Starting Out is a modular course for starting up or developing your idea for social change whether you want to start a charity or social business. An evolution of our popular Kick Start course, Starting Out draws on our experience of providing early stage organisation and enterprise development support to help groups take the first steps on their journey to social impact. 

It's a foundation level course developed and delivered to be accessible to a wide range of participants. It will help you build on the skills and lived experience (assets) you bring to your new initiative. It is informed by our work on the more mature stages of enterprise development (such as the Local Access Programme) so always has ambitious goals in mind in helping you to plan your enterprise. 

What does the Starting Out programme cover?

Starting Out will provide you with the knowledge to set up your charity or social business. There are six sessions in the programme:

1. Your Idea into Action - first steps, motivations and key questions

·        Understand and be able to communicate the social benefit and value your idea will bring

·        Clarify your aims and purpose

·        Identify the right governance structure for your idea

2.     Making an Impact - How do you know if it's working and achieving your aims

·        Understand terminology related to social benefit, value and impact, used by funders and investors, so you feel confident using this language in applications and other documents.

·        Use tools which will help you prove the need for your organisation, and its impact in the community.

·        Create a plan to develop activities which meet your aims and purpose,

3.     Business Planning – setting goals, actions and monitoring progress

·        Understand the purpose of business planning

·        Develop your Theory of Change

·        Identify the key components of a business plan

·        Develop an action plan to produce a business plan for your activities

4.     Engaging your Customers – research and marketing

·        Understand the terms and language used when you talk about customers and people who benefit from your social business or organisation. You'll be able to use this terminology when you communicate about your social business online, in writing, or in person - for example, when you appeal to customers, funders or volunteers.

·        Work out the levels of involvement your organisation needs to best serve its purpose.

·        Identify how to market your service efficiently: who are you trying to appeal to, and how can you attract them?

5.     Balancing the Books – planning and managing finance

·        Identify the main components of a budget

·        Consider the diversity of income generation for your project

·        Understand the income and expenditure you will need to consider and how to make a financial plan

·        Prepare to start trading or applying for funding.

6.     Working with Others – sharing skills and collaboration

·        Clarify your aims and purpose

·        Map the landscape you are working in

·        Analyse the competition and potential collboration that impact on your business

·        Make the right connections with customers, partners and allies

Who is this course for?

This course is for people who have identified the change they want to make and may have started working on it but aren’t sure how to move to the next stage.

What else do you need to know?

Please bring your idea for a new community business or community group and be prepared to share it, test it, sell it, modify it and work with peers to refine it.

When is the next Starting Out programme?

It runs periodically as part of the VCSE Academy rolling programme. Please check the VCSE Academy website for the next dates and email us if you want to know more or register to be notified when the next programme dates are announced.