Music project social enterprise

[NorthernNewbie]

Electronic music has taken off in a seriously big way, a lot of people will be familiar with a song which has at least some electronic production and we live very much in the age of the "bedroom producer/DJ".
I am in the very early stages of beginning to set up a social enterprise, which will be a electronic music tutorial scheme aimed at young people aged 16-25 who suffer from a variety of issues., the Twitter is here:

http://www.twitter.com/loudclearprjct

I have 7 years experience as a musician creating music using sotware and 6 months experience as a volunteer music tutor at a community centre.

However I am confident and ambitious enough to want to take it a step further and make a living out of it but very much deliver a service which is beneficial to those that will prospectively be using it.

The format of the tutorials will be one to one and group based, and the more minute details will be ironed out later.

I will be approaching schools, colleges, community centres, charities, youth clubs etc. Firstly I would use their premises or book a room as ad when which is local to me and the prospective student (I am based in South Manchester).

Then the idea would be to get a premise and work from there.

The big dream would be one day to take the music project and do roadshows and have a minivan/converted bus or whatever parked at prime locations offering music tutorials. But that is a long way into the future!

So if people can tell me the dos and donts about running a social enterprise, where/how/when/who to get funding from if needs be, etc that would be great, I have designed a logo which I will upload shortly


And eventually would need a website, (so again advice needed)

Also will be setting social media accounts up to promote the project.


Thanks in advance,
Regards

Jay

 

[Scalloway]

The NCVO should be able to help

https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support

In fact this may be what you are looking for

https://www.ncvo.org.uk/57-content/.../869-social-enterprise-how-and-where-to-start

 

[ethical PR]

Hi Jay @NorthernNewbie

I know you have come on here before, asked for advice and been given contacts for social enterprise organisations you could reach out to, to help answer your questions. I'm surprised people like Social Enterprise UK weren't able to answer your questions on the 'do's and don'ts of running a social enterprise. And also let you know about funding sources. In general there are some small loans and grants available, but some will need match funding.

Also from what you have said, I don't see what the social enterprise concept is, in your business idea. It sounds like you want to offer group and individual tutoring. In what way is that a social enterprise?

 

[loudclearproject]

Hi Jay @NorthernNewbie

I know you have come on here before, asked for advice and been given contacts for social enterprise organisations you could reach out to, to help answer your questions. I'm surprised people like Social Enterprise UK weren't able to answer your questions on the 'do's and don'ts of running a social enterprise. And also let you know about funding sources. In general there are some small loans and grants available, but some will need match funding.

Also from what you have said, I don't see what the social enterprise concept is, in your business idea. It sounds like you want to offer group and individual tutoring. In what way is that a social enterprise?

This is NN's new account

OK, so it's not a social enterprise per se just has intentions to help people in society who suffer from socio-economic issues (I'm a newbie as the name suggests)

I have rethought the business model -

- I will essentially be self-employed as a music tutor; I'm thinking of two local communities centres who already have music studio faciliites (I have volunteered at one and their equiptment is industry standard). Why am I doing this on a paid basis as opposed to voluntrary? because I have bills to pay like anyone )

-I use their facilities That way I don't have to invest in any new euiptment. I will be offering group/one to one tutoring; I've not quite decided how to run the sessions as yet but that bridge is to be crossed. the centres pay me an hourly rate (I'm not sure how much yet). I know the centre I volunteered at were crying out for people to use their facilities as they have a decent set up but hardly anybody using it. One also has a youth club there two nights a week and their facilities are open, but I enquired about volunteering there before I started at the other place and no one seems to have any expertise.

- I'll also approach schools, colleges offering services, with the tutoring emphasis on mainly people who say have learning or behavioural difficulties. It'd essentially be a "mentoring" service as well as a "tutoring" service.

- The emphasis of the prospective project is to help people. Yeah I'll be making a small amount of money but I have bills as I say. So eventually I'd like the project to reflect that

- Once I've built my "portfolio" I'd like to then have a referral service, where charities organisations etc dealing with the issues my business hopes to address, pay a small fee for people who they think the service will benefit. That's people facing a wide range of issues.

-Then I'd like to have a premises and my own equiptment further down the line and have the "Loud and Clear" brand expand.

Ideas and input welcome, especially with funding. I'm just turned 30 so fall within the Prince's Trust age criteria, I know there's a few organisations that offer funding in the area where I live for start-up businesses, but yeah thoughts welcome!

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[ethical PR]

Apply for a government business start up loan.

Speak to local business support organisations

Develop a business and marketing plan

 

[The Enterprise People LLP]

As a social enterprise you need to be outward looking to the beneficiaries of your work. Its not the process or the product it is the so what? What benefit does your target audience receive. So for example you are creating music with young people who have suffered trauma or abuse, what good will that do and how will you measure it? By doing that you may be able to attract grant funding or be able to work in partnership with those who have funded projects.

 

[The Byre]

You have to decide - are you a teacher, or a guy playing with equipment, trying to get a break in the music biz? That is an important decision and one you have to make right now.

On the one side, I must praise your tenacity (you are still here and still pushing this agenda) on the other, I must condemn you naivety. You are not going to get any kind of gig going, teaching kids with special needs without an education and degree (or other certification) in doing just that.

You are in your 30s and you have bills to pay - it's time to get real!

