Community Sector Trading

Kivo Ebiz

May 19th, 2009

During our first online session, we discussed Kivo-Ebiz, a community trust that has set up an eBay trading company. There are 2 videos, a balanced scorecard and top tips in the resources section here – http://communityst.co.uk/resources/kivo-ebiz/

Click here to view the full Elluminate Session with Spring 09 participants - You may need the latest Java update installed on your browser which you can find on www.java.com and allow the download when prompted. 

Social Impact

What we all found very interesting about this case study was the various social impact issues the project addresses. These include:

• Generating income – esp for perople who don’t earn much, local multiplier effect for a rural area and also for the community trust.
• Volunteering – The reliance on volunteers was not necessarily a bad thing – lots of engagement with local, perhaps isolated people.
• Stimulating local business – Such as for the local post office and the opportunity for wider links with other local orgs and establish as a valued intermediary.
• Environmental – Recycling of goods and less waste going to landfill.
• Training – As well as selling goods, Kivo-Ebiz deliver eBay training courses to local residents. Raising their skills of people during a time of recession was seen as a valuable social benefit.

Other points that were discussed included:

Financial Return – It would be interesting to have access to more financial information if this was available. How it would become sustainable?, more figures, costs of sales, sales targets… Needed more predictions for future business etc. What is the breakeven point?

Trust – Steph identified that trust was particularly important in her business. Being a community trust and living in a rural environment helped to build this.

Replicating the model in other areas – Auction My Stuff was mentioned as a social enterprise that was doing something similar http://www.auctionmystuff.org/ and the Freecycle Network http://www.freecycle.org/. There was an acknowledgement of the the differences in getting a project set up from scratch and from an existing organisation.

Entry Filed under: Community Sector Trading,social value