Resources to enable you to start trading
This section provides some links to websites and resources to download that can help you at the different stages of thinking about and planning any trading. Some sections help you to look at your organisation and if you are ready to trade and others provide more specific information or tools to help you to develop your business planning or investigate different areas such as tax implications.
A simple key should help you to see which links, tools and materials are suitable for you. The key shows the 'level' of the information - basic, intermediate or advanced - the medium, such as a downloadable book and if it is a worksheet.
General - useful websites and support
Introduction
A. What is trading and why would you want to do it?
B. Strategic planning
Business – what is the enterprise?
C. Generating ideas for trading
D. How to choose the best ideas – options analysis
E. Market research and competition
F. Unique selling proposition and competitive advantage
G. Marketing and selling
Social benefits – what social or environmental benefits are you achieving
H. Mission
I. Social return and mission related trading
Organisation – how are you going to operate?
J. Can your organisation trade and what structures should you choose
K. Charities and trading
L. Risk and change - exploring your attitude to trading and managing change
M. People – skills, employing people, building a team
N. Are you an entrepreneur
O. Premises and equipment
P. Are you ready for trading?
Finance – how do your finances look?
Q. Your income now and where you want to be
R. Feasibility studies
S. Business planning
T. Forecasting costs
U. Selling to and contracting with the public sector
V. Financing your ideas
W. Tax issues
X. Full Cost Recovery and Pricing