Here is a bold statement, everyone who can qualify needs to volunteer as a Charity Trustee.

The sector relies on the Charity Trustee to function effectively.

Those who donate know that Charity Trustees are rarely paid to fulfil the time-consuming role.

Why Volunteer to be a Charity Trustee?

The stock phrase is “to give something back”, that isn’t really a good reason. Consequently, the question is accompanied by what can you achieve as a Charity Trustee? Will and does it make a difference?

Here are three reasons to think about:

• You are needed
• The skills and experience you bring are valuable; and
• the work needs to be done

Odd reasons for many, because they focus on what the experience gives them, however, charity is philanthropy and benevolence in action!

Yes, it is true – whoever we are there is a critical place for us in supporting the most vulnerable in society, changing lives through direct action.

I Give Money!

Money is a tool the real gift is your time, your skills and your passion. Does something mean a great deal to you? Is someone going through the experience you have endured going to help more by people who have an academic understanding or by you as a survivor?

Raising money makes little difference to the running of the charity, and I often hear doners say “where does the money go? how do they justify that expense?” The answer is without your voice in the Boardroom or at the trustee meeting that important message will be missed.

Money achieves little without volunteers at all levels of the charity and the best example is always set by hardworking and dedicated trustees.

It Is All About the Gift!

Let me share an experience with you. My first three trustee roles were very challenging because the charities had issues with finance and I was asked to help sort out the issues.

With the task defined I literally got on with a job that the Trustees should have been doing for years. Once complete there was no further use for my skills, at the next AGM I couldn’t give a good reason for the membership to vote me back in.

The impact was shocking because it was then I realized I had no idea about the Charities, their purpose and how they benefitted others. Consequently, I was the wrong person for those charities (although my skills were useful to the charities my personal investment was nil).

Therefore the next charities I chose, I was recruited for my interest and what I could give. Consequently, changing my approach to volunteering as a Trustee resulted in a real personal investment.

Bring your gift! Bring your Talent! Share your skills! Be philanthropic with yourself.

Because you build your personal confidence, professional business skills and stay in touch with those who most benefit from your support.

Why am I passionate about Charity Trustees?

The local trustee is in decline, national charities use the media to get into our homes to highlight problems. They want your money.

Consequently, let’s turn our attention locally there are real issues and problems, communities, individuals need support and only those who live close to them can help. Therefore, that requires time, management, resources, and us!.

The Charity Trustee creates that.

Need to know what a charity trustee does? What responsibilities they have? and understand the rewards of volunteering? Contact me to discuss how we can help you find the right charity for you.

Therefore, are you looking for new trustees, looking for direct and simple training for trustees, contact us.

March Newsletter

The March Newsletter has three key topics

New Growth

Having decided where your business needs to be in 2020, the next step requires a strong plan.

Learning from your past development pace you know what pace the business will move at, however, new growth in business works differently.

Three reasons why:

• Energy
• Excitement, and
• Action

We often think of ourselves as pragmatic when we have matured, but we still love the anticipation off something new. 

Last week I had a conversation with a business that had hit a wall when their major client announced the contract would be ending at least 6 months earlier than projected. 

The senior management team focused on the issue with the client but that announcement will not change. So the business has 4 weeks to do something. 

A director rang and asked did I know of many clients who would step in before the end of April? The due diligence on a new contract will take 8 weeks so this was unlikely to happen.

Change Direction 

This was an interesting dilemma, but after an initial conversation, new growth and diversification as possible. 

The immediate impact taking this idea to the senior management with a few potential opportunities and suddenly everyone was engaged. The whole team worked through the weekend and by Tuesday the new service was ready for a test run. 

From this one area of new growth, the directors have now put together a new plan. April will run its course. The contract will close but the staff is already looking beyond.

Business Development Nurturing Growth 

The key to new growth is developing your strengths not the same client base but the strength of your team, employees and grasping opportunities.

List all the skills, match them to opportunities and then review how to nurture this potential growth. 

Not everything will work, however, everything will empower your greatest asset. 

Business Life is all about making the next opportunity, failing to look for it is missing all the potential new growth.

