Social Enterprise Consultancy
We’re good with money. We’re good with people. We’re good to the earth.We can help you figure out what social enterprise is right for you and how to make it work.
What is a social enterprise and why social enterprises?
A social enterprise is a business that measures its success by its social as well as its financial outcomes. Social enterprises appear in many guises, and in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. A social enterprise may exist to make money to support its social aims, such as the Salvo’s stores, or it may operate as a business but measure its success by its social outcomes, such as improving food security or creating employment pathways for volunteers. Social enterprises make social outcomes affordable that may not have been otherwise. They create real life employment and training opportunities for people who may not otherwise have a chance to access them.
Why CERES?
CERES has developed and run a diverse group of successful social enterprises for the last 30 years. We have shared this knowledge through tours, advice and more in a more formal capacity as consultants. We can be hired to consult at any stage in a project. We have long experience in identifying and building partnerships with community organisations, all levels of government and business
We are active and get out and about to meet the key stakeholders in an area and talk to the community at all stages of the project. We’re great at connecting people and opportunities to make the most out of individual and community resources.We have experience at integrating accredited and pre-accredited training with individuals and enterprises. We work closely with steering groups, community leaders and enterprise managers.
Our team has expertise in:
- Thinking up ideas
- People
- Community development
- Group facilitation and community consultation
- Connecting organisations
- Looking at the big picture and the little picture, at the same time
- Training programs
- The Law – council and government rules and regulations
- Crunching numbers
- Finding money
- Enterprise management
Success Stories:
CERES’ enterprises include nursery, cafe, propagation, education programs, market and shop, fair food, adult training, food production, green technology, sustainable schools, facility hire and seven stars catering project. These projects employ 200 people and generate 8 million dollars per year for our local economy as well as providing social employment and environmental services and education.
CERES has successfully completed many feasibility studies and business plans for local government and community based social enterprises including:
- Vinnies Budget Grocery in Wendouree West
- Enterprising Food: A feasibility study for Bayswater North
- Food Pad:A Not-for-Profit Wholesale Produce Business Serving Victorian Community Food Enterprises.
Feasibility Studies
Starting from scratch: CERES works with organisations to look at an area and suggest possible enterprise ideas, to undertake community consultation and market research, to assess the existing resources in an area and research and link together possible partner organisations.
Test an idea: we undertake studies on the feasibility of new enterprise ideas. We do all the market research and community consultation
Business Plans :
Enterprise Blueprint: We do a complete study including a professional business plan that you can use as the basis for a new enterprise or as accompanying documentation for a grant application.
Analyse an existing enterprise: we can evaluate the viability of an existing enterprise, suggest new business pathways or restructure resources. We can figure out what’s going wrong or right and how to improve it.
Mentoring Enterprise Managers:
We’ve done it before so we can help you out if you need a hand.
Jess came to CERES in 2010 and in her first few months co-wrote the successful feasibility study for a social enterprise in Bayswater North. She currently co-ordinates the weekly craft market, a social enterprise which runs in conjunction with CERES Organic Market. As well as this Jess works as part of CERES Training Programs assisting with the administration of accredited training in horticulture and hospitality.
Jess has a background in research and community development with both local and international experience, recently spending two years in Ireland involved in several exciting community projects. Jess has a particular interest in issues around food security and local food production.
Jess spent years working in hospitality, honing her people skills and she loves to get out of the office and meet the community; she works to creatively link a community together to make effective use of its existing resources. Jess has experience building relationships with local government, local businesses and people from all parts of the community.
Jess is excited about the recent explosion of social enterprises in Melbourne and sees social enterprise opportunities everywhere.
Chris manages a group of interconnected social enterprises and training programs located at CERES. Chris’ Organic Farm team trains and feeds a local population with a growing passion to reconnect with their food. Chris' projects range from food markets to catering enterprises, vegetable growing to cheese making workshops; CERES Farm employs a highly diverse staff in its training programs, farming, retail and distribution enterprises and uses a variety of creative methods to get enterprises off the ground and keep them going.
Chris is currently establishing the “CERES Food Hub” a portable, highly productive, food growing and delivery centre designed for cities with climate change and peak oil in mind. Chris also founded the Urban Orchard Food Swap that has now spread around Australia to over 20 locations.
When he is not working at CERES Chris consults for other organisations seeking to develop new or improve existing social enterprises
Eric Bottomley taught geography, economics and environmental science in schools for 20 years, and was coordinator of CERES Education for 13 years before taking on the role of of Team Leader- Sustainability Projects for the last 6 years. He has concurrently been a sessional lecturer and tutor at the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Monash, and has twice worked on secondment at the University of PNG.
Eric has written a number of books on Development and Global Warming and designed much of the CERES Educational program and the Australian Sustainable Schools Program. Eric also spent 5 years establishing the Urban Water Conservation Demonstration and Research Facility at CERES and later hosting the Victorian Round Table on Sustainability Education through CERES.
Currently Eric now spends all his time managing the CERES role in implementing Resource Smart/ AuSSI schools across Victoria and in consulting with community run sustainability projects around Australia. He is also lecturing part time at RMIT University, Melbourne.