Step-by-step starting out

Soil Association, 8 October 2008

What I’ll cover this morning

• Some thoughts on business plans

• What support is out there?

• A few thoughts on relationship building

Who am I and what do I do?

• Training - market research, marketing, social business planning

• Consultancy - social enterprise

• Mentoring• Writing

Photo from Ant Smallwood via flickr.com

Business plans should…

• Inspire

• Tell a story

• Engage

• Help people to suspend disbelief

Before you begin - reflect

• What social impact do you want to have?

• What issues are there that you want to

address?

• Aim - to put your idea into context

• Try to suspend judgement - maybe CSA isn’t

the solution to the social issues you identify

DIY market research plan

• Aim: to become a Zulu in your chosen market

• Find out about– The market– Customers– Competitors and

partners

• Free technology - surveymonkey.com & research blogs.

Photo from shtt! via flickr.com

So there’s need - but is there demand?

• Is a CSA the answer to the issues identified?

• You may believe your community needs a CSA

- but will they really pay?

• Let’s be honest - you never can tell 100%

• You have to make your best judgement -

based on the information you’ve found out.

Now you need a plan

• A business plan is a work of fiction

• To get people to believe it - you need to tell a good

story

• That story needs to be convincing and engaging

• And it needs to be written in your tone of voice

Things you might include in your plan

1. Your business from your customer’s point of view/summary

2. Your context - research

3. Your vision, your mission, and your key objectives

4. Your main activities - which will achieve the above

5. Information about who’ll be involved

Things you might include in your plan

6. What money you’ll need to start out, what you will earn,

what you will spend, and how you’ll manage your money

7. Nuts and bolts - operational issues

8. Legal issues: structure, liabilities, land ownership, planning…

9. Relationship building - your marketing plan

A monkey nutshell marketing plan

1. Work out what market you’re in

2. Put your business in context - research

3. Work out who your customers are

4. Work out what you’re going to offer them (features)

5. Work out what’s in it for them (benefits)

6. Agree some key messages (tell them about your benefits)

7. Start building relationships - do some marketing

Things that might work for you

Word of mouth

E-newsletter BlogPR - good

news

Launch Sponsorship Talk to people Flyers/Posters

Be friendly Stunt Partnerships Local leafleting

Business cards Networking MailshotSignage/A

Frame

WebsiteOngoing research

Pay per click ads

Local events

Things you might include in your plan

10. What might go wrong - and what you’ll do about it

(risk)

11. How you’ll know - and show - you’ve been successful

12. Where you’ll get help and support

13. What you will do next (action plan)

Some sources of support

• Business Link - www.businesslink.gov.uk,

www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk

• Other local support initiatives - eg

http://www.socialenterpriseincumbria.org/

• Social Enterprise Coalition - www.socialenterprise.org.uk

• School for Social Entrepreneurs - www.sse.org.uk

• Other CSA’s and growing projects - not just in UK

• For individuals - UnLtd - www.unltd.org.uk

• Local Food, Soil Association and Plunkett Foundation

Other resources

• Forth Sector business planning guide for social enterprises

• www.forthsector.org.uk/resources.htm

Other resources

• Lots more info on all aspects of social business planning

• www.socialbusinessconsulting.co.uk

Other resources

• Your chance to change the

world

• Craig Dearden Phillips

www.thesocialbusiness.co.uk

• Blog about social enterprise

• E-newsletter

• rob@thesocialbusiness.co.uk

• 0113 257 3942