March Newsletter

Finance – Insolvency

There is a popular definition of Insolvency:

Insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the money owed, by a person or company, on time; those in a state of insolvency are said to be insolvent. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet insolvency. (Wiki)

However, many business owners trade on the next payday principle. If money is coming in that will cover the next due invoice we are still solvent. 

Nice idea but it can create a problem. One failure to pay your invoice has a ripple effect often delaying your ability to pay bills, a second invoice payment delayed can create the tsunami!

Experience

One of my clients delayed their payment of my invoice no big deal but it was a breach of terms. So I sent the reminder, they promised it would be in the bank by the end of the week. It wasn’t. 

40 days had passed so learning from a brilliant young businesswoman, I started insolvency proceedings, shocking my client. 

They rang me to explain one of their clients hadn’t paid them a substantial sum and the dispute had caught my invoice in the delay. 

We resolved the issue, and when it was finished I asked the company how they traded. The hand to mouth approach and they traded on the edge of insolvency. 

A couple of years later they crashed and burned as a business because of their debt modeling and hand to mouth existence.

Lessons

• Keep at least one month ahead of your incoming bills.
• Talk to your suppliers and be honest with them
• Never enter an agreement if you can’t guarantee the bill will be paid.  

March Newsletter

Charity Begins Locally

Last week I was stopped in the local high street and asked to contribute to a National Charity.

I asked the young person (who didn’t work for the charity) how much goes to the people who need it? “Oh, most of it, about 35%”

Two issues here, the understanding of the maths and then lack of accuracy.

Having been a fundraiser for many years this corporate approach sticks in my throat.

Donation realities

Play the game a give without asking I am often told. However, checking some home truths is always useful. For example how £3 donations a month are required to pay the CEO and the NED’s of the charity? In one case it turned out to be over 10,000 doners.

Another fact that it is worth clarifying, playing a lottery means that the bulk of the funds raised go to the good causes. Not true, the range is 10% to 30% the rest is tax and the profit-making business behind the lottery.

So if less than 30 pence goes to the good cause how could we support those in need better?

Tax effective giving

Gift Aid is the obvious choice, for every £1 donated the charity or sports club can claim from the HMRC.

Small Cash Donation Schemes, same principle, give and the government gives if you pay tax.

There are other measures as well.

Give locally and to groups run by volunteers and 100% of your donation goes to the cause of your choice.

Contact us for more insights and to receive our opportunity mailing

Governance Review

I wrote my first article on charity governance over 30 years ago and things don’t seem to change much. Introducing our Governance review service.

A local community-based charity asked for help. The Trustees needed to understand their role.

Initially, the focus was on roles and responsibilities. However, the real issue was the Trustees were not allowing staff to do what they thought should be done.

Two trustees were asking difficult questions.

What is the role of a Trustee?

The role is explained in the Charity Commission publication “Charity trustee: What is involved?”

Point 2. Comply with your charity’s governing document and the law

I asked for a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association. No one had a copy.

Consequently, who knew what they were doing?

The Review Process

There are four stages to my review

• Objects
• Powers
• Process
• Evidence of compliance

The outcome challenged the whole Charity.

Consequently, none of them knew the original objects of the charity. They hadn’t looked online and they certainly never thought to ask for a copy.

However, instinctively they knew that they were collectively and individually accountable.

Drawing the Line

This style of review leads to real change. Therefore, this empowers and enables. Subsequently, fundraising suddenly becomes easier, and management more effective.

Use this support to draw the line under poor practice. Enable and empower the charity and serve the community you were set up to serve.

Contact me for more information about the Governance Review Service.

There are two parts to a tender.

• The Company Information
• Quality Response (or offer)

Company Information

It is a “Ronseal” section. However, there are clear pitfalls.

Some of the things you are required to provide:

• Company Details
• Registered and Postal address
• Structure (Sole trader, Ltd, Partnership, PLC)
• Date and place of registration
• Registration numbers (make certain it is the right number)
• DUNS Number for Limited Companies
• Professional registrations
• Mandatory exclusions and
• Discretionary exclusions

A very simple starting point, now the primary requirements:

• Accounts or projections
• Insurances
• Business Continuity Plans
• Policies
• Pre-Employment checks

Technical experience follows:

• Organization Chart
• Management accountability and reporting
• Staffing
• Operational and Administrative functions
• Training information and records
• Similar services provided

All backed up by:

• References
• Examples of contracts and values
• Quality assurance and controls and
• Business description

All of the information required should be held in one place and updated as necessary. Therefore, that means the first section can be completed in house.

