Somerville Ecovillage Enterprise Launch Survey  

Date which Survey will be collated : 11th May 2005

This is a crucial step in the evolution of enterprise at Somerville. I would urge you first to read through the entire survey (print it out if required) so that you may develop an overall understanding of some of the questions. You may need to do more thinking and further research before you can answer all the questions in the survey. This will hopefully act as a catalyst for this to happen. The aim is for you to develop more clarity about what you hope to be doing and more importantly why you want to do it.

One thing to consider doing first is to write up to 5 pages on what your business is. The idea behind this is you should be able to hand anyone this summary and they will get a clear picture of what your business is all about and what you hope to achieve. It is not necessary to have completed a business plan to complete this survey. This survey will assist you in formulating some of your thoughts and ideas which will be of great benefit when working through the creation of your business plan.

This is the first step in the Enterprise/Economic Journey Ahead at Somerville. This survey aims to do the following:

1. Pose questions to you in order that you may think more deeply about the business idea that you may be considering.
2. Request information about what you hope to do so that we may better understand how best we can assist you and support you in the evolution of your business.
3. Share information with other members of the community so that opportunities for collaboration and cooperation may present themselves.
4. Identify specific requirements for your business which may currently not exist.

Following on from this survey a Work shop day will take place on Saturday the 14th May at Somerville. A key outcome of this day is to establish a Core Enterprise Group. This core enterprise group will be responsible for moving forward the overall economic and enterprise model for the Somerville Ecovillage. It is envisaged that this group will have a complimentary range of skills, expertise, and experience which will provide a solid foundation for the evolution of enterprise at Somerville.

Some information about yourself:
First name:
Surname:

email address:

 *
Occupation:

Your age:

How did you find out about this survey?
Are you intending to live at Somerville
   

Personal Business Background Information

Past Business Activity  
Have you been in business before?
If so, how many years?
What business was this?
Was the business successful?
What was your key role in the business?
What did you find most difficult in running a business?
   
Current Business Idea  
What is your current business idea?
Do you have any experience in this area?
Is this something that you are passionate about?
How long have you been thinking about this idea?
Prime motivation for you embarking into this business?
How many days a week would you like to work in the business?
How would you rank your current competence level in the following three areas:  
1. Technical skills relating to your product/service
2. Marketing
3. Financial Management

Operational Aspects of your business idea

Have you compiled a business plan?
Would you like to start your business as soon as possible?
When would you like to kick off your business?
Will your business be based at Somerville?
Will it be based at your home?
Will you require premises in the village to operate your business from?
If so, Please describe your requirements
How long will it take to get your business operational?
How many people do you think will work in your business?
Are you planning to work in your business full time or part time?
Are you looking for a partner/people to work with?
Please list any specific/specialised equipment that you require to operate your business?
Outline any training you are planning to undertake?
Please select ,if any, which of the services below you would
like to have access to?
Business Start Up Support
Marketing
Computing/Information Technology
Website services
Accounting and book keeping
Financial management
Insurance
Administration services
Business mentoring support
Other  - Please specify below
    

Market Research - Customers
 
Have you conducted market research to date?
Who do you see as you main customers?
Where do you see the majority of customers will come from?
Do you have many competitors in your market place?
What is unique about your particular product or service?
What is, if any, the WOW factor for your business?
   

Financial Matters
 
Have you completed any financial projections so far?
How much money do you believe you will require to establish the business?
Will you require external finance or funding?
If so, how much will this be?
What is the anticipated annual turnover of your business?
How much net annual personal income do you hope to generate from your business?
Your business and the Community  
Do you see that your business may have some form or level of community ownership?
Do you see your business as a community owned and operated business?
What is your business going to offer the community? ie Somerville and Chidlow
   
Core Enterprise Group  
Would you be interested in being part of the core enterprise group?
What skills do you have to offer the group? Financial and Budgeting
 Planning and organisational
Administration
Computing / IT
People skills
Management/leadership
Marketing
Business experience/acumen
Problem solving/creativity
Networks
How many hours a week can you contribute to core group activity?
What is prime motivation for being part of the group?
   

 Any additional feedback, comments or thoughts:


If you would like a copy of your survey submission please print this survey out prior to submitting.
This can be done by selecting "File" then "Print" from the browser menu.