Thinking of Starting a Business?

What your business plan should include

Your business plan should include a summary of what your business does, how it has developed, where you want it to go and all the social objective you want to achive (the Triple bottom line). In particular, if you are wanting to grow, it should cover your strategy for improving your existing sales and processes to achieve this aim.

You also need to make it clear what period the business plan covers – this will typically be the next 12 to 24 and now are quite often 36 months.

The plan needs to include:

• Market aims and objectives - for example how many new customers you want to atract and the anticipated size of your customer base by the end of the period.
• Operational information – such as where your business is based or would like to be based, who your suppliers are and the premises and equipment needed etc
• Financial information – which should including profit and loss forecasts, cashflow forecasts, sales forecasts and audited accounts.

A summary of the business objectives, including targets and dates to be achieved. If yours is an owner-managed business, you may wish to include an exit plan. This includes planning the timing of your departure and the circumstances, e.g. family succession, sale of the business, floating your business or closing it down.

If you intend to present your business plan to an external audience such as investors or banks, you will need to include your current plan.

We at CMS can support you with these issues whether you are a Enterprise in the making or a long established Coop or Social Enterprise

All successful businesses need to have a close understanding of potential and existing customers and the market-place they work in.

This understanding allows you to target customers, sell effectively, compete with other suppliers and spot new opportunities. Performing market research on potential customers and your competitors will help you to gain this vital knowledge.

You can build a picture of general trends using published market information – from free government statistics and data to paid-for market reports from commercial providers. Your own contacts and sales records can also be a great resource.

You can add to your knowledge and expertise by using field research- from a range of surveys, discussions and product tests – to investigating customers’ attitudes and examining questions specific to your business.

At CMS we can help you to research call for advice on how we can support you …..

CMS have a wide range of skills to support your business in the area of marketing and promotion.

From Consultancy

If you are thinking of starting a business, you are an existing social enterprise or new / existing Cooperative we have a range of services that can help your business reach the next level and enable you to be ahead of the rest.

From one to one and one to many bespoke training sessions – planning events and seminars

The range of advice which you may wish to work with us;

• Market research – supporting you to design questionnaires, customer needs analysis and evaluation techniques
• Branding – designing logos and business stationary
• Image - creating your unique identity, business names and strap lines
• Promotional material - flyers, posters folders, newsletters and all types of merchandise
• Selling - designing scripts strategies, letters and role play
• News release – design and distribution of your goods and service
• Strategic planning – a range of short, medium and long term marketing campaigns.

With over 15 years experience we have a wide range of expertise from observational marketing, business planning and business marketing strategy, market research and growth planning,

We are specialists in producing business and marketing strategy plans which have directly resulted in some businesses increasing by 55% over a twelve month period.

Designing flyers for a direct mail shot (6 & 8%) return, the national average being 1.4%

We believe in helping you help yourselves to achieve your potential and make your business professional and sustainable. Most importantly we always support you in a way that best suits your needs.

Call for a chat as we at CMS can support you to grow your business …..

Choosing The Right Legal Form

CMS is a nationally recognised expert in legal forms for social enterprise. We are a regular consultee by government on legal forms for social enterprises and have advised several hundred social enterprises with their legal forms. Unlike many advisors in the sector, we offer expert advice in the full range of legal forms for social enterprise:-

Unincorporated associations

Companies Limited by Shares or Guarantee

Community Interest Companies

Industrial and Provident Societies

Charities

Limited Liability Partnerships

Advising clients which is the best legal form for them. CMS will also create a bespoke set of rules under whatever legal form is chosen.

Most of these legal forms can be registered in under two weeks (although charities will take longer). However, the registration is the end of the process of drafting the right legal form for your social enterprise and you should speak to CMS as soon as possible.

As your social enterprise grows and develops it is good practice to review your legal structure and governance arrangements every few years. Over time these structures can become outdated and can hamper the further development of your business.

There are several things that can happen (and sometimes several happen together):-

• The nature of your social enterprise can change and the people who were the key stakeholders several years ago are no longer the driving force in the social enterprise.
• The way in which you wish to be financed may have changed.
• Your activities may have changed which lead to moving to a group structure.
• The law may have changed and your governing document does not allow you to take advantage of such changes.
• A governance structure designed for a four member business will usually not be suitable for, say, a twenty member business.
• Bad habits can become custom and practice over time, making the social enterprise's decision making poor and inefficient.

It is CMS’s experience that in more than half the cases we deal with, the problems facing an existing social enterprise are caused in whole or in part by failings in their legal and governance structures.

Don’t let this happen to you call today for advice…

CMS has experience of raising funding and finance in both start up and growth situations.

It is often the case that a mix of funding (non repayable grants) together with loan finance and community equity can help to bring a project to fruition.

We have a good knowledge of national and regional funding regimes, close relationships with providers of loan finance and significant experience of raising community equity through share issues.

For more info why not call us for a chat…..

The support from CMS has been crucial to the emergence of Jupiter Quality Limited (JQL) as a social firm providing a quality checking service. From the first contact, CMS has provided expert advice, professional challenge and positive encouragement in a manner that has been totally empowering.

Their commitment to JQL has exceeded contractual considerations and gone that step beyond – very often the step that has made a real difference. It’s like having someone walk alongside you – an enabling friend.

This level of commitment can only come from a set of deep core values that act as a beacon to all.

The message is – you can do iT – because iT is important. CMS is a small organisation that thinks big – and we would wholeheartedly commend it to any other party.

Kieth Fitton advisor to JQL and Jonathan Ostle Company Secretary

Fit 4 Life was an externalisation for Cumbria Council for Voluntary Services which began independantly trading in April 2006.

We are a community gym based in Maryport with clients from areas of West Cumbria. We specalise in rehabilition for adults with Coronary Heart Disease through exercise at various locations. We have found the support from CMS to be invaluable when transferring the business from CCVS. The advice ranging from board development, securing funding, business planning and above all encouring us to market and promote our services have enabled us to continue to be sustainable.

Dougie Pomfret

Manager

New Music North is a community arts social enterprise specialising in music and visual art. It was set up in 2009 by community musician and creative practitioner Russell Burbush. We adhere to a strict ethic which centres around sensitive community engagement, whilst promoting and developing a high standard of artistic output. Our main aim is to work within a community setting (schools, youth groups, community groups) to create original music and art, with an emphasis on personal and group creativity, and creative community development.

The procedure of organisational change was made simple, so we did not have to worry. It happened so quickly (within 3 months), and we were able to begin trading as a social enterprise; something that has helped us an enormous amount- especially in the current financial climate! In the future, we are looking to become a charity, something I would definately work with CMS about achieving, with their clear and concise approach. We found the whole process from start to finish friendly, simple, informative, and quick. Each member of CMS staff we encountered were amiable, extremely professional, with a clear understanding of our specific need.

Russell Burbush

Director

CMS have been a great support, with their enthusiasm and expert guidence, during the incorporation of The Beach Hut Gallery, which is located at the Kents Bank railway station Nr Grange Over Sands, Cumbria

They have supplied us with a wealth of information on funding sources to help the co-operative in it’s search for financial backing to complete the project.

Beverley White

Director