Managing information

All too often clients begin by saying we’re too busy to keep on top of this. It isn’t true because how you set up your management of information dictates just how difficult this is.

For example, my clients use a range of document management tools, for example, the top three are:

• Google Docs
• Microsoft Sharepoint (Office 365 Business Account)
• Dropbox

Take the time to learn to use these tools and automate as much as you can.

Online Portals

Registering with your preferred buyer means that you must know what Online Portals they use and where they publish opportunities.

Take time to set these up with the information you have already gathered and ensure that you update stored documents.

Use the Portal Alerts to email you as soon as the opportunity is published.

In a later post, I will introduce you to “Through the Portal”

Why do these yourselves?

The simple answer it saves time and money. If you complete the Portal information then the core answers self populate and you need only pay for the parts that need a direct answer.

Competitive tendering is all about effective preparation and it saves money and time when completed properly.

For example, just completing all the core information can save you a half-day of charges that a bid writer will charge. If I do it for you it is generally an hour of my time.

The Quality Response

Two parts to the tender, part 2 is the challenge.

Understanding the language of the question is a critical part to scoring well. Here are common examples of phrases used: (we will return to these in a subsequent post)

• Please provide an account of…
• How would (not does)…
• Please explain how you would…
• How does your organisation…
• What systems and processes…
• Demonstrate your approach…

I get asked what do they mean by…? and the because of the specification we know how the buyer expects to receive the product, therefore, we should be able to work these points through. None of the questions deserve a two-line answer or refer to policy document xyz.

Competitive tender writing requires discipline, structure and clear organization. Winning tenders are written by individuals with a clear understanding of what you are selling and how it benefits the buyer.

Consequently, there are two parts to every tender document, one is easy to prepare for, all questions can be pre-empted. Therefore, spend time with your bid writer(s), cover these points, provide examples and check the detail.

Winning becomes a habit once the training process is in place.

The Offer of support

I am happy to run the whole process for you, however, I also enjoy working with your teams and mentoring them as they enhance their skills as bid writers. Additionally, training days are available tailored and general.

Contact information 30 years of writing winning submissions enabling you to stay ahead of your competition.

Three keys to Business Growth

Business Growth Tools and Market Development require continuous change, however, we all take comfort in familiarity. How can we balance comfort and growth in our business?

Every networking event attended, every marketing email sent, every penny invested in a website indicates that we want our business to be known, either we are buying or more often selling.

Therefore, we understand the basic principles, however, the real challenge is to achieve the right action which creates the opportunity.

• 

Understanding Growth

Growth for growth’s sake is often a distraction, with bodies chasing everything and winning new business. The foundation of the business does expand, too wide and it strangles productive growth.

These 3 pointers are for those who want to understand when to choose No!

Progression Training

Old wood isn’t deadwood! There never comes a time when you need to stop investing in your team, no matter how experienced.

Consequently, design an annual training and events program that develops the skills and that challenge the individual.

Plan the progress you need them to make and spice it up with a little of what they want to learn.

To achieve the best result, know your staff and then know your marketplace. The cycle of change and progression is then embedded in the development of your business.

Creative Solutions

Don’t reinvent the wheel, or design a new feature. Gadgets and gizmos attract for a while the art of longevity in business focuses on understanding the developing needs of your marketplace.

Creative solutions need to save time, reduce stress and encourage activity. The critical element in developing a creative solution is listening beyond what is said. Ask questions that enable your market development.

Business Planning

Dynamic business planning acknowledges that your guiding document remains alive. The main purpose of a business plan can be to placate the bank or investors.

However, all that work and planning offers the core reasons for your business working. Treat it like actual cash flow when compared with projected income.

Be prepared to set goals for 8 years, 5 years and 3 years. Plot the journey and then decide the pace of travel. Your share of market growth remains dependent on the business infrastructure.

