to the blog:
{% embed url="" %}
3\) Peer support
We know that a lot of leaders now get the benefit of remote working, but they're not sure about what risks that involves. We run free office hour sessions with industry experts who can speak to what it's like to implement remote working in practice.
The last sessions were with [Renate Kolhmann](https://www.linkedin.com/in/renatekohlmann/) who built wayfair from 10 to 500 people and took it from in office to remote, and [Tim Burgess](https://www.linkedin.com/in/burgesstim/) who helps companies navigate the legal requirements while hiring across boundaries.
{% embed url="" %}
4\) Manager Training
With [Chambers Ireland,](https://www.chambers.ie/) thanks to a donation from [Remote How](https://remote-how.com/) we're training up 10 middle managers in Dublin based organisations. We believe that if managers have the skillset to manage remote teams, we have a better change of unlocking those jobs.
5\) Equipping their employees with the skills
If there are commuters in your town, helping them to convince their employer could be useful. We usually point them to [this guide to asking for remote work](https://Doist.com/blog/how-to-ask-to-work-from-home/) and [this template HR policy](https://resources.workable.com/remote-work-policy?fbclid=IwAR0uE0z9PhNs9n1Lw20W-0SpVa2c6QwMyvejR6x-weLuhi2l1BOXtXNlmXo). Further, we've trained up 110 people in the skill of remote work thanks to [Workplaceless](https://www.workplaceless.com/).
# eBay
When eBay were hiring remotely we saw an opportunity in their starting salary of 28k versus the average salary of a county like Monaghan of 22k. We supported them and the IDA by:
Attending events and letting people know about the local communities that could support them after they chose a work from home role:
.jpeg?alt=media\&token=98dd963d-d60e-464e-914e-0fdb85b8e869)
Continuing the conversation after the two roadshow events by updating chapter leads and regularly promoting their roles across our channels which currently engage over 1 million people.
# Training the community
### Monaghan
Monaghan is a town with an average salary of 22k, which is below the national average. Getting their current community employed in high value jobs is a big priority!
With no template, but a can-do attitude, the team set about understanding how we could help that. We ended up securing Workplaceless certifications, together with Monaghan County Council, Enterprising Monaghan and The Town Team - we led the first in person remote certification programme.
> **Cost:** 0, **Participants:** 12, **Employers Engaged:** 5. **Volunteer time:** Time intensive (as it is new)
.jpeg?alt=media\&token=8ca251f8-e305-4c30-bc5e-a4125e5d01b9)
Workplaceless are one of two remote work certification programmes (the other is [remote how](https://remote-how.com/)) They are used in America as part of the [Rural Online Initiative](https://remoteworkcertificate.com/) aiming to get rural people employed.
[Finbarr Daly](https://www.linkedin.com/in/finbarr-daly-21432813/) who runs the local enterprise centre was trained up as a facilitators in workplaceless and brings in all candidates every Thursday evening. We also engage remote employers to run mock interviews and Q\&A sessions.
As with all chapters, these concepts are still new and the goal here is to support local government agencies in testing the training so that they can roll it out themselves, if desired. This means that any chapter will be able to re-skill their local community without having to ask for sponsorship each time.
### Tubbercurry
Tubbercurry is Ireland's first smart community, and a part of that is understanding how we can use digital, and digital jobs, to help our communties.
The local chapter brought on board [Shauna Moran](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-moran-88552151/), ex Shopify and with a masters in remote work, she was the perfect candidate. We hosted it in the local work space (An Chroi) and advertised it here:
{% embed url="" %}
# Meetups: Ashford & Castlebar
[Bernard Joyce](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjoyce/) leads Castlebar and [Nathalie Moyano González](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaliemoyano/) leads Ashford, [Adam Coleman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampcoleman/) leads Lahinch, and [Paul Ellingstand](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-ellingstad-6262b4/) leads Ennis.
They all run regular, informal meetups in their communities....
.jpg?alt=media\&token=39336710-9c54-47d0-8a5d-4d138d0795cc)
Case studies coming soon
# Portumna Discovery Day
Portumna look a literal approach to making remote work local. Led by [Elodie Golden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wellsenseirl/), who literally [wrote the book](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h99qfVAfThk_8_zOBylgcvTjAxbvXiAnMakliQInapU/edit#heading=h.ri15jjgyozq9) on remote work.
