Operations File: One Million Social Enterprises

Recently it's been announced that we're not in a recession any more, so everything is sorted now right? Wrong. People are still having to economise hard and many a Christmas was extremely meagre this winter with the prospect of yet more austerity measures looming for the most vulnerable of all. What would help is less indifference and apathy toward the increasing number of people being further deprived of the basics to sustain body and soul and a determination to do something about making things work for the betterment of all from everyone in the form of viable positive, constructive action. I’d best admit to being biased here, but I am now convinced that there is only one viable option left to go to town on business wise namely, social enterprises.

In my all too brief time at Social Enterprise East of England (I was made redundant in 2011 - cuts you know, what can I say) the first thing I grasped (almost) was what social enterprise really means. Confusion then followed as it is so fluid (no wonder I loved it) that it actually defies all definition and terms of reference when it comes to business practises. That’s actually brilliant news for it means that there is nothing on this planet, not even a government department in the most vicious dictatorship in the world today that could not operate as... a social enterprise with mere minor adjustments to their modus operandi.

In real terms the principle is this... instead of 75% clean profits it would mean a measly 50% clean profit with the other 25% going toward funding the essentials that keep all of us ticking over in the community. Note I am referring to clean profit, not revenue - how tiresome it is that so many confuse the two. With the rest of the profits one can easily still make investments, but people need cash now not after it has earned interest in a savings account. People need it to be able to survive, not to go out on the razz.

Yes, it's true, social enterprises make profits. What distinguishes them from other forms of business is how they use it. Translate their ethic into multi-national business practises and suddenly the whole world benefits and therefore becomes healthier and more productive, QED problem solved. That's the principle, though why people insist on complicating things with detail I shall never understand! Okay in practise, I cannot lie, it does get complicated, interesting and challenging, best you talk to an adviser for your particular needs as I admit to being no expert.

What follows are hints on how to make good use of the social enterprises and community initiatives which include many charities, Not-for-Profits, CICs and some voluntary groups (large and small) in to illustrate what has already been proven to be possible. Hell, there are even companies limited by guarantee among social enterprises - the mind boggles at the sheer diversity. Note the gaps still left to fill for all you budding logical and ethical entrepreneurs out there. In a sense, local shops count as social enterprises because they are already providing support to the communities they are located in, simply by being in situ.

Business Social Enterprise Ventures		Home and Community Social Enterprise Initiatives
Food supply	Local farmers, GM foods and green foods	Food to buy for meals	Waitrose, Co-op, local farmers markets and shops
Transport (distribution)	TBA (Sorry, not my field but sharing vehicles can only help)	Transport	Electric and dual fuel cars, cycle routes, sharing vehicles, public transport
Clothing manufacturers	Master tailors, designers and cottage industries	Clothing	John Lewis, local craft shops, charity shops and local shops
Building materials	Recycled Manufacturing of glass, plastic, metal, paper, wood and all waste products. New ways of using old products such as straw, mud, timber, brick, corrugated iron etc	Building our homes and communal facilities	Old tricks, new uses with mud, straw, glass and all recycled materials... it’s bound to get ‘artistic’ and very individual in taste so  expect planning permission to get harder on some ideas
Power and energy	Solar, Wind and Wave, making fossil fuels go further and nuclear fuel including it’s waste totally safe (ish) allegedly. Fracking is still to be proved to be safe.	Power and energy	Clockwork devices from radios to TVs to fridge freezers. Energy efficient lighting including using LEDs with rechargeable batteries
Health care provision	Never have we had more choice and that is just going to get ever better I hope, don't be surprised to see maggots being used more!	Health in the home	Alternative therapies and medicines from osteopathy to herbal teas
Leisure (environment)	Stronger laws to safeguard and protect our most valuable asset while also protecting the livestock that feeds us and encouraging renewable and sustainable projects	Leisure in the countryside	There will be more people wanting to use the countryside, hence cycle and rambling routes need to be carefully planned. Expect high fines to groups who wander from the beaten track but superb community initiatives in this area - we can still go out and enjoy it by helping preserve it!
Leisure (entertainment)	Just as business are having to use energy saving so too do art and sport venues via exciting LED moving lights in theatres, safer rigging methods and tools. Recycled paper, less wastage all round. Being inventive the arts are often at the cutting edge of new ideas.	Leisure (entertainment)	You haven’t noticed how much safer it is for the projectionist running a film have you? Good, you're not supposed to. We are now recycling unused tickets and equipment in our communities. We make our own handmade books, furnishings and furniture and games at home again. YAY!
Special events	It’s becoming ever easier to host an event absolutely anywhere at all due to new legislation and the inventiveness of us Brits. Woohoo!	Special events	Weddings in tree houses or factories and funerals at sea or from the air, whatever you want can more easily be done through sheer community determination and spirit, so long as you tidy up afterwards.