Borrowing too much too soon cripples small businesses. The solution is often in the people you know.

Mark P Trotter

We know our Business Growth Tools are effective because our challenges change with every new client, with every tender opportunity, with every crisis we are invited to resolve. Our experience shows us that planning, investment, and simplicity are at the heart of sustainable business growth.

Other Services

Bid and Tender Writing Services offer the following:

1. Business Health Check
2. Comprehensive Business Policy Review
3. GDPR and Information Security support
4. Strategic Planning and support, Bid v No Bid
5. Bid and Tender writing
6. Submission support and Document Reviews
7. Templates and document management tools
8. Training and Development
9. Quality Improvement in Social Care
10. Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise Governance

Specialists in Health and Social Care working in association with KKS Management Ltd

The recent business failures are due to the approach to group expansion.

Thomas Cook Group expanded on a wave of optimism. Servicing the debt would be easy in those market conditions.

The expectation that assets remain stable and creditors won’t get nervous is the common view. However, the reality is that lenders aren’t interested in the long term.

Thomas Cook PLC establishes this, first the banks require an additional £200 million then they increase this to £250 million. This action cascades the demise of the business.

Borrowing versus Investment

My personal approach to expansion has always been pragmatic, never buy another business, it adds to the risk. Use new money to expand, never link it to assets alone. Never borrow from a bank, high street or commercial lender.

A new investor requires some equity or incentive to join the journey. They stand to lose and need to engage to protect the investment. Also, they understand the risk.

Therefore, my approach is self-fund expansion, where that isn’t the option, find the right investor.

The “Right” Investor

• The investor understands the business
• The Investor recognizes that they profit from the expansion
• The investor has a real stake in the success
• The Investor must be involved

Borrowing against a business plan is viewed as a safe option for business owners. However, actual versus projected performance complicates matters.

Banks protect investor funds, therefore, reducing the risk. Consequently, the Bank is forced to react.

Therefore, cut out the bank!

Expansion through Investment

The need for a clear approach to staged growth and expansion underpins the investment strategy.

Ask simple questions: why the expansion is required? who will gain? how long will it really take?

Therefore, use three lines of projected performance, the:

• Desired
• Actual
• Minimum

Explain the risk factors. Report performance monthly.

Investment Strategy

Consequently, planned expansion needs a clear strategy.

“Like a joke, it has failed when you have to explain the punchline!”

Contact us for more detail on how to attract investors with a powerful Investment Strategy!

Preparation! Winning Tender Writers build a foundation for successful bidding. Therefore, the preparation time is critical.

The Gift

“O wad some Power the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us!”

Robert Burns

This is the gift described by Robert Burns and business owners can do something about what the Buyer sees.

Although, the public image isn’t the first step in the due diligence process our public reputation can pose a problem.

An example: A Care Provider presents evidence in their bid document that states they respond to and resolve every complaint.

Based on the information they have presented it would appear correct and complete.

However, the local care providers database has a clear complaint about the service, it has been read frequently. The Care Provider has ignored the complaint. Therefore, public evidence contradicts the bid.

As a buyer reviewing your evidence would I be confident that the information presented was accurate?

Consequently when preparing to bid set aside some time to review your public profile. Always do something about outstanding criticism.

Evidence

Proof of competence requires preparation. Take time to gather real evidence.

All of us have encountered academically skilled individuals, however, they lack competence at point of delivery.

On paper, the qualification looked right, in practice, there was still a distance to be traveled.

Therefore, our evidence needs to be gathered over time and from a variety of independent sources. Focusing on Care Providers, one round of surveys provide a snapshot. However, effective preparation ensures access to a wider data set.

Winning Tender Writers know how to present the evidence “what you do”, “why you do it”, “what your existing clients think”. The evidence comes from your customers.

Preparation Never Ends

The key to winning tender writing is constant preparation. Gathering, collating, and presenting evidence of competence of service is never rushed.

The Offer

The team at Mark P Trotter focuses on ensuring that your business is tender ready.

The document review is a simple step but important. (I’ll explain why in another blog”) Public profile, again straightforward enough. Evidence of what you do is relatively easy.

However, combine and present that information for Winning Tenders and the challenge has changed.

