Top 10 tips for trading in tough times

Geoff JonesEnterprising Communities Programme Officer

www.wcva.org.uk 0800 2888 329 help@wcva.org.uk

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Introductions and what we are looking to achieve

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

What is the impact of the economic downturn on the Third Sector?

• 36% of organisations predict that their financial situation will worsen over the next three months

• Increasing redundancies in sector• Changes to funding• Lack of finance to support wages• Services going out to tender• Local authority cuts

(Source-WCVA state of the sector survey)

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip No 1-Planning

• Planning is key to sustainability• Focus of efforts• Best use of resources• Understanding of costs• Mission and goals• Risk management vs. Innovation

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 2: Income diversification

• Trading-mission related and unrelated• Cost recovery• Contracting• Tendering and procurement• Asset based development• Counter cyclical business activities

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 3- Assessment of financial health

• Liquidity-cashflow forescasts• Profitability-profit and loss account• Solvency-balance sheet

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 3- Assessment of financial health• What may happen to forecast income• Can we increase or preserve our current income

levels• What cuts can we identify to make money go further• Are we solvent• What activities do we wish to sustain under all

circumstances• What are our longer term prospects

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 4-Governance

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked”-Warren Buffett

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 4- Governance

• Has the board undertaken a performance review?• Does the board have the appropriate guidance and

advice?• Is the appropriate level of monitoring in place?• Is the board prepared to take unpopular decisions?

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 4- Governance

• Are their appropriate controls and procedures in place to prevent fraud?

• Fraud is currently estimated to cost the charity sector £1.1 billion (or 1.7% of annual turnover), according to the National Fraud Authority’s 2012 Annual Fraud Indicator.

• Payment fraud• Employee/volunteer fraud• Cyber-enabled fraud

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 5-Joint working

• Sharing of resources• Collaboration and consortia• Formal merger-Age concern and Help the Aged• Identification of issues with joint working

1. Organisational culture

2. Branding

3. Competing for roles

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 6-Asset Development

• Community “ownership”• Benefits to local economy• Builds credibility & viability• Base for new community enterprises and services• Access to finance• Sustainability

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 6-Asset Development

• Assess market demand• Mission drift• Sweat the asset• Balancing assets• Good practice

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 7-Know your customer

• What is your USP• Who are your customers• What/why/how do they buy and what do they expect• Customer segmentation

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 8- Make the best use of staff and volunteers

• Employers obligations-policy and procedures• Skills audit of staff and volunteers• Introduction of flexible working patterns• Use competitive job market to get highly skilled

individuals in job and volunteer roles

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 9- Is your marketing fit for purpose?

• What does your brand say about you• Utilise free and low cost marketing opportunities• Social media

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

Tip no 10-“Keep calm and carry on”

Top ten tips for trading in tough times

• Any Questions?

“Questions are never indiscreet. Answers sometimes are”. Oscar Wilde

Social Enterprises and you

Geoff Jones Enterprising Communities Officer

Wales Council for Voluntary Action

www.wcva.org.uk

geoffjones@wcva.org.uk

029 2043 1758