We love this because it directly addresses the problem with remote work - there is no local driver of this form of employment. Taking to the main street makes it visible and accessible to the local community.
Elodie used the space of a local TD, and promoted it like this on [ChangeX](https://www.changex.org/ie/growremote/loughrea-co-galway-ireland-1/events/discovery-day-grow-remote-loughrea-and-craughwell). Not only did it teach the local community about where they could find remote work, Elodie stumbled upon employers who wanted to hire remotely.
# Large Events: Tullamore
The challenge with remote work is that it is remote from our communities and there is no model to make it local. We spend lots of time compiling resources, and once we get them to chapter leads, it's very much up to each chapter on how they make it local.
Our Tullamore chapter lead [Caroline Spollen,](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinespollen/) is an already busy community person running events and the local coworking space. She focused on 2 things:
**Ongoing education:** Using established local social media accounts, Caroline picks up one or two remote jobs weekly and posts them up locally. This is a very simple but hugely beneficial way to create remote workers locally (we'll be quite some time waiting for[ Doist](https://doist.com/jobs/) to advertise in Tullamore)
**One Big Event:** In lieu of multiple meetups, Caroline on boarded a local sponsor in the enteprise office and ran a remote working event with a range of speakers from Hotjar to Airbnb and Shopify. You can catch the highlight reel here:
{% embed url="" %}
# A City: Lisbon
Lisbon is led by [June Bolneo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/junebolneo/). Her chapter works with some of the biggest names in the remote space, but it started small.
**1) Find local partners**
June reached out to the Lisbon tech community, startup community, and Tech Jobs Fair to tell them that she was planning to set up a chapter, and ask them if they would help.
**2) Set up a Facebook Group**
To build the community, June needed a home. She created [Grow Remote Portugal ](https://www.facebook.com/groups/744774765884911/)and added people in as she met them. This is a place where the community can meet each other, she can let them know about events, and find out more information about what they need.
**3) Run her first event!**
June followed everything in the [event planning guide](/event-planning/event-planning), found a space who would host her, some speakers, and began to advertise.
# A City: Dublin
# Repopulation: Town Tasters
The idea of a Town Taster came from a chat with Deirdre De Bhailís of Dingle hub after the first Grow Remote event in Tralee. There was a great buzz at the event but our question was around how we make that last.
Deirdre noted that when people have remote jobs, they're mostly interested in the human stuff, so how could we make it easier?
You can check out the various town tasters here:
* Abbeyfeale:
* Dingle:
* Tullamore:
* Valentia:
Invented by Dingle, duplicated by Abbeyfeale, and implemented smoothly by Valentia, Town Tasters allow people to explore a place by showing them what it's like to live there. Valentia Island have succeeded in two families beginning the move off the back of that event, which for that chapter is the exact goal they wanted to get to - brilliant coverage too from [RTE to Kerrys Eye](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6510237702292598784).
# Nomad Trails
We're big fans of [Nomadlist](https://nomadlist.com) at Grow Remote, and although our focus is on long term employment in our communties, we think the nomad community could make a big difference to our [210+ coworking spaces](https://www.techireland.org/hubs) across the most lively and cultural communities in Ireland.
[Kat Slater](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-slater-4288a917/) in our Louisburgh (Mayo) Chapter was the first to bring this idea to life - to bring more footfall to the CoWork\@One space she manages. This was followed by a bunch of other chapter leads, and you can find the full nomad trail (still in formation) here.
{% embed url="" %}
Want to be added to Ireland's first nomad trail? Package together a workspace and place to live, preferably with a way to engage with the local community too, send it to us, and we'll add it in!
# Coworking spaces
We know that building communities of remote workers outside of coworking spaces, can help them. Where possible, they're brilliant locations to host meetups and events.
Local chapters are credited with filling 4 seats in the Castlebar coworking space, and 3 in The Junction, Tullamore! But there are lots of other ways we can support.
Here, [Enda Regan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/enda-regan-8003345a/), team lead at Kit Ireland (a Shopify company), hosted 'work from a space' day at the The Spool Factory Chapter in Boyle, Roscommon.