For help in your area try these:

• http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk
• http://www.socialfirmsuk.co.uk
• http://www.seee.co.uk
• http://www.seem.uk.net
• http://nesep.co.uk
• http://www.senw.org.uk/
• http://www.socialenterprisewm.org.uk
• http://www.seyh.org.uk
• http://www.socialenterprisemark.org.uk
• http://www.socialenterpriselive.com
• http://www.the-sse.org
• http://knowhownonprofit.org

Some 70,000 social enterprises are helping the community already according to Social Enterprises UK. I suspect there are many more being shy about it myself. However it is still a long way short of one million enterprises that I believe should be our target, so... isn't it about time you nudged in that direction too via your place of work? Here's a guide as to who is already out there.

http://www.mygreendirectory.info/index.php

Working need not be a chore, it can be fun and moreover it can help the most vulnerable of all in our communities which may include your nearest and dearest one day AND help save our planet's finite and precious resources. Enjoy your work and enjoy your leisure time; do both ethically and you can only ever end up as very contented healthy bunnies indeed - what greater wealth can there be than that? Sorted... next! ;-)

PS: Happy New Year!

Founders Thoughts: Voluntary and apprenticeship magic

The trouble with anything purporting to be magical is that magic comes in two forms - good and evil, so whether you are interested in signing up for voluntary or apprentice schemes is best to be aware of what should be the benefits and how to reduce the risk of the pitfalls. That applies to candidates as much as enterprises and organisations. 

Voluntary vehicles

With voluntary positions, the aim is to for the enterprise to gain an extra pair of hands and for the volunteer to gain from having a new experience. Unlike apprenticeships there is no formal training requirement and there are no wages whatsoever, although some expenses (e.g. travel, meals and where applicable accommodation) are sometimes offered. Expenses are not compulsory for enterprises to pay, but it is advisable if you wish to retain good volunteers to secure their continued interest and loyalty.

The whole area of the voluntary sector is riddled with challenges to overcome and grey areas such as how do you run a voluntary organisation when you cannot hold people to a contract when they are volunteering for you? How can you maintain consistency of service and/or product delivery with a high turnover of staff that continually need induction training of some kind and who can say, "I'm sorry I can't (or won't) do that task." The answer is to employ key personnel and pay them a wage, but that is not always possible. The Citizens Advice Bureau for example is a charity that is staffed almost entirely by volunteers from all walks of life.

Volunteers though can become dissatisfied because of the lack for formal training, a structure to their expected duties and opportunities for qualifications which the organisation may simply not have a budget for. However, to gain an insight to new job roles; to hone or gain new skills or confidence or to simply make new friends it can be an invaluable and profoundly rewarding experience.

Local Community Volunteer Services (CVS) can play an important role in helping to match interest from prospective volunteers with the skill needs of the enterprise. However, it remains the responsibility of the organisation to be clear and adhere to what they can offer and be diligent in ensuring that they are organised when it comes to making contact, with volunteers and keeping them them informed.

My own experiences echo this for as a former manager who helped to develop volunteers I recognised the importance of listening to their interests for development so that it became a exercise in negotiation to ensure a happy mix of something for them, and something from them for the company. However, as former volunteer I have had a couple of negative experiences due to expectations that I would go beyond what I had offered for free with no pay, but mainly due to the length of time it takes for some organisations to get back to me as to whether they needed me or not. Not good, fortunately though the majority of organisations offering volunteer work do not behave that way. Most of the time I am happy to report no such problems whenever I have taken on voluntary work.

Who uses volunteers?

