VONNE

If you thought that Business Link was just for the private sector, then think again. Business Link works to help all North East organisations develop and deal with challenges and opportunities, whether you're a VCS organisation just starting out or one looking to grow.

Business Link can:

• help you plan your business
• identify what you need to do and help to source the most relevant solution
• provide guides to help develop your business and keep you up-to-date with regulations
• signpost you to other help and support available, for example training and skills opportunities or advice available from other voluntary and community sector organisations, as well as industry specialists.

For further information visit the Business Link North East website:

Business Link

You can access their support via telephone on 0845 600 9 006.

Alternatively if you would like to be referred to Business Link please complete the Business Link referral form and e-mail to john.main@vonne.org.uk.

Develop the knowledge and skills to grow your organisation

To help North East based businesses to reach their full potential, Business Link is offering a series of innovative workshops covering key business topics designed to help you and your staff develop the skills to help grow your business and increase your profitability.

There is only a few weeks left of the programme of workshops which include the following topics:
• Public Procurement    • Business Management      • Project Management      • Web Analytics
• Neuro Linguistic Programming      • Networking Skills     • Introduction to marketing     • Direct and E-Marketing
• Further training workshops

For further information and to register please visit the Business Link events portal by clicking on the link below.

Visit the Business Link events portal

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Built to Achieve

Built to Achieve is a programme of free workshops specifically aimed at social enterprises, voluntary and community groups, charities, co-operatives and community interest companies in the North East region.

Each interactive 3-hour workshop will provide practical, informal training in small groups to encourage knowledge and idea sharing. At the workshops you will learn new skills and meet new contacts to help your organisation develop and grow.

Workshops will be facilitated by experienced trainers and will take place in local venues across the North East.

Built to Achieve workshops will focus on several key areas essential for your organisation to achieve its goals, including Business Planning, Financial Management, Marketing, Governance, Performance and Quality Management, Human Resources and Volunteer Management, and Winning Contracts.

The latest workshops are on Social Investment - finding alternative forms of finance. These workshops will cover some recently introduced approaches to Social Enterprise financing that you may not have considered before.

Attending one of the free workshops will help you find out more about the range of alternative finance options on offer for your organisation:
Wed 2 Mar   13:30-16:30        Thistle Hotel, Middlesbrough
Wed 9 Mar   13:30-16:30        Dance City, Newcastle

This half-day workshop will give an overview of the breadth of finance available, including loans and equity, demonstrating the possibilities for your organisation's balance sheet now and in the future.

These sessions will help you to:
• Understand when different forms of finance are useful and when they aren't
• Consider which are the best sources to approach
• Understand how to put a business case together for particular types of funding and finance
• Find out more about current issues in social finance and investment, such as payment by results and social impact bonds

The sessions are delivered by Peter Deans, who has extensive experience of finance and funding for Social Enterprises at all levels. He recently worked as Operations Director of 'Social Investor', The Social Investment Business from 2004-2009, having also previously worked at senior management level for The Community Fund, distributing National Lottery funds. He now works with a range of other organisations, helping them to work on finance, strategy and operations.

Places are limited, so please call 0191 281 5777, visit www.eventsnortheast.co.uk/builttoachieve, or email businesslink@btob.co.uk. For further information on the Built to Achieve programme of workshops, please click here.

Social Enterprise Framework

Making the Change, is the North East's first ever Social Enterprise Framework, and is aimed at Social Enterprise providers, public sector partners and wider stakeholders inside and outside the third sector.

The Framework aims to support, develop and grow the Social Enterprise sector in the region. It highlights the strengths of the Social Enterprise offering in the North East and outlines clear objectives to build on its success, to become the region that leads the Social Enterprise agenda in the UK.

It has been developed by Business and Enterprise North East with a number of Social Enterprise partners who want to see the sector work together in the region to grow their businesses and inspire new social entrepreneurs.

Making the Change was published at Built to Achieve - The Conference where over 200 delegates heard about innovative approaches to finance, funding and social investment from a range of speakers including Craig Dearden-Philips, Social Enterprise Ambassador.

One of the organisations involved in putting this Framework together was VONNE. Jo Curry, Chief Executive said: "We want the region's Social Enterprise sector to be large, diverse, inclusive and effective. Making change happen for Social Enterprise in the North East is the responsibility of everyone in the sector and those supporting it and we need to take action now."

Making the Change: The North East Social Enterprise Framework can be downloaded from  www.be-ne.co.uk. Hard copies are available in request from Rhiannon Bearne, email rhiannon.bearne@be-ne.co.uk, Social Enterprise Executive, Business and Enterprise North East.  Tel: 0191 426 6392.

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Language and eligibility

One of the most common issues for voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations accessing the Business Link service is understanding some of the language used. Business Link will often use the term trade or trading, which can have very different connotations for not-for-profit organisations compared to the private sector. However trading does apply to VCS activities that generate an income, for example, room hire or delivering contracted services.

If you have a mechanism for generating all or part of your income from sources other than grants or charitable donations you are potentially eligible to access the full Business Link offer. Even if you are only thinking about setting up an income generating activity you may be able to access some of the basic support available.

The language that Business Link tends to use is the language of the private sector and you may feel it does not easily fit with your area of work. If you are unclear about any of the terminology used, particularly with regard to completing North East England Investment Centre applications, please seek assistance from Business Link.