What can we sell and is there a buyer?

Increasingly, voluntary and community organisations are looking to social enterprise (income from trading) as a way of financing their activities. As grant funding becomes tighter, generating income through the sale of services and products becomes a more realistic and attractive option. It can bring in unrestricted income that the organisation can spend on the things that some grant funding might not support.

Preparing your organisation for social enterprise/trading activity

Many groups across Westminster have already started to trade goods and services. Others have lots of ideas and want to know more about setting up a trading activity. Making the leap from donations and grant funding to "social enterprise" is not always easy. Great ideas must be backed up by good planning tools: an overall fundraising strategy, financial management tools, marketing skills and a business plan.

Our Organisational Development Team can help you put the strategy and planning in place. We offer courses on a number of subjects to develop your organisation's planning:

• strategic planning
• developing a fundraising strategy
• financial management
• business planning

Business Link (London) is also a good source of advice and guidance for businesses.

Go to the Business Link website.

Taking the leap into Social Enterprise

In Autumn 2009, we offered Strategic Review Sessions with our Expert Social Enterprise consultant. Groups were able to apply for a bursary from Voluntary Action Westminster to cover the cost. The offer enables groups to meet our expert, grapple with issues and learn about the skills and strategies needed in order to run a social enterprise. The session is followed up by a Strategic Review Report, which makes recommendations for future action. This report helps the organisation to decide whether to access a Hands-on Enterprise Assistance session for a day, where our expert consultant can work through a particular task or issue. Three organisations were awarded bursaries. They provide a variety of services and represent a diverse range of people. The Strategic Review Sessions will take place in December 2009, with Hands-on Enterprise Assistance sessions due to happen between January and March. We'll add their stories by March 2010 so that you can find out if the scheme might suit your organisation too. Organisations will be able to buy this service from VAW in 2010.

Some of the issues covered:

• Research and evaluation of business opportunities
• Business model research and evaluation
• Operations research and evaluation
• Designing marketing plans and a sales strategy
• Negotiating with suppliers
• Contribution to bid applications
• Generating sales leads

If you are interested in this scheme, please call Lindsay Peniston on 020 7723 1216 or email lpeniston@vawcvs.org to enquire about cost and availability.