Voluntary positions can be on offer from just about any type of industry regardless of it's legal structure these days. If you are an employer please be aware that as much time and effort in terms of pre-planning and monitoring is required to be in place for volunteers as much as any paid member of staff. If you doubt that, ask any social firm. Social firms specialise in offering as many opportunities as they can to disadvantaged people. Do not confuse them with social enterprises who may or may not do the same.

The motivation behind why an individual wants to volunteer is extremely varied and so you'd be wise to tailor duties to those requirements. I personally frown on any organisation that uses volunteers (and/or apprentices) as a cheap source of labour not least because it can all too easily lead to a devaluing of their contributions to the whole operation and to society. Without such people many organisations simply wouldn't be able to exist, function or survive including some rescue services such as mountain rescue, RNLI and Air Ambulance.

Recommendations for Volunteers

If interested in volunteering I recommend you do a bit of research on the organisations you are interested in beforehand. Organisations can range from charities, social enterprises, councils and as well as many private enterprises. If you don't know if an organisation welcomes volunteers, phone up and ask and quiz them about what they can offer as standard to volunteers; what benefits they could offer specifically for the role(s) they want volunteers for and what level of regular commitment is required in terms of your time.

Most organisations have websites for your to contact them direct (ideally by email so that you get things in writing), but many of them these days will only take volunteers via a CVS, the VSO (Voluntary Service Organisation) or similar organisation. The aim of these organisations is to encourage volunteering, but also to ensure that both parties are a match where at all possible and all are only too willing to help.

The sorcery of apprenticeships

In common with volunteers, sadly there are some rather nasty employers who view apprentices as a source of cheap labour whereas the intention is to provide people with formal training via apprenticeship schemes. Originally apprenticeships consisted of being paid a living wage and several years of training. It could be argued that for some professions they have never stopped, e.g. medical, legal and financial professions whereby it can take seven years before one is fully qualified.

Modern apprenticeships differ as they are geared toward training people for a shorter period of time and combining it with qualifications which it is hoped will always be an asset to the individual to help them to secure a living wage. Though apprentices get an income, it is not enough for them to live independently unless supported by other means e.g. benefits. 

Most schemes run in conjunction with colleges or universities so that the theory and some practical experience is covered by the college leaving on-the-job training to the employer. While there are some rules and some forms of assessment regarding the employer's part in training, they are not generally geared to be as measurable as educational establishments, which is how employers who have no intention of offering even a useful work experience can take advantage.

While schemes run by education providers will ensure there is an employer already signed up offering work experience, they can only do so much to ensure that experience is to a high standard. Employers, may or may not have affiliations with a particular college, much depends on the nature of the apprenticeship itself. Qualifications may be deferred to later on in the apprenticeship e.g. after company induction training has been completed. Both training providers should have clearly defined structures, aims and objectives and should adhere to and deliver them.

Assuming that all goes well for the duration of the apprenticeship, by far the biggest pitfall for apprentices themselves is whether or not there is a job offer at the end of it at the going rate with the company they have worked with. Perhaps that should be incorporated as a mandatory requirement for all apprenticeship schemes so that at the end of the training process a secure job of at least one year is offered upon successful completion which could either be part or full time. I believe apprenticeships should be looked upon as in depth and intensive probationary periods for new paid employees, after all is that not original intent behind all such schemes?

True magic

Voluntary and apprenticeship experiences can be wonderfully magical and rewarding for all concerned. Regrettable isn't it, how the few can mar even the best of schemes to ruin the good works and dedication of so many. That's not to say there is dishonour in companies who offer apprenticeships every year and who seldom employ afterwards, but the hope is that some of those apprentices are securing employment from them afterwards. Candidates should be bold and ask what percentage of people secure related paid work upon completion before deciding upon which scheme to sign up for.

In theory if the employer's enterprise is viable it should be progressing and therefore recruiting new staff from their apprenticeship programmes as for them it is a sensible way to ensure that new staff are moulded to their way of working while benefiting from essential training at reduced costs. Intelligent employers should be factoring in contingencies for hard times well in advance in their projected forecasts which should always be taking into account trends as well as the overall economy; therefore they should be able to say with confidence that a job would be on offer if the apprentice performs well enough i.e. passes.

Whether you are an employer or a candidate interested in these opportunities, it pays to do your planning and research first. All work relationships that are effective are based on a mutual agreement that not just should, but will benefit both if handled correctly.