The government’s ambition to turn the NHS into the biggest social enterprise in Europe requires aspiring entrepreneurs to learn how to avoid the running of the business getting in the way of doing business.
Having the vision is the easy part. The challenge is in overcoming the practical hurdles from deciding on the right organisational form and appointing auditors to writing a business plan and putting HR policies in place.
PCC’s social enterprise event in Manchester on 12 May aims to put that right by arming would-be social businesses with the practical knowledge they need to get up and running quickly and the confidence to stay on track.
It will tackle such thorny issues as how social businesses get to grips with the tendering process and compete with established providers for the attention of commissioners.
Run along the same lines as the highly successful event in London last November, the Manchester event mixes inspiration and perspiration – the former provided by the likes of Fay Selvan, founder of the Big Life Group, whose experience working at senior level in the NHS and now as a partner to the NHS gives her unique insights into the challenges facing social businesses. There will also be a policy update from Bob Ricketts, who leads on social enterprise at the department of health, as well as presentations by first and second wave “right to requesters”.
Gentle perspiration will be provided by the workshops where delegates will get expert advice and an opportunity to answer questions on the legal, financial, HR and broader business issues facing social businesses.
The event will continue after the day’s main business via a flourishing social enterprise network hosted by NHS Networks, allowing delegates to keep learning from each other and to share strategies for success.
All delegates will leave with a checklist for getting started, an essential tool for getting the business underway -- or for those at an earlier stage of thinking, for starting to make plans.
There are a number of free places available to NHS staff and discounted places for employees of charities, third sector and public sector organsiations.
Further details are available from the PCC website: www.pcc.nhs.uk/events/all/1963
Please email rebecca.gunn@xenda.co.uk for sponsorship details/to exhibit.
LIVEWIRE is our weekly news bulletlin for social entrepreneurs. Click here to read the latest issue which includes:
Like what you read? Sign up for LIVEWIRE here and follow us on Twitter.
Equity Plus provides investment readiness consultancy for values-led businesses and runs the Social Enterprise Angel Network, which includes investors interested in backing realistic but ambitious early stage social enterprises across all sectors.
Contact: Chris Carr or Daniel Brewer
t: 0845 527 9227 or 0845 527 9204
e: chris.carr@equityplus.org.uk
e: daniel.brewer@equityplus.org.uk
w: equityplus.org.uk
Comments
Sounds like great news for
Sounds like great news for those aspiring entrepreneurs. The government’s goal to turn the NHS into the biggest social enterprise in Europe needs ambitious entrepreneurs. There would be assistance given to the promising social businesses to get practical knowledge they need to stay on track. Expert advice, Q & A sessions touching on financial, HR and other business issues would be covered.