Social Firms UK

This publication aims to inform and inspire readers interested in running social enterprises. It includes: - a wide variety of examples; - facts and figures about their businesses and social impact; - comments from business people, politicians and other social enterprise 'champions'; - some broader explanations dealing with law and finance.

This Guide provides a broad range of information, resources and contacts that you can use to develop a land or building project that is an asset for your organisation and local community. The Guide can get you started, give you helpful pointers while you are planning, suggest ways that you can attract investment or other support, enable you to be more informed when dealing with professionals (lawyers, planners, funders and other consultants) and provide a reference tool with contacts and other sources of information to help you argue your case, plan your project, secure support for it and make it happen. http://locality.org.uk/resources/hold/  

The Ethical Business Guide offers practical advice and guidance on how companies can operate more ethically and boost their bottom line. It has been produced by Blue Rocket and the Good Folk and includes features, advice and case studies from high profile experts including the CBI, Co-Operative Bank, TNT, Innocent Drinks and the Institute of Business Ethics. The global recession has meant that traditional business practices are increasingly being brought into question. As a direct result, more people and organisations are realising the value of procuring services from ethical businesses. In these uncertain times people look to organisations that feel like a ‘safe pair of hands’ and there are tangible business benefits to being a more ethically minded organisation. This accessible guide has been designed to showcase good business practice and to show how easy it is to make small changes that can add up to a big difference to your business.

A Manual To Externalising Social Firm Activity is now available on the Social Firms UK website Resource Centre. The manual was produced in 2007 as part of a Visage EQUAL project and follows research into the progress of the proposed externalisation of Newco Products from the London Borough of Newham. The guide aims to help organisations across the social enterprise sector to think about new and innovative ways of creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged people. It also explores some of the steps and actions involved in 'externalising' their existing services. Sections include: legal frameworks, the transfer process, personnel, finance and quality assurance.