Changethinking

Posts Tagged ‘Social Enterprise’

Doherty, Foster, Mason et al have produced a great primer for the person intent on mastering the management of social enterprise.

Published in 2009 the book Management for Social Enterprise contains a wide ranging and detailed analysis of many aspects of successful social enterprise management.

It combines not only operational advice, but also gives pointers across some of the ethical issues, corprorate tensions and community reactions that an emergent social enterprise can deliver.

There is also a strong section on financial management of social enterprises, which although created by academics scores well in terms of readability for the lay person. We recommend it.

You can find other books on social business on our SmithMartin ethical business book page…read more here.

The Digital Participation Fund deadline is approaching. Applications have to be with the fund by 5.00 p.m. on the 1st. June 2010, for this first round.

Designed to support initiatives that increase participation in online activities, get more from already being online and to get help to exploit the real social and economic benefits of being online.

The Fund is open to any charity or incorporated organisation, with the Fund stating that there is likely to be several rounds of funding available over the next three years.

The Fund notes say they are looking for projects of any size, that can be evaluated, replicated and that offer depth and breadth to internet access.

You can get full details of the Fund, the aims it has and all the forms for application here, in both PDF and Word format.

If you are already helping people get access to the online world, or are planning to, check out the Digital Participation Consortium.

Nathaniel Whittemore has just published an interesting reflection on the role of business practices in social entrepreneurship. His work appears on the change.org site.

The context of his article was a critique of the management consultancy McKinsey & Co. and their recent debate on whether the language of business is relevant in our sector.

His argument is summarised here…

…talking about “the language and practice of business” and assuming that is a monolith is sort of like talking about “the language and practice of nonprofits” and trying to lump community development initiatives, affordable housing, humanitarian relief, and undergraduate education all together. In other words, it just doesn’t work.

Running our own small business and trying to help others in a diverse range of communities of interest to start social businesses clearly places us well out of the orbit of McKinsey. However, the argument proposed in the change.org piece rings loud and clear to us.

Highly complex and detailed management reporting or business plans, and the knowledge of how to produce them, is clearly an important constituent in delivering effective change in a social business. It goes also to establishing credence and mission based objectives for any organisation.

However, at ground zero of delivery in a local community all strategic analysis and esoteric conceptualising is subservient to the immediacy of solving the current problem, the now of small things.

Not to cope with this aspect of a social business start-up will handicap its development from the earliest stage. We would argue that what makes for the most successfully entrepreneurial organisation is the embrace of theory and methodology BUT coupled to passion, drive and social reformation.

One of our partners, in describing our partnership philosophy, says that we are social radicals but fiscal conservatives.

Not sure that every team member would recognise the model as we believe state spending is an integral part of the enduring social contract, but a great truncation of a sophisticated and socially passionate set of drivers for any group of people who want to effect change – by interacting with diverse communities of interest and power.

As Whittemore has it…

…entrepreneurs in general tend to want every single tool they can get in their toolbox. They don’t want to limit themselves to only one approach simply because that’s what has been done before’.

This rings true to us – across the roundabout, under the bypass and into the community centre.

Getting your social enterprise or community business to the first £100,000 of turnover is the hardest part of your journey.

Systems, structures, policies, products, people and partners all have to be engaged, transformed by your idea and the goods or service delivered.

It’s easy to be side tracked by new initiatives, fantastic ideas from supporters who can offer no practical help or even be delayed in your development by the nay sayers.

We like the approach of Eric Karjaluoto in his book Speak Human.

Written from a small business development perspective Speak Human has definite philosophical and entrepreneurial approaches that can help you develop your community business too.

Be yourself, be true in your engagements with others and recognise that sometimes you have to do less in order to define your message and clear identity.

Recognise that your ICT service is not best modeled on IBM, or that your catering business is not The River Cafe. Be distinctive, be true to your original ideas and be practical above all else.

Speaking Human is a great primer for any social enterprise we think.

You can read a sample chapter on Eric’s US site here.

The Supply National SME Engagement Programme is an initiative to raise awareness of, and to make more effective, the ability of smaller enterprises to bid for public sector contracts.

By visiting the NSEP website you can see what events and workshops are available in your region, and get information about forthcoming procurement conferences.

These are all events that can help the SME/social business develop their bid strategy, refine their ability to respond to pre-qualification questionnaires and deliver a better final bid.

The site also offers the chance to download a copy of the Guide to Winning Contracts – with twenty tips to help hone your bidding skills.

The public sector marketplace is crowded and competitive, but this information can definitely help you prepare better and win more.