As with all great chapter projects, this was spotted and iterated on by the Carrick on Shannon chapter lead by [Colm Keane](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colm-keane-23212516/) who runs The Hive Coworking space.
Colm [built a page on their website](https://the-hive.ie/grow-remote) to raise awareness about Grow Remote and remote working. And ran a 'pop up office' event offering local remote workers free office space for the day:
{% embed url="" %}
# Local Cafes: Birdhill
Our chapter leader in Birdhill is [Alan Andrews](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanandrews) who also runs The Barracks.
He launched the Grow Remote community using the [intro deck](/talks-and-presentations/introduction-talk) and promoted it on ChangeX and various Facebook groups:
{% embed url="" %}
It looked like this:
.jpeg?alt=media\&token=0fdd083a-8297-4ce1-8c4e-678297e4e727)
Alan also thought of a novel approach to helping self employed people work from the coffee shop. He introduced 'poker chips'.
# Event Planning
When to start: this will depend on your access to venues, what your goal is like for attendance and securing speakers. A month minimum is a good guide\*
**Choosing a Date and Venue**
Having a date and venue secured is the first major hurdle to organizing a successful event. It also is the first major validation of your efforts: it’s difficult to proceed with any other aspect of planning until these two key hurdles are overcome.
Also knowing the goal of your event or talk is key. For some it's obvious - e.g. the "School's Talk" is to educate children on the potential of remote work and to guide them on their next steps. But as your Chapter develops you will want to set a goal for your talks and events to help ensure success.
For the "School's Talk" make sure you speak to your contact to know what the venue will be like in the school. This may influence how you give the talk.
*\*But if you know you have all the required elements in place then go for it!*
# Why do we use ChangeX?
ChangeX is a free technology platform for community groups to scale.
**Why do we use ChangeX?**
When we started out, lots of people were asking us how we could help them. But as a whatsapp group doing this in our spare time, we couldn't do it. ChangeX provided 3 extremely powerful advantages:
**Scaling support:** ChangeX allowed us to package up what we knew so that we could give it to others to use locally.
**An open and accessible community:** Importantly, ChangeX allows us to have one home for all chapters. When people are curious about finding a local remote working community, they can see all local groups on one map.
**Impact Tracking:** Having all activity on one platform allows us to track the number of active chapters, people in their communities, their growth, and all events in one place.
# Do we have to use ChangeX for everything?(No).
No. We ask that you start there, list events there, and where possible, encourage people to sign up to the chapter on ChangeX.
# How can we promote events?
Once you have a venue and have picked a date you need to promote it. Treat the launch as a powerful opportunity to reach out widely in your community. Start talking to everyone on every media avenue available to you.
* we can provide you with posters that you can edit and put up in your local buildings, town hall, tax office, shop, garden center, coffee shop, sports grounds - anywhere there are potential remote workers. [For posters, go here](https://www.canva.com/design/DADQjCeYdiQ/share?role=EDITOR\&token=OtqfO0o_H8z-2xE-qYfOyg\&utm_content=DADQjCeYdiQ\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton). [For customised headers, go here.](https://www.canva.com/design/DADPSHs7p1A/share?role=EDITOR\&token=LufSzbs_VGIKPIDheqiQMg\&utm_content=DADPSHs7p1A\&utm_campaign=designshare\&utm_medium=link\&utm_source=sharebutton)
* Use social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to communicate and spread the word locally.
* Send details of your event to so that we can use our channels
* Connect with other voluntary and community groups in your community - don’t be afraid to go and meet these groups, tell them what you’re planning and why you’re excited about it.
* Get on the local radio, and send emails to local papers for local notice section. They should be interested and will be particularly effective in getting the word out. You’ll need to send a press release typically 2 - 3 weeks before the launch.
# What local channels can we set up?
We will give you a local email address in the format of . You can use this address to set up social accounts on Twitter and Meetup.com. Facebook Groups work great locally. You can also set up a WhatsApp group or mailing list.
Not all of the above will work, but trying them all will help you know which works for you locally.
\*We ask that where you use the GR brand, you use the GR email account.