A Community Business is a locally based enterprise, led by local people to meet a local need. Its governing document does not allow it to be used for private profit so that surpluses are reinvested locally, even on dissolution. A bona fide Community Business also aims to be commercially viable without relying on grants and donations.

Community Businesses usually fall into one of 5 distinct types:

• Business rescue, including community pubs or shops
• Community start-ups – local small businesses with a clear social purpose
• Cross-subsidisers, where profits from a commercial enterprise are used to support a project with a social mission
• Local clubs and organisations with few assets that organise regular local activities
• Public asset managers, such as community-run libraries or leisure centres.

CAN understands the support needs of Community Businesses at all stages of development, including pre-start, start-up, and growth.

Over the years, CAN has worked with a number of such Community Businesses, including:

• Adur Brewery
• Creative Coop
• Driveaway School of Motoring
• Local Food (& More!) Co-operative
• MillRace Furniture Restoration Co-operative
• October Books
• Southampton: Co-operative City
• Southend Taxi Co-operative (Triple 3 Triple 4)
• Voluntary Action Harrow Co-op
• Wealden Wholefoods
• Who Made Your Pants

Services that we have delivered to Community Businesses include:

• Business planning
• Community shares
• Development needs analysis
• Employment Matters
• Financial management workshop
• Governance review
• Identification of most appropriate legal form
• Lease negotiations
• Legal registration
• Marketing advice
• Soft Outcomes Monitoring System for a Social Enterprise
• Tools and consultancy for the co-operative management of community assets
• VAT advice

Our Community Businesses trade sector lead worker is TBA.

Our fully qualified Community Shares Practitioner is Hilary Sudbury.  Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.