External Resources
Business Link in London - Business Planning tool
Business Link London have developed a new Business Planning Tool specifically for social enterprise to help you through the process of writing a business plan.
The Business Planning Tool is an interactive framework that provides a step-by-step approach to developing your business plan. You will be provided with detailed guidance notes and links to practical guides for any further information you may need as you progress through the tool and write your plan.
You can access the toolkit here. You will need to register once to start using it.
Divine Chocolate: A Case Study of a Social Enterprise
Divine Chocolate is proud of its history as a pioneering social enterprise which is now 45% owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana. As a contribution to Global Enterprise Week (16-22 November, 2009) Divine has produced a free Powerpoint presentation aimed at teachers focusing on business studies, enterprise or social enterprise. It showcases Divine Chocolate as an example of a successful social enterprise.
The presentation has comprehensive speaking notes and takes between 30 and 40 minutes to deliver in full. There is one version aimed at Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds) and one aimed at Key Stage 4 (14-16 year olds).
The Case Study can be downloaded from http://www.tradingvisions.org/content/social-enterprise.
Note: You will be asked for your email address which will help us keep track of how widely it is being used and so we can contact you in future if we update the presentation or produce new social enterprise related resources. We will never pass your details on to any other organisation.
Have an idea to improve your community?
As part of Social Enterprise Day, win a day of free support with an expert member of the Think Public team by texting your idea to 07941 143 771. Visit http://thinkpublic.com/news (Deadline: 19 Nov)
Blueprint for Enterprise
This Blueprint tool, launched by Training For Life, helps guide third sector organisations through some of the demands that commercial life is likely to make; such as developing an asset base, analysing your competitive position, auditing and utilisation of resources and more. Visit http://www.blueprintsforenterprise.com/
Office space to rent in Holborn
Are you a small or medium-sized business looking for short to medium term office space in a prime central London location? Would you like to find yourself on the doorstep of a second-to-none range of cafés, bars, shops and restaurants? You’ll be sharing the space with FreshMinds
A business planning guide to developing a social enterprise (3748 kb)
A business planning guide to developing a social enterprise (3748 kb)
Social Enterprise Training and Support (SETAS)
The UK's online marketplace for Social Enterprise Training and Support (SETAS) was re-launched last week at www.setas.co.uk. On the site social enterprises can search for and receive automated notifications of relevant support providers as well as give feedback on support you've received. Support providers can register to be listed on the site and can promote their services and events to relevant social enterprises in their region. There are also discussion groups around key support topics such as legal concerns and business planning - and a dedicated group for Londoners.
ROOTS HR CIC OFFERS FREE CONSULTANCY SERVICES
To mark Social Enterprise Day 2010 on Thursday 18th November, Roots Human Resources CIC is offering a one-year retained human resources consultancy service of up to two hours per month FREE OF CHARGE for two social enterprises working towards sustainability.
Funded by Roots HR’s trading surpluses, and coming at a time when the third sector is coming to terms with cuts following October’s comprehensive spending review, the subscriptions may be used to help the recipient organisations to restructure, diversify and move towards sustainability.
Roots HR’s Chief Executive, Jan Golding, said: “Although there is a political focus on civil society organisations in a way we have never previously seen, this is still a very challenging time for all small and medium-sized social enterprises, charities and voluntary and community groups. Poor people management can detract from front line service delivery through under-performance, disputes, conflict and employee absence and we are in a position to help at least two social enterprises with employment law compliance and good people management through this period”. The services on offer will be provided through Roots HR’s market-leading employment law and people management advice service, COMPLY. This service provides tailored advice specifically designed to offer practical support around employing people in the sector – from the most junior to the most senior. COMPLY, which is the only specialist service of its kind in the UK, was designed to serve the sector rather than to maximise profit. It includes features such as a roll-forward of unused hours each month so that subscription time is maximised. “We will”, says Golding, “work with the organisations that win these free subscriptions to make sure they get the greatest possible benefit from them.”
Social enterprises deriving at least 25% of their overall income from trading can visit www.rootshr.org.uk/FREEHRSERVICES for a simple one-page application form and more information about the offer, entry criteria and the COMPLY service. Applications must be submitted by 12 noon on 3rd December ’10 and the free subscriptions will start from 1st January ’11.