Business Development Workshops
Just Enterprise are offering a series of half day business development workshops on crucial aspects of social enterprise activity. Aimed at employees and members of existing enterprising third sector organisations, the events are FREE to attend and are scheduled in response to demand for specific topics and themes:
- Business Planning
If an organisation doesn't know where it's going then the chances are it will probably end up somewhere else. This business planning workshop will help you to review your current strategy and begin to plan how you want to deliver your services in the future. Covering the stages involved in developing a business plan, as well as the tools and techniques that can be used to gather and assess information, the session will be fully interactive allowing participants to share knowledge, experience and ideas.
- Legal Structures for Third Sector Organisations
This half day seminar is intended as an introduction to the range of legal structures currently available for the Third Sector, including the traditional ones of Company Limited by Guarantee and Development Trusts, and the newer Community Interest Company (CIC), and Scottish Charitable Incorporated Company (SCIO) structures. The seminar will also cover issues around Charitable Status, setting up a trading subsidiary, what is a Trustee, and roles and responsibilities for Directors.
- Costing
One of the most important issues for an organisation is to determine the cost of the services/products you provide. In order to recover your costs and pitch services/selling prices at the right level it is essential to have accurate knowledge of what your service actually costs. This workshop explains how you can accurately cost your services on a full cost recovery basis. Using recognised techniques, the workshop uses ‘live’ data from an organisation that delivers four separate services and demonstrates how to reallocate all central and administration costs to each service.
- Pricing
Do you know how to set prices for the services/products your organisation provides? Are you leaving additional earnings on the table when you pitch your prices or are you not sure? This workshop will show you how to price your services and explains a variety of techniques used in product pricing.
- Marketing
Only 10% of social enterprise have dedicated marketing personnel. That’s why it’s important that non-marketing managers learn how to practically and effectively market the organisation - in what little time they have available. This workshop will focus on practical skills to market for your organisation. As a result your organisation could gain a higher profile, communicate more effectively, and gain a better understanding of what customers think of you. It will cover:
- Introduction to the principles and practice of marketing
- How to connect with customers
- Communication: one simple tool to give your communication impact
- Market Research : A Beginner’s Guide
Aimed at individuals in social enterprises who are non-research practitioners but who may need to undertake basic market research within their role. This could be in relation to business planning and management, funding applications or assessing the demand for new products and services. The workshop will provide an introduction to market research including:
- What is market research and why do we do it?
- Different approaches and tools
- Tips and techniques
- Working with external researchers
- An Introduction to Selling for Social Enterprise
Today’s economic climate is forcing Social Enterprises to become less grant dependent and more self-reliant. This full day introductory workshop is ideal for those responsible for generating income on a day-to-day basis or those who must now adapt to the "new economy".
The workshop will cover the fundamentals of selling, from preparation to questioning styles, objection handling, and how to develop a consultative approach to sales.
Who should attend?This workshop is targeted at those Enterprising Third Sector organisations that are developing new markets or are trying to sell products and services into existing markets. Whether in Retail, the Arts, or business start-up, we provide the foundations for successful conversion. Attendees may include:
a)Staff or Volunteers: Those charged with active or occasional selling at a local level and who may benefit from a more methodical understanding of the process of selling.
b)Decision makers: More senior staff required to take a more active approach to secure funding or sell Enterprise services.
Learning Outcomes- Understand customer needs and motivations for purchase
- Defining the 7 step sales process
- How to control the momentum and content of a conversation
- Learn the art of active listening and when to recognise buying signals
- How and when to present solutions
- Overcome customer objections
- Identify when to close the sale and utilise closing techniques
- Build customer relationships through sales and marketing follow-up
- Setting realistic goals after the sale
Course Schedule
| Course | Date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Planning | Friday 26th April 2013 | 10:00am to 1:00pm |
The Spectrum Centre 1 Margaret Street Inverness IV1 1LS |
| Legal Structures | Thursday 9th May 2013 | 10:00am to 1:00pm |
Enterprise House East Dunbartonshire Enterprise Trust Southbank Business Park Kirkintilloch G66 1XG |
| Marketing | Tuesday 7th May 2013 | 9:30am to 12:30pm |
Tweed Horizons Newtown St Boswells Melrose Scottish Borders TD6 0SG |
| Market Research | Tuesday 7th May 2013 | 1:30pm to 4:30pm |
Tweed Horizons Newtown St Boswells Melrose Scottish Borders TD6 0SG |
| Legal & Trading Responsibilities for Board Members |
Monday 29th April 2013 | 11.30am to 3.30pm |
Caithness Horizons Old Town Hall High Street Thurso Caithness KW14 8AJ |
| An Introduction to Selling | Wednesday 1st May 2013 | 10:00am to 4:00pm |
Betty’s Room EVH 5th Floor 137 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow G2 3EW |
| Wednesday 8th May 2013 | 10:00am to 4:00pm |
Torridon Room Scottish Churches Housing Action 44 Hanover Street Edinburgh EH2 2DR |
|
| Wednesday 22nd May 2013 | 10.00am to 4.00pm |
Ness Horizons Kintail House Beechwood Business Park Inverness IV2 3BW |
|
| Costing | NEW 2013 Dates Coming Soon! | ||
| Pricing | NEW 2013 Dates Coming Soon! | ||
Additional courses and dates will be published in due course
Apply here for a place on a business development workshop
Start Up Development Workshops
The programme of workshops has been designed to provide support for emerging social enterprises, social entrepreneurs and new start social enterprises. These workshops are delivered by Firstport in different regions around Scotland, see table below for dates and venues. Access to these workshops is free of charge for new and emerging social entrepreneurs.
