Social Firms UK

Choosing a legal form is an important part of establishing a social enterprise. As the framework for your business, it is important to develop a form that makes it as easy as possible for your social enterprise to be successful.

A Manual To Externalising Social Firm Activity is now available on the Social Firms UK website Resource Centre. The manual was produced in 2007 as part of a Visage EQUAL project and follows research into the progress of the proposed externalisation of Newco Products from the London Borough of Newham. The guide aims to help organisations across the social enterprise sector to think about new and innovative ways of creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged people. It also explores some of the steps and actions involved in 'externalising' their existing services.

This publication, provides key messages, addressing real everyday questions asked by line managers and provides best-practice answers making it easier to: 

Understanding the roles, responsibilities and legal status of board members.

This guide is intended to assist Charities that are considering setting up or 'floating off' a Social Firm. It focuses on the legal and technical aspects of the work and addresses such questions as: - can a Social Firm trading activity be carried on as part of the charity, or should it be floated off, for instance in a subsidiary or linked company? - how is running a Social Firm different from running a charity? - what support can the charity offer - in cash or in kind - to a subsidiary or linked Social Firm?