Join us for a half-day online practical workshop to get started on plans for your own social enterprise – a new business with social impact at its core.
In a small group of budding entrepreneurs, we’ll teach you some basic concepts in business planning, finance and legal structures: the toolkit you need to get your own social enterprise off the ground. You’ll leave the workshop with knowledge and resources you can use straight away, as you take your first steps towards building your new business.
This workshop has taken its inspiration from the success of our popular Social Venture Weekend, which helped over 800 entrepreneurs since 2014. Our team of experts from the University of Cambridge has distilled the key concepts we know will help social entrepreneurs get started now on their social enterprise journey into this short, half-day workshop so we can continue to engage with emerging entrepreneurs across the UK during lockdown.
Who is the workshop for?
This workshop is best suited to people who already have a fairly clear idea for a social enterprise and are starting to develop real plans. Your ideas might still be a bit rough around the edges, but you’ll get the most from the workshop if you can tell us what your business idea is and what your social mission is.
It’s okay if this is the first entrepreneurial training you’ve done! We’ll talk you through some basic concepts in business and help you identify some practical steps forward to make your idea a reality.
If your plans are a little further developed that’s okay too. Feel free to apply, and if we think you are too far advanced for this workshop, we can recommend other training. This workshop is best suited to ventures based here in the UK, even if your social impact will be abroad. Sessions on finance and legal structures, in particular, are taught from a UK perspective.
What does the workshop cover?
All our training is built with a focus on social impact in the context of creating and scaling a sustainable business. We create an inclusive, supportive and friendly atmosphere, giving emerging entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet like-minded people and learn from experts.
The ‘Get Started’ workshop is an introduction to some key concepts in business and social enterprise. It covers:
- Business planning, using the popular Business Model Canvas planning framework.
- What makes you a social enterprise? Understanding legal structures that help you embed your social mission alongside your commercial purpose.
- Basics of social finance and raising money to grow your venture: investment, loans, grants and earned income.
What you will need to participate
As this workshop is being delivered online, you will need access to:
- a computer or mobile device, ideally with a camera and microphone
- a stable internet connection
- Zoom – a free software tool for hosting webinars
- time and space to participate in the workshop without interruption.
If there are practical barriers to your participation (eg disability, caring responsibilities) please let us know – this workshop is new and we are keen to make it as accessible as possible.
Also, if you have any learning support needs, please feel free to disclose this to us, as we are very willing to make adaptations to our programme to enable you to participate.
Cost, dates and workshop timing
Cost
This workshop costs £50 (no VAT) per person.
If the cost will prevent you from attending, please do talk to us. Discounts are available for people who are experiencing long term financial hardship, particularly from the East of England. We are also keen to support people who may have lost their job due to the pandemic.
Timing
The workshop will run from 09:30 to 13:00, including a couple of short breaks. We will send a more detailed agenda to participants before the workshop.
Dates
We run these workshops once a term and a selection of dates will be available when you sign up. Even if there are no dates showing, please complete the form and we will contact you when we have new dates.
Entrepreneurs can apply for any one of the available dates. There are limited places available for each date, so tickets are limited to two per venture.
Join a workshop
Fill in this short form with a few details about your business idea, and we’ll be in touch with booking details. This isn’t a test! It’s just a chance for us to double check that our workshop is the best fit for you.