Community-Minded Businesses

Centre for Community Enterprise

Businesses are essential to community economic development because they are such a powerful means for increasing the local pool of skills, experience, wealth, and influence. By interconnecting the expertise, interests, perspective, and resources of the entrepreneur with those of the community, people get a grip on the future of their town, neighbourhood, or region.

CCE assists nonprofit and for-profit organizations in building and maintaining strategic linkages between business and community. To increase First Nation equity and influence, CCE has developed particular expertise in the formation of development corporations and in negotiating and structuring aboriginal joint ventures. We also work with credit unions and other financial agencies to improve their products and services.

Westcoast Community Enterprises, a division of CCE based in Vancouver, B.C., is expert in the design, delivery, and management a Self-Employment Benefits Programs specifically geared for people living on social assistance.

Here are some specific projects and processes we help communities with:

Venture Development: the system that a community-based organization uses to identify, select, and act on business opportunities, as a supporter, partner, or owner.
Joint Ventures: special partnerships that communities can use to gain a real say and long-term benefits from local industrial development.
Social Enterprises: businesses that aim to make a profit in the course of achieving specific social or environmental benefits for the community.
Self-employment training & program design: entrepreneurial assessment, readiness, business planning, and aftercare.
Alternative Finance: assist with the design of a range of financial products with specific expertise in those serving low-income entrepreneurs.

These are some of our many clients: Pacific Coast Savings Credit Union (Victoria, B.C.), MacMillan Bloedel, VanCity Credit Union (Vancouver, B.C.), Coulson Forest Products (Port Alberni, B.C.).

A SAMPLE OF CCE IN ACTION

Leveraging the underlying interest of First Nations in lands on Vancouver Island's west coast, CCE assisted Ma-Mook Development Corporation in establishing 51% ownership of a joint venture with corporate forest giant MacMillan Bloedel. CCE also advised VanCity Credit Union in the design of Vancity's Self-Reliance Loan Program, which has been expanded into a $15 million, 5-year business loan program which has no collateral requirements.

FIND OUT MORE

In addition to training and on-site consulting, the Centre for Community Enterprise offers distance support and research services for business development. Contact Mike Lewis to learn more about our services. Check out the following for more information about our approach and workshops.

Available free of charge, in PDF:
Systematic Venture Selection
Tools & Techniques for Community Recovery & Renewal

Available from The CED Digital Bookshop:
Aboriginal Joint Ventures: Negotiating Successful Partnerships
The Business Builders Manual