Other Sectors
Many of the social enterprise ambassadors are involved in successful contracts with public and private sector partners.
Here are the social enterprise ambassadors' seven steps to helping you get those contracts.
1. Build relationships and connections
Jean Jarvis says, “Make sure those at senior level know you and how you do business and the added value you can bring. Then, they can start to work out how different parts of their service might fit with your business. Network as much as possible."
“Think ahead - don’t wait for public services contracts to get published, because by that point, the contractor might well have another business or organisation in mind,” says Daniel Heery.
2. Make sure you’re ready
Jean Jarvis says, “A lot of voluntary and community groups think they’re ready to take on such contracts, but they’re not. You have to be sure that everything you do will be delivered absolutely right and absolutely on time and if anything goes wrong you have to act very, very quickly, to restore trust. You have to be highly professional in both winning the contract and your operations afterwards."
2. Make sure you’re ready
Jean Jarvis says, “A lot of voluntary and community groups think they’re ready to take on such contracts, but they’re not. You have to be sure that everything you do will be delivered absolutely right and absolutely on time and if anything goes wrong you have to act very, very quickly, to restore trust. You have to be highly professional in both winning the contract and your operations afterwards."
“Don’t just get excited that they might want to work with you and rush in head first, properly think through what you could do together,” says Penny Newman.
3. Understand each other
Victor Adebowale says, "Both sides need to be focused on outcomes and be honest about what they need out of it. If one party doesn’t understand what another needs to get out of it, there can be a whole world of pain.”
3. Understand each other
Victor Adebowale says, "Both sides need to be focused on outcomes and be honest about what they need out of it. If one party doesn’t understand what another needs to get out of it, there can be a whole world of pain.”
“You can’t just say ‘my product is really good and I think you should stock it.’ What’s in it for them? What are you offering that’s unique and commercial? It needs to be really obvious to them,” says Penny Newman.
4. Make it easier for them
Daniel Heery says, "Social enterprises are really good at sharing ideas and approaches, but sometimes commissioners and the people who spend the money don’t always find out about what’s going on outside of their immediate sphere. Show them a commissioner who’s doing something with you or another social enterprise already so they can see how a deal could work.”
5. Use your expertise, knowledge and connections
Penny Newman says, "Cafedirect worked with Tesco and their suppliers to help them understand what fairtrade was and to develop their own fairtrade tea.”
4. Make it easier for them
Daniel Heery says, "Social enterprises are really good at sharing ideas and approaches, but sometimes commissioners and the people who spend the money don’t always find out about what’s going on outside of their immediate sphere. Show them a commissioner who’s doing something with you or another social enterprise already so they can see how a deal could work.”
5. Use your expertise, knowledge and connections
Penny Newman says, "Cafedirect worked with Tesco and their suppliers to help them understand what fairtrade was and to develop their own fairtrade tea.”
Daniel Heery says, "Often through your work you might have connections to interesting and influential people, who private companies want to meet – you could offer to hook them up for a meeting in exchange for them working with you.”
6. Don’t obsess about your ‘model’
Victor Adebowale says, “Don’t try to convince commissioners about a social enterprise business model, just convince them that you’re offering what they want at reasonable cost or good value.”
7. Remember, they might work differently to you
Working with the private sector isn’t always a bed of roses, they might not have the same attitude as a social enterprise. Daniel Heery says, "They’re usually interested in making a sale and profit and moving on. Sometimes we’ve been sold equipment that doesn’t work they’re not interested in sorting it out.”
6. Don’t obsess about your ‘model’
Victor Adebowale says, “Don’t try to convince commissioners about a social enterprise business model, just convince them that you’re offering what they want at reasonable cost or good value.”
7. Remember, they might work differently to you
Working with the private sector isn’t always a bed of roses, they might not have the same attitude as a social enterprise. Daniel Heery says, "They’re usually interested in making a sale and profit and moving on. Sometimes we’ve been sold equipment that doesn’t work they’re not interested in sorting it out.”
For more information and advice on working with the public sector take a look at the following websites:
For more information and advice on working with the private sector take a look at the following websites: