16 Digital Inclusion Wales: 2008 Conference Report
WORKSHOPS:
Workshop F – ICT-based Social Enterprises
Continued
In his session, Simon Berry Simon closed his session by talking • They have a legal form
focused on the role of the about two further sites –
www.net- appropriate to ‘not for personal
internet and new online
gain.org.uk and
www.tinyurl.org. profit’ status and social
technologies within social The ‘net gain’ site helps third ownership.
enterprises, primarily with sector organisations to improve
helping such organisations to strategic planning through ICT, The Wales Co-operative Centre
reach their markets and to while the ‘tiny url’ site is a means has 743 social enterprises on its
improve their services. of providing a quick URL to your database, varying from social care
own site. co-ops to recycling businesses.
The group was told how the new
era of Web 2.0 had overtaken the When co-facilitating with Simon Glenn and Catherine discussed the
old method of building a website and Julie, Glenn and Catherine processes that organisations may
for the purpose of expecting discussed how the Wales Co- wish to go through when exploring
people to find you and to revisit it. operative Centre can support new the possibility of becoming a social
Simon outlined a number of useful and existing social enterprises. enterprise:
tools including RSS (Really Simple The Centre can provide business
Syndication), photo website Flickr, support and training to social
• The idea – exploring market
Facebook (for directing traffic to a enterprises and co-operatives on
opportunities, ‘what the
website) and YouTube to show issues including business planning
business will do’.
short films. and development, marketing and • Researching the potential –
accounting. is there a service demand?
>A social enterprise is a business
• Market research.
• The people involved in the
with primarily social objectives enterprise.
Widgets were also highlighted as The groups were told of a definition
• Business planning – clarify
a useful tool. Widgets are content of a social enterprise:
objectives and demonstrate
sections on a website that can
the viability of the business
pull content in from other sites “A social enterprise is a business
to lenders/investors.
and providers that add value and with primarily social objectives • Developing the structure.
interest for your own customers / whose surpluses are principally
consumers. Examples of widgets reinvested for that purpose in the
• The next steps.
include weather forecast, details of business or in the community,
relevant campaigns etc. Some of rather than being driven by the
As well as the Wales Co-operative
ruralnet’s clients have made good need to maximise profit for
Centre, the group was told about
use of widgets, including Rural shareholders and owners.”
other providers of social enterprise
Focus (
www.ruralfocus.co.uk) and
support including Flexible Support
BRAF (
www.braf.org.uk). Simon Glenn and Catherine outlined three
for Business (Business Eye), the
said that re-organising your key characteristics of a social
Development Trust Association,
website with widgets and other enterprise:
Social Firms Wales and Community
Web 2.0 functionalities will provide
Enterprise Wales.
speedier, more efficient use of the
• They have a social, community
website while providing a better
or ethical purpose. For more details on the Wales
all-round service. • They operate using a
Co-operative Centre’s business
commercial business model.
support services, please call 029
2055 4955 or go online at
www.walescoop.com.
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