New community business guide published

A new guide has been published to help councillors promote the opportunities that community businesses can create locally.

The guide – The Good Councillor’s guide to community business – has been published by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and is intended to be a practical guide to help inspire a new generation of businesses to open.

Community businesses are enterprises that are owned and run democratically by members of the community and others, on behalf of the community.

They come in many forms, including shops, pubs, woodlands and anything which lends itself to community ownership.

In addition to developing and safeguarding valuable assets and services, community businesses address a range of issues including isolation, loneliness, wellbeing, work and training.

Also, bringing people together and attracting people to a local area, for every £1 spent in a business, a further 56 pence is spent locally as the money dissipates.

‘I’m delighted for the launch of the Good Councillor’s guide to community business. Local councils play a significant role as service deliverers for their communities, through supporting local economy and business,’ said NALC chairman, Cllr Sue Baxter.

‘It is encouraging that the sector already engages with community businesses and hope this latest publication will empower councillors with information to support community businesses and extend their take-up across the country.’

Chris Cowcher, head of community business at the Plunkett Foundation, added: ‘We are delighted to be supporting this project because local councils have the power to encourage, facilitate and support more community businesses to open.

‘The guide has been launched in a year when community businesses have stepped up more than ever to serve their residents across the UK in the most challenging of times.

‘These enterprising businesses, time and again show themselves to be inspirational and inclusive operations, and it is exciting to think that this guide will lead to even more setting up. It is often vital that local councils are engaged, contribute to and collaborate with community business projects and through working with NALC and Power to Change we hope that we can create an environment where these businesses can flourish.’

Photo Credit – Nastya_Gapp (Pixabay)