The Social Care Tender writing team has successfully supported more than 50 small and start-up care providers. Therefore, working with the experienced tender writers business owners are winning local care contracts.

Working With Us

The first step is to contact Kuljeet or Mark, via the link. We will contact you to arrange a personal call.

Our bespoke service ensures that your business receives the support required, this includes preparatory work for Care Quality Commission registration.

Social Care Focus

Our experienced team understands the meaning of person-centered Care; outcome measures and how to use this information when linked with the specification.

Often every contract looks good and the opportunity is a means of securing income when viewed at face value. However, understanding that to secure a place on the Dynamic Purchasing System is only the beginning.

The competitive mini-competitions require clear evidence, current data, and examples of competence. Therefore, working with our team ensures your business has the information in the right format.

Common Issues

The reality is often that we are competitively bidding at the council’s fixed rate. This is often below the market hourly charge.

The example that springs to mind, the National Care Association in the publication “2019 Social Care Briefing paper”, the authors noted that:

The result being that Local Authorities feel comfortable commissioning complex care at unrealistically low prices – a patient in an NHS facility with assessed care needs costs the state over £2000 p/w but on discharge the commissioner will expect to purchase the same care in more homely surrounding for about £600 per week. Clearly, there is a disconnect between what we pay for care!

This is reflected at a local level when the “real cost” is compared to the price paid.

Consequently, the expectation is that more Not for Profit providers will enter the marketplace. However, Not for Profits must at less remain ahead of the “breakeven point”. Therefore, every provider needs to know the real cost of their care package, consolidate local provision and adjust care packages to the local area. Our team enables you to create that flexibility.

Understanding the Cost of Care

Our experienced care sector project managers ensure the key measures that reduce overheads and unavoidable cost centres are applied.

Therefore, we examine work processes, the greatest efficiency in all service provision remains to “meet the need as it arises”. With the right systems, cost centre care management improves competitiveness.

However, this requires business discipline and a responsive approach.

A delays cost time and money, therefore, maximise your communication tools, understand how to ensure your client need to contact your team, armed with the up to date information the next visit is successful in meeting that need.

Effective communication tools add value to the offer and therefore, reduce the face to face time a client requires.

Access to assistive technologies is often understood to be the answer to prayer, however, access to additional community support is where the real added value occurs.

Our Offer to Social Care providers

About to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)? Contact

Planning to respond to Dynamic Purchasing System or contract opportunity? Contact

Seeking to win more mini-competitions? Contact

Our social care setup tools enable you to gather the right evidence, provide information on the level of experience and competence. This includes how to calculate your “real” hourly rate, project income based on knowledge of the sector funding and contracts. Our team of experienced project manager ensures you are ready to tender.

We ensure that you remain competitive and we will help you through the first tenders as part of the tender readiness process.

Win Contracts

To win the strategy is simple:

• Preparation
• Clarity
• Cost sensitivity
• Realistic plans
• Let your work speak

The team is successful in working with start-up businesses and established care providers. Because, these business tools are designed to streamline the tender process, consequently simplifying contract arrangements and therefore, ensure competitiveness.

Contact Us

The Charity Sector is failing to meet the needs of local communities often because there is a lack of funds or because the skills have been lost. This needs to be addressed Nationally.

Having a social conscience in business is often used to demonstrate that an individual is “giving back” to society. Many are rewarded and applauded for doing so. Truthfully the accolade is the driving force for many from all sectors of business and the public sector.

However, to truly “give back” we have to invest something of ourselves without seeking a reward. Using our talents in ways that enable and empower Charities and Not for Profits.

“The 3rd Sector”

“The 3rd or Voluntary Sector and not for profit organisations” are certainly awful labels for organizations that reach into the challenging areas of modern life and support individuals.

These institutions have never been somehow second rate or less than brilliantly resourceful. Often pioneering and innovative, their reliance on “living social capital” to support those needing investment is exemplary.

Most are served the scraps from the table. Lottery, large appeals like Children in Need and Comic Relief or Cancer Research appear to make the sector appear well funded.

The History of Modern Charity

In 1998 the team of consultants working in Plymouth for an organization called Plymouth Community Partnership was asked to explain the history of Charity.

