About this Blog
I have worked in enterprise development and business support for over 15 years. I have been fortunate enough to work closely with a number of councils, Business Links, DTI, Learning and Skills Councils, Chambers of Commerce and private service providers over that time.
This occasional blog provides vehicle for me to share some of my personal thinking in relation to the community based enterprise agenda and hopefully to develop new ideas, new relationships and new services.
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in the Community 
Hi Mike,
I just wanted to clarify that although Bradford GRID is designed by the Camberwell Project, the GRID has its own distinct identity. Please use the website http://www.bradfordgrid.com!
No problem Zahra. You will see that I have added Bradford GRID to the BLOGROLL on the right hand sidebar.
Best wishes,
Mike Chitty
Hi Mike,
I see that you have! Many thanks for that. I read your piece about becoming too target driven and becoming lost in achieving goals rather than making it about the clients journey in achieving their dreams and aspirations. Myself and the team at the GRID* share the same worries, although we also run a hot-desking centre our first priority is to support people to meet their aspirations and with it confidence and productivity to make it happen, which is one of the main reasons why I took the role on!
I enjoy reading your blog and learn lots from it! I actually read a book by Sirolli before I started my job. I thought it was extremely helpful.
My regards
Zahra
P.S I really like the way you’ve revamped the website.
Zahra
I really like your cycle of change and how it caters for laspes in each section
Cheers Julia – though it has to down to Prochaska and DiClemente rather than me!
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the blog, I was referred to you by someone on LinkedIn, and I’ve enjoyed the insights on Enterprise and Development from recent posts.
I’m currently working with the Kgosi Neighborhood Foundation (KNF) in Johannesburg, South Africa. KNF provides free early childhood education to extremely impoverished children in its local neighborhood. With new interest in South Africa to fund Enterprise Development projects and earn BEE Scorecard Points, Kgosi is looking to expand into the Enterprise Development arena.
The desire for expansion was born from a growing realization that providing early childhood education for the children in the neighborhood is not sufficient to meet the needs of the families that KNF serves. The parents of KNF students are overwhelmingly unemployed and searching for jobs, and as long as they remain jobless the living conditions for Kgosi students will remain unstable, hindering the likelihood that their Kgosi education will provide the level of long-term benefits we wish to see. The purpose of the new center will be to provide training in basic business knowledge and technical skills to parents of KNF. Once training is complete the center will either support and mentor graduates who wish to start their own entrepreneurial endeavor, assist graduates in finding a job with a company in the field they would like to work in, or employ the parents in one of the foundation’s own store-front Businesses (looking at starting with a bakery, and possibly a hair salon).
What we are looking for now are good resources, already-developed educational curriculum, or advice on how to best teach micro-enterprise and basic business skills to the parents. Any insights or direction you might be able to provide would help us to be able to move forward with a full business plan.
Finally, do you have any experience with businesses that have served the duel purpose of fostering entrepreneurs, and helping others find jobs or gain basic skills and work experience (we are operating under the realisation that not all parents of the Kgosi children will have what it takes to be successful entrepreneurs)? We will be visiting Hope Factory sometime next week to view their operations. I would love to connect with you further if you have any insights, warnings, or advice you have about this kind of business model based on your past experience.
Thanks for the blog, and keep up the great writing!
Graham
gthomas4@nd.edu