A step-by-step guide on how to develop a social enterprise

The Social Enterprise Builder resource as a step-by-step guide on how to develop a social enterprise, including a rigorous business planning process. This comprehensive guide is structured in seven stages. The first two stages share about social enterprise. The third stage is for those still looking for social enterprise ideas. The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh stages are for those that have an idea and want to develop it into a social enterprise. In each section, there are downloadable worksheets and templates.

• Stage 1: Understanding – Understanding social enterprise
• Stage 2: Inspiring – Social enterprise case studies
• Stage 3: Exploring – How to generate ideas
• Stage 4: Focusing – Focusing and developing the idea
• Stage 5: Designing – Conducting a feasibility study to flesh out the enterprise idea
• Stage 6: Pursuing – Writing and pitching the business plan
• Stage 7: Implementing – Executing your business plan and bringing the enterprise to reality

To learn more visit the Social Traders website.

Added July 2011

New Zealand's second Community Economic Development Conference was held in Waitakere on 19 - 20 April.  The theme of the important and exciting conference was Making it happen: from possibility to profitability. 

Links to Highlights

Here are some links to key conference information and reflections from participants:

What an opening day! With a room brimming with enthusiasm and experience, delegates on Day One were treated to speakers from a range of backgrounds and situations who all shared their lived experience of community economic development. Acknowledging the challenging contexts of our times, a key theme from the beginning of the day was that community is the centre and heart of life in 2011 and economic development is a critical aspect of a healthy community. We were shown this in scene setting accounts of the ongoing clean up and daily life in Christchurch, in Mayor Len Brown’s vision for Auckland to be the most liveable city in the world and in Ngarimu Blair’s account of Ngati Whatua from the early 1800s to the present day.

 How do you see the role and responsibility of local business – and big business – in community development goals?  Can business and community both do better together?  At the Community Economic Development conference on 20 Aoril 2011 one organisation on the presenters list stood out.  Would you expect a major retail bank to be presenting on Community Enterprise?

Many businesses have an interest in mutually beneficial connections with community.  Through our connection with Tamarack, an Institute for Community Engagement in Canada, we’ve seen many examples of business working with community and wanting to better understand how to contribute to community.  Here are a few links: