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Workshop 1: Building Business Links with the Community

Learn how to build strong connections with the community, identify beneficial companies, and engage them for mutual benefit. Get ready to listen, strategize, and make a difference.

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Workshop 1: Building Business Links with the Community

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  1. Workshop 1: Building Business Links with the Community Nathan Winyard, Business Connector, Reading Seconded from National Grid.

  2. This is what we do in a nut shell Business

  3. What is a Business Connector?

  4. What is a Business Connector? https://www.bitcconnect.org/search/connectors/map

  5. What is a Business Connector?

  6. Agenda

  7. It’s Quiz Time!

  8. Quiz! What do the letters SME stand for? What is the distinction in employee numbers between: Large ? Medium? Small? Micro? 3. How many businesses are there in the UK? 4. What proportion are small and micro? 5. What proportion are medium? 6. What proportion are large? 7. SMEs account for: A) ___% of turnover in the UK B) ___% of employment in the UK 8. Family businesses account for _________ % of SMEs

  9. Quiz! 1. What does SME stand for? Small & Medium-sized Enterprise What is the distinction in employee numbers between: Large Medium Small Micro 250+ 50 - 249 10 – 49 Less than 10

  10. Quiz! (cont’d) 3. How many businesses are there in the UK? 4.9 million at start of 2013 4. What proportion are small and micro? 99.2% 5. What proportion are medium? 0.6% (31,000) 6. What proportion are large? 0.1% (7,000)

  11. Share of UK plc by Business Size 7. 59.3% 48.1%

  12. Quiz! (cont’d) 8. Family businesses account for 66%% of SMEs Source of data: UK Gov, Dept for Business Innovation and Skills October 2013 Q9: from The Institute for Family Business Nov 2011

  13. Landscape 83% of Companies expect cross sector partnerships to be increasingly important in the next 3 years 58% of Businesses believe their partnerships with community groups have improved their business practices Businesses and NGOs see the benefit of non cash assets Larger companies are bombarded with requests

  14. Agenda

  15. “Start with the end in mind”Stephen Covey

  16. Chamber of Commerce/Business and social enterprise networks Local networking events Local BITC office “Word of mouth” (ask each contact for introductions) Local websites and professional networks (LinkedIn) BUSINESS CONNECTORS!! Who/What can help identify businesses?

  17. Representative Bodies Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) Developed in 2011, local partnerships between business & local authorities. Purpose to determine economic priorities, lead economic growth and job creation. Also design & deliver EU investment strategies and Local Growth Fund Business Improvement Districts (BID) Businesses pay an additional levy in defined areas to fund projects, eg: street cleaning, security, marketing. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Represents Business large and small, in an area.

  18. Don’t sell – listen!!!!!! Understand their business, their commercial needs, their challenges, their motivations and efforts to date Look for the “opportunity” where their possible engagement is aligned with any of the above Each “pitch” is different “It’s like dating – don’t push too hard too early” What do you to say to business?

  19. Agenda

  20. What are their motivations …? Jane – Regional CSR Manager, Big Company Stanley – Sole Proprietor, Small IT Company

  21. Corporate CSR Agenda Access to PR opportunities Difference to the bottom line, better staff, less crime, more customers Commitment to location SME Get involved locally with personal passion “Do the right thing” Development opportunities Expand their business reputation Motivations to be engaged

  22. Agenda

  23. Project: Example Companies Potentially High Benefit Big Company Good Working Relationship No Contact Small Company Potentially Low Benefit

  24. Your turn. Identify the companies and Businesses in your area by plotting them on the grid below in the appropriate place. Decide if engaging them may be useful for your project and where you would like to move your relationship to. If you have time today think how you might engage the most beneficial companies Companies Potentially High Benefit Good Working Relationship No Contact Potentially Low Benefit

  25. Learning Be prepared to be surprised Get out there, build your network. Be ready to listen and have a strategic and specific ask. Have a Strategy to move your targeted organisations to having a good working relationship and delivering benefit. Remember consider what the organisation is looking for to.

  26. More info BITC’s Shared Goals Shared Solutions Report http://www.bitc.org.uk/our-resources/report/shared-goals-shared-solutions-research-collaboration-sustainable-future

  27. Final Thought “To be successful you need to know yourself and your enemy?” Sun Tzu

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