Downloadable 32 page .pdf (831kb) produced for the Finance Hub by NCVO Sustainable Funding Project. The guide introduces trading, explains how to prepare for trading, and explores different types of trading activity. It includes practical tools for advisers and groups to use and case studies.

Downloadable 30 page .pdf (527kb) produced for the Finance Hub by NCVO Sustainable Funding Project. This toolkit includes advice, checklists and a series of exercises groups and advisers can use to work through the various methods of trading and the issues involved in developing them.

A membership organisation that aims to develop, promote and support social entrepreneurs. You need to become a member to access the advice services.

The national membership organisation for co-operative enterprise.

The Social Enterprise Coalition provides a national platform for showcasing the benefits of social enterprise, sharing best practice, and influencing policy in order to create an enabling environment for social enterprise. You can search for links to all aspects of running a social enterprise and many examples of social enterprise in practice. You can search by region or topic.

Provides lots of practical business information and advice about starting up a social enterprise business and provides contacts for local Business Link Advisers who can offer assistance to groups developing trading activities.

The membership body for Development Trusts provides support, advice and advocacy. You can search for Development Trusts in your area, and the site includes several downloadable guides – some of which are detailed below.

A national social enterprise trading network; you can search for a social enterprise near you or working in the same field as you. The website includes case studies of social enterprises and publications and resources on a range of trading issues, including setting up and running a Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise and Finance.

This organisation provides the public, researchers, the media and policy makers with information about the DTI Small Business Service and access to relevant government policy briefings and documents.

This site provides a searchable database of courses, resources, trainers and consultants specialising in social enterprise nationwide. It also provides information on news and events in the social enterprise world.

A national membership organisation for social firms, aiming to create employment opportunities for disabled people through developing support for social firms.

Unltd offers support for individuals wanting to develop their own social enterprise ideas.

ViRSA supports rural communities wanting to set up and run a community owned shop. It provides practical assistance through this website, a network of community retail advisers, a national office and various publications, and help rural villages keep or re-start their village shop or post office. It provides support to any rural community group wanting to set up a retailing social enterprise.

The Department of Health provides advice and guidance in policy and commissioning: How social enterprises can help put people in control of their healthcare, and offer patients and users a greater choice from a wider selection of convenient, innovative and responsive services.

Downloadable .pdf (4,093kb) of a series of case studies of social enterprise from around the UK.

A report from Senscot showcases the activity of social enterprises through 14 examples from Scotland and 5 from England, to promote this model in delivering good quality health and social care services. Some common threads are identified. You can read a summary from here and download a pdf (265kb) of the full content.

A Community Enterprise Toolkit has been published on Cheshire County Council's web site, bringing together existing advice and information on setting up community enterprises in a user-friendly way.

Downloadable .pdf (4,093kb) of a series of case studies of social enterprise from around the UK.

This guide focuses on the different forms of non-grant finance available for social enterprises. It explains which are the most suitable for your organisation and how they can be used most effectively. It also leads you through the application process and suggests where to go for further information.

Downloadable .pdf (227 kb) report from Voice East Midlands mapping the extent of BME social enterprise activity in the East Midlands and looking at the key characteristics of that activity.

A DTA toolkit for starting up successful development trusts and enterprising community organisations. This toolkit will guide you step by step through the stages of setting up an enterprising community organisation. It is carefully designed to mirror the core structure of a business plan and offers practical activities for getting ahead.

Provides a broad range of information, resources and contacts that you can use to develop a land or building project as an asset for your organisation and local community. You have to purchase print versions, but you can download a copy form this page.

Focuses on the tremendous range of enterprising rural and semi-rural initiatives, which are operating across the country, some in extremely remote and unknown territory. You have to purchase print versions but you can download a copy form this page.

To what extent does the community enterprise movement engage with the diverse communities that it serves? This is something that the Development Trusts Association (DTA) explores in this new publication. You have to purchase print versions but you can download a copy form this page.