2. Business model
Community
Governing Community
document Shares building
Offer document
2
3. Key elements:
◦ Necessary skills and experience
◦ Time and resources
◦ Track record in sector/business
◦ Strong links to the target community
◦ Patience and staying power
3
4. Key elements:
◦ A development team
◦ A committed community
◦ A viable business model
◦ An appropriate governing document
◦ A financing plan
◦ An offer document
4
5. Key elements:
◦ Does the idea address an acknowledged community
need, ambition, aspiration?
◦ Has there been positive media coverage?
◦ Can you define and measure the target community?
◦ What mechanisms/plans exist for contacting and
communicating with the target community?
5
6. Key elements:
◦ Analysis of any historical and potential future
performance
◦ Changes/enhancements/capital investment to
existing business
◦ Analysis of competition/other similar businesses
◦ Market research analysis to justify this investment
◦ Will the proposed trading activity generate
sufficient profits to reinvest and pay return to
investors
6
7. Key elements:
◦ Scale of the community investment sought and the
size of the target community
◦ Proposed return for the community investors
◦ Sources of capital: grant, shares and loans
◦ Purchase of fixed assets vs working capital
◦ Cash flow including allowances for the future
withdrawal/redemption of capital
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8. Crisis?
Ethical thinking
Greening the local economy
Utilise local resources to benefit the community
1. Can community needs, interest, ambitions/aspirations
be met through a social business model
2. If the business model is appropriate and the venture
needs capital, community investment might be an
ideal way of building community involvement
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9. First approaches/responses
Assessment/feasibility and barriers
Developing commitment/momentum and
support
Technical and environmental assessment
Business development and planning
Going through the planning process
Raising finance (and funding)
Legal and governance
Systems and pre-trading activities
Recruitment of board and staff
9
10. What is the size and nature of the community
– population and physically?
What income can realistically be generated?
Long lead times – how can the feasibility and
development work be financed?
Going through the planning process
Site and land acquisition
10
11. Getting a team together
Gaining community support – probably a public
meeting/series of public meetings/focus groups
Communication with and/or visits to existing
successful community renewable projects
Ongoing community communication – the reality
and/or illusion of progress
PR campaign
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12. Is there a viable business?
What needs to be done technically and
economically to make a viable business?
Can other activities be brought in to support
the business?
Are there any troops? How strong is
community support?
How will the business be managed?
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13. Need to decide if the proposal is an exempt
offer or requires authorisation
Even if exempt, necessary to prepare
business plan and offer
Define community and start building a
“register of interest” as soon as possible
Establish a web presence and e-mail
communications with interested parties
Arrange public meeting(s)
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14. Developing a membership base
Ensuring it is maintained (churn) and
enhanced in future years
Developing new board members
Developing existing board member’s skills
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