Business plans for social enterprises

After doing a lot of work for their social enterprises, but enjoying at the same time the whole process, the participants had to prepare the final business plans and "to apply" for financing. 

Firstly, the facilitators gave them information and hints about how to present the final business plans. They read it carefully and then, respecting the given deadline, they put the pieces of the puzzle all together (elements of identity, advertising plan, the marketing and budget planning parts and all the other necessary elements).

In the end, they submit the final business plans to an e-mail address; this was the first thing to do in order to enter the competition for getting financed.

After working enthusiastically for their social enterprises, they got one last challenge: to convince the "investors" that their ideas are worthy of their attention. Every team had 5 minutes to present their business idea and then they answered the questions that the “investors” had.

All the teams did a really great job and they payed attention to details, that made the competition even more keen, so finally, all the business plans were financed.

*Below you can check all the business plans developed during the project:
- CeraWorld
- Rainbow Caffe
- Re-plastic
- Fattoria di Vita
- Refood
- Unitrade.

My experience...

Starting-up new social enterprises

Aim: generating ideas, concepts and models of new social enterprises throuth active participation of young people

Method: brainstorming, teamwork, debate

Description: For this activities, the participants were divided into multinational teams and they had to discuss, debate and choose the following:

- the services and products that their new company will offer the customers,
- the the name, slogan and logo of their new enterprise;
- to create a video, a commercial and a Facebook page for their new enterprise.

They discussed and then they decided what each of them should do, based on the professional qualities of each member of the team. 

Firstly, the participants created a Facebook page of the social enterprise and did all the necessary settings. 

Outcome: Rainbow Cafe, Re-Plastic, Refood, CeraWorld, Unitrade, Fattoria di Vita.

Then, each team created an eye-catching video in order to present the company to the others.

Outcome: Rainbow Cafe, Re-Plastic, Refood, CeraWorld, Unitrade, Fattoria di Vita. 

Study visit into a social enterprise

Beside all the activities implemented through non-formal education, we also had a study visit into a real social entreprise from the region.
Here, the participants had the opportunity to find out the "story" of this social enterprise (how and why it was established, how they did the business plan, how they found the financing) and of course, to get some "tips & tricks" from the initiators of the social enterprise.

Why and how to start a (social) business?!

During this working session, the participants had the chance to share with the others examples of good practices (in matter of social enterprises). Also, they had the possibility to share their point of view about why and how to start a social business.

Aim: to facilitate the communication between participants

Method: acting and editing videos

Description: Participants were splitted in teams. They had to prepare a videos talking about social entrepreneurship, about social enterprises, about good practices in their communities and about why and how to start a social bussines.

Outcome:
- Talking about social enterprises
- Example of good practices
- Social entrepreneurship & social enterprises
- Social inclusion through social enterprises

Youth on the Labour Market

During this activity, each national group had the chance to show the others youths labour market status from their country.

Aim: discovering youths labor market status in the six participating countries

Method: teamwork, presentation, debate

Description: each national team has presented to the others youths labour market status from their country. For these presentations they have chosed different types of presentation such as: writting, drawing, radio news and so on.
Secondly, after all these presentations, we did an brainstoring to identify differences and similarities of the youths labor market in the 6 participating countries and we have discussed (Agora) about the identified issues.

What social entrepreneurship is ???

During this activity, the participants had the chance to show the others their point of view regarding social entrepreneurship. This activity was the very first step to discover this concept which was also the topic of our project. In order to make us understand their perspective on the topic, the participants were splitted in national teams and they prepared their presentations by acting.

Aim: to facilitate the communication between participants and to show the others their point of view 

Method: acting and editing videos

Description: Participants were splitted in national teams. They had to prepare a videos / theatre plays on the topic of the project - social entrepreneurship. 

They had to brainstorm and to come up with the best ideas; they also had to decide on their roles and to improvise on costumes, music and background. In the end, they also had to act the movies / theatre plays in front of the audience (the participants from other teams).
They had different materials to use and were encouraged to express creatively.

Outcome:

1. Bulgaria's theatre play

2. Italy's theatre play

3. Poland's theatre play

4. Spain's theatre play

5. Turkey's theatre play