- Sales & Marketing
The more you understand your customers the more easily you will be able to approach them and bring in money for your enterprise. This course makes no apologies for having a straight business focus. This workshop focuses directly on how marketing generates business and affects your cash flow in a positive way. After this workshop you will have a better understanding of the difference between paying customers, clients and wider stakeholders and how best to approach them. Again, we have publications and templates ready to use with new start clients.
- Cash flow planning
At an early stage, cash-flow is one of the most critical elements of new business planning. This workshop will illustrate and explain the importance of cash to your social enterprise as a way to grow and survive. The workshop will cover the main elements of preparing a cash flow forecast, including working with a cash flow template specifically tailored to the needs of a start up social enterprise.
- Legal Structures for Social Enterprises
There are many potential legal structures that you can adopt for your start up social enterprise. Ensuring that you choose the right structure is paramount for your future success. This workshop will allow you to gain a practical understanding of the wide range of legal structures suitable for your project, governance issues and more.
- Getting Your Message Across
First meetings and the opportunity to promote your business are critical at a new start level. We deliver hands on, peer group based sessions where our clients can practice their pitch for real and get feedback to improve their approach.
- Planning and delivery
Pulling all previous elements of the workshops into a plan to move ahead. Formulating a business plan is one of the most important tasks when starting up a new business. It will help you set targets, collate all your ideas, plan for the future of your enterprise and see if your idea for a business is realistic and workable. The business plan is also an essential tool in attracting funding to get started. Again, we have developed specialist publications geared to those at an early stage.
Course Schedule
| Description | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro - What is Social Enterprise? | 29/01/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Edinburgh |
| Getting Your Message Across | 06/02/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Glasgow |
| Intro - What is Social Enterprise? | 06/02/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Glasgow |
| Sales & Marketing | 07/03/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Edinburgh |
| Cash Flow Planning | 07/03/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Edinburgh |
| Sales & Marketing | 13/03/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Glasgow |
| Cash Flow Planning | 13/03/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Glasgow |
| Getting Your Message Across | 19/03/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Edinburgh |
| Legal Structures | 26/03/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Edinburgh |
| Planning & Delivery | 26/03/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Edinburgh |
| Intro - What is Social Enterprise? | 27/03/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Inverness |
| Intro - What is Social Enterprise? | 10/04/13 | 4.00-6.00 | Edinburgh |
| Legal Structures | 17/04/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Glasgow |
| Planning & Delivery | 17/04/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Glasgow |
| Intro - What is Social Enterprise? | 24/04/13 | 10.00-12.30 | Arbroath |
| Business Planning | 24/04/13 | 1.30-4.00 | Arbroath |
| Sales & Marketing | 30/04/13 | 11.00-1.00 | Inverness |
| Cash Flow Planning | 30/04/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Inverness |
| Legal Structures | 01/05/13 | 10.30-12.30 | Edinburgh |
| Planning & Delivery | 01/05/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Edinburgh |
| Intro - What is Social Enterprise? | 16/05/13 | 4.00-6.00 | Glasgow |
| Legal Structures | 29/05/13 | 11.00-1.00 | Inverness |
| Planning & Delivery | 29/05/13 | 1.30-3.30 | Inverness |
We are able to run these workshops in other regions of Scotland. If you would like us to run these workshops in your local area, please get in touch. If there is enough demand for them we will slot them into the calendar.