I worked in the music biz for many, many years and have either produced or engineered at least 100 commercial recordings and a whole lot more demos and vanity projects. These have ranged from large orchestral projects and top names in rock and pop, to electronic concept music such as yours. You don't need me to tell you that anybody with some software (much of which an be downloaded for free) can bang out some electronic music and some of what is out there is excellent - but never gets heard, as it does not have a marketing budget.

I shall not make a value judgement on your stuff, as there is a whole list of stuff that has earned millions that I can't stand and I just don't get (e.g. U2, Oasis and all that 'berk-rock' stuff!) But then Mickey Most once told Pete Waterman that he'll never get rich with all that synth-pop 'rubbish'!

I am always up for a bit of experimental stuff and back in the 70s, I was knocked out by Carla Bley's 'Escalator Over the Hill' which others condemned as a triple-LP album of funny noises!

Your problem is, back then, making funny noises was new and exciting. Today everybody and their mothers-in-law is making funny noises and putting them up on YouTube.

Right now, one of my enterprises is a music school (joint venture with a girl about your age who is a pukka music teacher with several years experience teaching music in schools) and it is going great guns! In fact, it is doing so well, that she has just bought herself a nice house with a one-acre garden.

That music school is NOT a social enterprise and it has not received any government largess or any subsidies whatsoever. It stands fair-and-square on its own two feet. People pay and pay a great deal to learn.

 

[ethical PR]

@NorthernNewbie " so it's not a social enterprise per se"

As a social enterprise .

@The Enterprise People LLP the OP has made it clear it's a commercial endeavour

 

[loudclearproject]

@TheByre: I guess it's about finding the balance of supporting myself financially (whether or one aspires for that 1 acre garden or not) or genuinely wants to make a difference on a social level with people who are in need of intervention (In this case cathartic intervention through channeling creativity).

The project will work two-fold -

1 - using my expertise in using electronic music software, (despite people on here who scoffed previously who obviously don't appreciate the aesthetic value of art) - using the expertise to tutor people with a range of challenges and difficulites, not 100% sure on these particular ones yet, thinking mental health and homelessness, dependant). This will be the both the "social" (as it focusses less on a corporate level, and more on a pastoral). and the enterprise; if I get enough takers - I need to decide on finer details such as 1.) How much I will charge (hourly?), how I will get referrals, (I'm reasonably adept at social media marketing) and how I will advertise, how the "client" will get refered and what criteria they will need to be refered. I'm hoping to get subsidised studio space, or failing that I will go "mobile". I volunteer in a community centre which has a professional studio so will see if they are willing to rent me the space at a subsidised rte.

2.) Using my network of contacts in the electronic music scene (and I think people on here don't grasp thre magnitude of that community; the unity and help through nurturing each other's skills is what it needs - even if it's simply sharing a link (and the internet has made electronic music absolutely explode - so it's fitting it should be a way of promotion etc. I am going to update the social media as much as a possible, I have a logo (of sorts, it's simple enough) and I have a soundcloud for the project- (in my signature) and as you can see the first upload has been well received, I will allow people to purchase any of the label's material via Bandcamp, with all proceeds going either to the two aforementioned charities by way of a "3rd party" donation so I'm not officially fundraising for them but am donating like a normal donation.

So it's gatherering momentum, what I need now is:

A more detailed business plan, more specifically what is going to be needed, what it will cost and where I will get the funding from.

A website/means of advertising.

Do I want to make a mint from the venture? No I only want to be self-sufficient, whilst doing what I love, whilst changing people's lives.

If people can give more input that's be great.

Regards

Jay

 

[loudclearproject]

As a social enterprise you need to be outward looking to the beneficiaries of your work. Its not the process or the product it is the so what? What benefit does your target audience receive. So for example you are creating music with young people who have suffered trauma or abuse, what good will that do and how will you measure it? By doing that you may be able to attract grant funding or be able to work in partnership with those who have funded projects.

There's no doubt that the creative process of making music is a productive and proactive means of chanelling emotion if you have had "bad" experiences, I speak for myself on that one, so I know it will be beneficial, however; how do you measure it? Well feedback sheets I guess - for tangible ways of measuring it, (and I can start getting those in my voluntrary work). I'm not sure how else, there has to be other ways though.

 

[loudclearproject]

it won't let me post links til I've made 30+ posts but the Soundcloud is looking busy and will only grow, hence so will the brand, (as it's operating on a "no-outlay" basis yet), but before I actually go to make it the project (when I've got a business plan, my next port of call). I'm going to speak to the Princes Trust as (at 30) I scrape into the age criteria. I've also got a few useful local business advice places in mind. I'll need a website for sure. But again, it's working on a no outlay basis as a digital music label and I'm using my network of contacts in the electronic industry who have offered to help with submissions/mastering and artwork.

 

[loudclearproject]

BUMP

 

[loudclearproject]

I have 30 posts So can post a link to the Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/loudandclearproject

And the Bandcamp where the music will be sold to raise the funds:

https://loudandclearproject.bandcamp.com/

I am also in touch with some organisations about funding and business advice and have emailed potential "clients".

 

[loudclearproject]

OK, so I have a session with Princes Trust next week and also local enterprise centre, I'm also emailing schools, colleges, charities, youth clubs and other organisations to gauge interest.