Status update: Have I Got Social Enterprise News For You

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Are you excited? I’m excited. Why am I excited? Because this week Facebook updated the like button to include emojis, giving me a whole new range of ways to demonstrate complete indifference to pictures of people’s holidays / news of family gatherings / updates about what they had for dinner. It’s a brave new world and I like it (smiley face). So this week I’ve spent all my time on Facebook ‘working’, you can see what I found below.

No news next week as I’ll be in Norfolk with no access to a computer, so I’ll see you in a few weeks. Have a good weekend!

@davemcglashan

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Sustainable funding models: Trading and Social Enterprise

As the availability of grants has diminished over recent years an increasing number of charities (and social enterprises) are looking at trading as a model for generating income: selling products or services on the open market for profit.

Ahead of next month’s Transition to Trading course at SSE London here is a presentation that Ian Baker, our Head of Learning, delivered to a number of charities in Luton that were hoping to move away from grant dependence towards a more sustainable business model:

 

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Celebrating the sunshine: Have I Got Social Enterprise News For You

Sunshine

Sun is shining, the weather is sweet
Make you want to move your dancing feet
To the rescue, here I am
Want you to know ya, where I stand.

I’m actually not standing (I’m sitting at my desk), but the sun certainly is shining, the weather is indeed sweet and it’s Friday so I’m in a very good mood and I hope that you are too. I wouldn’t in any way claim to be rescuing you but I can deliver a decent lot of news this week, so enjoy and have a good weekend.

@davemcglashan

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Scale vs integrity

If you run an organisation where creating social impact is your primary aim, you are inevitably going to have to make decisions that compromise financial returns in favour of your social impact.

Imagine this: You’ve signed up to being a social entrepreneur, you’re on a crusade for change and you’ve committed to the highs and lows that will come your way. Work life balance feels like a mythical utopia right now and you find yourself dreaming about overheads and cash flow.  In addition to the stresses of being your own boss you also find yourself facing moral dilemmas.

On one occasion an opportunity to scale your organisation comes up. It would allow you to grow much faster than you ever dreamed, but to take advantage of the offer you are required to flex your organisational values and change your model.

What do you do?  Continue reading

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Your Own Place – seeking security

Latest in the new ‘More Expert by Experience’ series by Chris Lee. Read more on his blog – Enterprise Essentials.

I am re-discovering a social enterprise and Community Interest Company – Your Own Place (YOP) in Norfolk – which works with young people aged 16-25. I first interviewed Rebecca White, YOP’s Director and Founder, in December 2013 when we were both at the School for Social Entrepreneurs in Ipswich. Two years on, I wanted to find out how Your Own Place had developed and, in particular, Rebecca’s experience of ‘going it alone’ as a social entrepreneur now working more-than-full-time on the enterprise.Your Own Place logo

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