Setting Up A Community-Based Business
It’s time to focus on our local communities, now more than ever
Another Starbucks has opened in your doorstep and you haven’t seen a new local coffee shop emerge since you were at least five years younger. All around us, the effects of capitalism are being felt increasingly and every main street now resembles any other street in Europe, the US and the world. No matter where you look, the same chains and stores occupy the country’s most populated pedestrianised areas.
Rents are also, as a result, going up for everyone, not just residents but commercial businesses too, and few are able to afford the steep monthly outgoings that are required to run a shop, restaurant or cafe in today’s corporation-driven world.
You are lucky, however, as you have good savings and have decided to put these towards running a local business, aimed at your community, but what will you do? In this guide, we offer you guidelines on the best community-oriented business models for you to invest in in order to be able to make a living and contribute towards your local community equally. There has never been a more exciting time to invest in local growth.
Set up a co-working space
This is the era of the co-working space, due to more and more people in society being self-employed and these needing somewhere to work from after their homes have provided them with a comforting but perhaps too distracting atmosphere. The desire for these freelance entrepreneurs is also to meet like-minded individuals and to be able to work alongside them. As a result, setting up a co-working space is a great idea to contribute to the local community and to cleverly earn some cash whilst doing so. There are plenty of places to start looking, including numerous commercial properties in Wimbledon. Follow this list of tips to embark on your own co-working space creation journey.
Run a local tour agency
If you have lived in your area for a while then chances are you know the best parks to visit, most welcoming local bars to hang out, prettiest cafes and spots of interest. You might not reside in the most touristy destination but this could be to your advantage, as there most likely won’t be anybody else offering tailored tours for curious sightseers. Visit a local library and do your research. Go out and talk to business owners and government-run listed building managers and museum caretakers. Learn as much as you can about the place where you live and start by creating a simple but effective website outlining the services you offer and your prices. Squarespace offers domains, hosting space and great design tools to build your own space in the net.
Start your own yoga studio
You love yoga. Having never had a chance to visit India, you have read lots about the practice and have noticed an increase in people who turn to yoga for a more relaxed mind and healthy body. If you have also taken a few yoga courses and think you can start your own studio, now is the time to do so. We lead busy lives, and with yoga and mindfulness providing a peaceful retreat for practitioners, your classes could also become a success. Find an accredited course that you could enroll in and learn all the basics. Once you have found a space where you could run your classes, produce high-quality flyers and leave them in bars and coffee shops in your area. With these yoga kit essentials, you will be well prepared for your first lesson. Good luck!
Become a pop-up chef
Turning up at somebody else’s house and cooking dinner for them and their guests might not be your idea of spending a Friday evening, but if you think you can cook and your friends and relatives have more than once praised your culinary skills, this could be your break in hospitality. There are myriad pop-ups opening up in every corner of the world and you could also offer your pop-up services at parties, birthdays or office get-togethers. Research your local area and make a list of the businesses you would like to approach. Advertise on local off licences and supermarkets and do some networking at events. This book might have a few extra tips for you to use in your journey.
Offer your CV and cover letter writing services
With the world being in need of more specialised workers, you could advise people looking for work on how to produce a CV and cover letter. Being successful at interview stage is one thing, but being noticed by a potential employer amongst the hundreds, if not thousands, of applications they receive for a single position is always a challenge. If you have helped friends tell their professional story via their CVs in the past and have a creative flair you could put towards cover letter writing, this could be your time to help your local community get jobs! It needn’t be expensive to set up, either, as the only thing you will need are desk space and imagination. Get the word out there by telling your family and friends you are in business first! This CV writing bible will help you get started.
Become a photographer
Picture-taking might have always been your passion, and you have a couple of good cameras in your bedroom that you turn to when you take a trip abroad or are invited to a special occasion. Whilst it is a well-known fact that the lives of photographers can be a struggle, due to the loneliness that comes with the profession as well as earnings from it being an object, it is also one of the most rewarding ways of making a living as it will bring you closer to your subjects and you will ultimately have created something unique once you press the release button. It might be a good idea to start by perfecting your skills and what a better way of doing so than by enrolling in one of City Lit’s photography courses.
The above are just a few ideas that could make your presence in your community be felt and turn your surroundings into a better place. Not only will you be earning a living, but you will also be helping those around you find jobs, quit smoking cigarettes and work in better and more sociable conditions. These days technology makes it easier for us to establish businesses from anywhere and we should be making the most of it. Ultimately, you are the owner of your own destiny and if you have big dreams, you should go for them, now more than ever. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Go out, do some research and as Maya Angelou said, “grab the world by the lapels”!
