Business Plan draft v0.26 8/12/2015

Transcription

1 Business Plan draft v0.26 8/12/2015 Introduction: BitFIXit BitFIXit has been running community clinics fixing computer problems since Now we want to expand our service to support more people and start to help small businesses, charities and groups. This business plan is our vision of how we will achieve this expansion, and develop sustainably from an unfunded voluntary group to a professional service. Throughout this transformation, we'll continue to provide the weekly community service that is at the heart of what BitFIXit is all about; keeping ordinary Sheffielders online. Case Study 1: Misrak came to BitFIXit with a common laptop power problem after having to position the power cable carefully for months the day had finally come when no amount of wiggling would make it turn on. She had been quoted 80 to fix it we found the spare part was available for I am so grateful to the BitFIXit people they fixed my laptop and now I can get on with my s, reading the news, all of that. Business Plan Page 1 of 6

2 We're IT experts with decades of experience between us, and we are passionate about the value that the internet has for our community. Without a reliable way to access the web, , skype and social networking; our neighbours can't easily get jobs, do homework, be active citizens, apply for benefits or save money online. Especially for older people (perhaps with families out of town) the internet can help reduce social isolation and mental health issues. We've been running weekly computer repair sessions where customers pay as much they can afford for over 11 years. We also refurbish older computers that are donated to us and give them away to poor families. We've fixed over 3,500 computer problems, and won national awards for our service. David Cameron awarded BitFIXit a Point of Light award in 2014 and said Gareth is using his IT skills to keep 1000s of his neighbours online. With the BitFixIT café he has dedicated countless weekends to repairing computers and laptops and giving free technical advice. I m pleased to name Gareth a Point of Light. BitFIXit community clinics are open to everyone, but we especially welcome those who would struggle to afford professional rates. As such we work with many asylum seekers, benefit claimants and retired people, amongst many others. We work hard to explain computer problems and our solutions in clear language, so that everyone can understand what to do. Case Study 2: Anfal asked BitFIXit to help her with her computer slowing down. Over the years it had got slower and slower, and recently started to pop-up adverts. She had tried several 'free' clean-up programs but they just made it worse demanding that she pay money over the internet to fix the problems. Anfal said Luckily I was suspicious and didn't pay them any money instead BitFIXit took my computer and removed all the pop-ups. Now it is running smoothly again and I can do my coursework without waiting around all the time. In order to develop our services and bring the benefits of our expertise to a new audience, we now need to expand. We've determined to develop a professional service to sustain our community work, as we believe they will reinforce each other. This expansion also allows us to begin to formally employ a technician, together with an apprentice. Business Plan Page 2 of 6

3 Our Aim: BitFIXit supports the right to digital literacy in Sheffield; we all need a bit of IT knowledge, a working computer and broadband internet - but repairs and advice are not accessible for all. We aim to challenge that by providing a community IT support service, funded by our professional work. Case Study 3: Mohammed has been a regular customer of ours for over five years, in that time he has brought in over a dozen laptops, some of them several times! We were initially suspicious that he was using us to run his own repair business but it turned out he was a community leader that was often asked for help, and he always brought them to us. BitFIXit has helped me many times, many times, they are so good. You won't find a better repair man than this one! And he has taught me so much about these things, now I am almost an expert like him! Our Values: BitFIXit is passionate about: Digital literacy being online is now as fundamental as reading and writing. Consumption we help reduce consumption by repairing rather than replacing. Affordability we want to be open to all, regardless of income. Empowerment we like to teach customers how to do simple maintenance for themselves, so they can fix some of their own problems in the future. Case Study 4: Glenda found out about us and came in with a simple software problem that was a 15 minute job her wifi had stopped working. BitFIXit repaired my laptop after a shop said as it was over 5 years old I should just throw it away and get a new one now my kids can use it for their homework and games and I can use the other one no more fighting over the mouse! Our objectives: Fiscal in six months, we will achieve: 6 SME / 3 rd Sector customers, averaging 1200/month 12 individual customers/month, averaging 30/each, 360/month 40 community clinic customers/month clients, average donation 3, 120/month Total revenue by end of month 6: 1680/month Business Plan Page 3 of 6