That research took us through a range of formulae and structure, trusts and charters, covenants and arrangements. All required benevolence and philanthropy from those engaged in the service. However, with the development of the National Lottery, the Modern Charity (Community Project) with its professional staff materialized.

Oh, what damage this has caused. The so-called professional gives personality to the words of Alexander Pope: “A little learning is a dangerous thing; … There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,”

As a society, we are blessed with the Internet and Google, a digital presence, social media and just giving pages. How these tools are abused and how misinformation creates a false picture of the sector really saddens those with social values.

Charity Sector’s Abuse of Trust

“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, MONEY, MONEY”

A Lyrical endictment

As CEO of Charity and senior management with management years of paid and unpaid work in the sector, it saddens me to report that the larger charities have abused the public.

How can a charity that accepts donations from pensioners and those limited incomes use funds to pay “professional” staff £100,000 and more? Why do trustees get away with poor governance practice and a lack of accountability? The Charity Commission is an excellent public sector tool but over the years its relationship with external institutes has emasculated the role it plays.

This is an abuse of trust. Don’t take my word for it check the charity register and if you support a charity find out how much the CEO is paid. As one of my colleagues once said: “as we have to ask for – donations and grants, it can’t end up in our pockets”.

Staff are needed and they need to be paid. The living wage mandatory. Staff must be rewarded for their hard work. So how do charities meet the challenge and “fund the frontline staff properly!”

Why Can We Say this?

Our team are experienced advisors, fundraisers and trainers, therefore, we have clear values and provide the support needed.

We provide services that many charity trustees find challenging to cover, for example:

• governance updates,
• advice and support,
• accounting and reporting,
• fundraising management.

These services are designed to fit the structure of the charity and the purse.

Presenting monthly accounts reports takes very little time once we have all the information, for a treasurer this whole process can take hours. Consequently, we enable the trustees to use their resources effectively.

Are we professional charity workers? Yes, and No, we earn the bulk of our income working with commercial operations. However, organizations that need our help, contact our professional services.

Please contact us for more information.

Welcome to our winning services, we know “First Impressions” are important in business. However, we can get hung up on them! Also, the “USP”, pitching, return on investment, corporate social responsibility!

Consequently, we have ditched the jargon! Save the business speak for the right time and place. Our team is there to support the development process. Therefore, the services are designed to support your business, no fuss, no fanfare.

Experience

The first contact remains the most challenging in any business relationship. We talk of “first impressions”, however, whatever the importance of those first few seconds and the reality is:

“All things being equal, people do business with, and refer business to people they know, like and trust.”

Bob Burg – “Endless Referrals”

Therefore, specialists with a wide network of contacts are to be viewed as an opportunity to build resilience in your business. The stronger the contacts the deeper the resource pool.

With access to years of experience in public, private and charity sector project management, business development, and procurement winning solutions are a habit.

Marketing / Content

Often when we work alone it is easy to over-complicate things. A few hours of a skilled marketing professional’s time can be invaluable.

Creating a tailored copy for your website is vital, or just structuring your thoughts for a blog. Small business owners often attempt to meet the daily challenges by doing everything themselves and consequently, not quite achieving everything. Therefore, work SMART and SMARTER, access the skills you need when you need them.

It easy to become the most expensive form designer, customer service rep and admin worker in your own business, the same applies to written material and content writing.

One example:

Social Care

UK Councils are discussing the need to cut contracts and reduce prices. For many smaller care businesses that should be great news.

However, because of contract pressure, these service providers only have time to react to the proposed change. Access to a specialist service can make all the difference. For example:

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

KKS Management provide all the support required for a successful application.

Content Creation

Corporate Communication

pippin Consulatncy – Catherine provides Compelling Content for Annual reports, corporate responsibility brochures, staff handbooks, …

Tender Management

Mark P Trotter

Specialist business support including comprehensive tender writing services. Winning contracts prepared by experienced bid writers

The advantage of working with skilled practitioners is financial, you pay for what you need, task-driven and highly professional individuals focused on delivering high-quality products.

MT Management is a site in development so for more information follow the links to KKS Management and Pippin Consultancy or Contact us