The Resource Centre, London

Programme

9.30 Arrival, registration and coffee

10.00 Introduction by Chair: Gerry Higgins, Social Firms UK

10.05-11.00 Introduction to franchising and replication: Michael Way of Franchise Your Business Ltd.

Presentation outlining franchising principles and mechanisms and why it makes sense for social firms to consider this route. View the presentation.

10.35-11.00 Opportunities for franchising and replication for social firms: Gerry Higgins, Social Firms UK.

Presentation outlining the rationale for franchising and replication for social firms and the progress made by the current programme in identifying opportunities for new firm development. View the presentation.

11.00-11.15 Tea/Coffee Break

11.15-12.30 Presentation of Business Opportunities.

After a 5 minute presentation on each of the 3 topics, delegates move to workshops. Each workshop will involve a brief presentation and lots of opportunities for discussion and questions.

Homecare Social Firms: Margaret Elliot and Guy Turnbull describe the CASA development led by Sunderland Homecare going into some detail on the upcoming training course and recruitment and plans for homecare social firms throughout the UK. View the presentation.
Aquarium Rental And Maintenance Franchise: Stuart Mackenzie and Keith Bates outline the business and plans to establish a national franchise group over the next two years.
View part one of the presenation.
View part two of the presenation.
View part three of the presenation.
Computer Recycling: Michele Rigby from ReCycle IT illustrates the opportunities for social firm creation from recycling and refurbishing computers. This will include franchise opportunities with ReCycle IT and the potential impact of the European recycling legislation.

12.30-1.15 Lunch

Chair for the afternoon, Sally Reynolds, Social Firms UK.

1.15-1.40 Toots: a vision for the future. Andy Speechley describes his vision and plans to have a drive thru laundry operating as a social firm in every large town and city of the UK.

1.40-3.00 Presentation of Business Opportunities

A 5-minute presentation on 3 topics. After the presentations delegates move to workshops. Each workshop will involve a brief presentation and lots of opportunities for discussion and questions.

The Soap Company Franchise: Gerry Higgins will describe the background to the Soap Company and outline the proposition to establish 6 franchises a year of social firms manufacturing and retailing soap, bath and shower products.
Fulfilment and Distribution: John Bennett of Pack-It the “Enterprising Solutions, Social Enterprise of the Year 2003” will outline what Pack-It does and how it could be replicated. The session will examine issues of scale, location and market and will deal with Pack-Its capacity to support new ventures.
Social Firm Hotel: James Belton will describe the development of 6 Mary’s Place Hotel and Guest House in Edinburgh and the experiences of setting up hotels in Poland. James will outline plans to work in collaboration with a housing association and SFUK to establish hotels in areas where it makes good business sense to do so. View the presentation.

3.00-3.15 Tea/Coffee Break

3.15-3.45 Funding your business: Options for capital, grants and loans and support available from Social Firms UK and partners. Guy Turnbull of Economic Partnerships.

Presentation examines: How should an organisation approach securing start up finance and what level of finance is expected to start a business? Guy will outline the advantages and drawbacks of grants, pros and cons of loans, establishing a realistic timescale for securing finance and options for purchasing assets. View the presentation.

3.45-4.00 Conclusion, feedback, expressions of interest

Sally Reynolds will co-ordinate feedback from the day, including final questions to presenters. Social Firms UK will describe plans and processes for selecting ventures and organisations to support as part of the programme.

4.00 Finish

Business Opportunities in Social Firms Franchising and Replication

Back to Past Conferences & Papers

>Social Firms UK Annual Summer School, Loughborough

>West Midlands Social Firms Network Launch

>Social Firm Summer School, Loughborough

>Public Authorities in the development of Social Enterprises Conference Ealing, West London.

>From Public Service to Social Enterprise

>Future Options For Public Authority Training And Employment Enterprises

>OFF THE PEG - Business ideas for social enterprises

>Social Firms UK 2003 Summer School

>Business Opportunities in Social Firms Franchising and Replication

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