4 Social Our professional services support the ongoing provision of the Saturday community clinics. The promotion of both the community and professional services together builds trust in BitFIXit as an IT repair service. Community clinic customers are re-assured that they are getting professional service, and paying customers are re-assured that our primary motivation is the rewards we get, not the remuneration. Economic - The community clinics provide mentoring and training for our volunteers, and give technicians additional real-world experience. BitFIXit will provide an opportunity for an apprentice technician to train alongside a professional in months 1-6. As the project expands beyond month six we anticipate additional employment and apprenticeship opportunities. We're green by nature, as we just don't like to throw away perfectly good computers. Because we don't have anything invested in selling hardware, our customers can be confident that our advice is based on what is best for them. We re-use old computers, using donated parts to put together pcs that we give away to deserving families. All the parts we can't use are passed on to Aspire, a social enterprise based in Sheffield that recycles computers. Our Target Market: Small and medium enterprises / 3 rd Sector organisations Sheffield was the town of 'little mesters' and the small and medium enterprise sector is still vibrant, although it has now grown far beyond manufacturing. BitFIXit has a track record with several 3 rd sector groups and with our strong social mission we foresee great opportunities here. Individual customers Most people have a computer, they often have issues, yet most of them do not have a relationship with a repair service. Being trustworthy is key to accessing this market - BitFIXit's history and ethos will enable us here. Community clinics By continuing to put our community clinics in the centre of BitFIXit, we remain focused on helping disadvantaged customers with their computer problems. Business Plan Page 4 of 6

5 Competitors: There are very few IT providers that have any added social value, one notable exception is ESP projects. ESP projects used to position itself as a social enterprise (albeit one with 51 % ownership by the founder) but this emphasis has faded recently. They are a 15 employee strong company with 150 clients mostly in third sector / social enterprises. The gorilla in the room. IT providers such as Highlander and Affinity have a presence in Sheffield they offer a standard range of IT services to SME's without any added social value. Like ESP, they have more scale and this is a considerable advantage. Larger scale providers such as Fujisu, Capita et al are not competitors at BitFIXit scale as they aren't positioned in the SME market. Small scale competitors are individuals such as steelcityit or computerrepairsdronfield that exclusively target individual customers. Although comparable to BitFIXit individual client offering, they don't have any added social value. Our Sales & Marketing: Our core offer is computer repair & advice services. Our USP is our social mission, which enables trust relationships beyond commercial interactions. Our customers can be sure we are on their side, because they understand we are on a mission to keep them on the internet. We charge 20/h to individuals and 30/h to organisations, after a free visit and diagnosis. The higher costs to organisations reflects a higher service level; documentation, preparation as well as other overheads (insurance etc). Our pricing model is very simple and flexible and it's transparency reflects our values of empowerment and affordability. We will promote BitFIXit by: Using social networking Poster advertising in libraries, community halls etc Attending networking events, especially for the 3 rd sector BitFIXit operates in Sheffield, although if travel costs are met then work outside this area will be considered, but not targeted. We are very proud of our volunteers at BitFIXit and this exciting expansion allows us to build capacity with an apprentice scheme from the start. We will engage an apprentice with aptitude and attitude and provide mentoring and on the job training to allow them to work independently. In this way we will be positioned to service our growth past month six. Business Plan Page 5 of 6

6 Our Governance: BitFIXit has always maintained an open and flat organisation, with an emphasis on everyone being part of the project. To embody this in a more formal way, we are moving towards a cooperative structure, including workers and customers and possibly social investors in a multi-stakeholder cooperative. In the transition we will be operating as a company limited by guarantee. Contact Gareth gareth@sublime.org Business Plan Page 6 of 6