Social Enterprise Self-Assessment
Contact / Organization
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Ms.
Mrs.
Dr.
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Given/First Name
Family Name
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Title
Organization
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Our organization's
mission statement
...
Is still under development
Guides our work, but we are not sure how well it aligns with national and international social impact goals
Guides our work, and we know how it links to national and international standards, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
What quantified
beneficial outcomes
has your enterprise made to date?
We have designed our impact model, and our next step is to test it
We have tested our impact model and have some initial data about the impact
Our model has achieved initial traction, and is ready to scale up
Our model is proven with documented impact for large numbers of people in multiple geographies
What
outside validation
has your enterprise received to confirm its impact?
Our social impact is being documented by our team, and is mostly observation and testimony from our customers / stakeholders
Our social impact is tracked through formal systems, and we have quantitative and qualitative data that proves our impact
Our social impact has been validated by outside organizations, such as universities or independent consultants
In what shape is the enterprise's
financial documentation
?
We don't have a bank account yet
We have a bank account in the name of the organization
We have a bank account and financial documentation including a balance sheet and cash flow statement, but they are not audited
We have audited financial statements for the last one to two years
We have audited financial statements going back 3 or more years
Financially
, we...
Except for minor expenses, we have not started handling money yet
We are investing in developing our model, but do not have any revenue yet
We have some revenue, but are not yet profitable
Our revenue covers nearly all of our expenses. We see a short-term path to profitability
We have recently become profitable
We have been consistently profitable for at least two years
Our
products
and
services
are...
At the ideation and design stage
Being prototyped and tested now
Are in the market, and we are refining them as we get feedback
Generally stable and proven. We are exploring the next steps for improving and/or expanding our offerings
We are regularly rolling out improvements and/or expansions
Our products and services have a multi-year track record and other enterprises benchmark against us
Regarding our
target market
, segments, and channels...
We've defined our target market well enough to launch our business, and will refine our understanding of specific channels as we grow
We've defined specific channels quantitatively and qualitatively, and are ready to build on initial feedback in distributing our product(s)/service(s) through these channels
We have broken down target market into multiple segments and prioritized these; we have distinct revenue targets and assumptions for each segment
We collect and use sales and marketing data, surveys, and other active means to refine our marketing and sales efforts; we've adjusted which channels we are pursuing and how we promote our product(s)/service(s), and have one or more clear market niches
Compared to the
competition
...
We are testing our offering with customers to understand how it compares with competing solutions
We have data that proves how we compare to the competition in terms of price, quality, service, and other key factors
We are well-known in the marketplace and customers differentiate us from the competition because of certain key features, such as lower cost, higher quality, better service, etc.
Our
customers
...
We have a promising idea we are excited to introduce to the market, but have no or only a few customers so far
Our data from initial customers gives us confidence that as we grow, our customer base will continue to grow with us
We have an established, loyal customer base which is growing, and are conducting tests to expand to new segments and channels
We have successfully move into new segments and channels over multiple years
Our
sales costs
...
We're focusing on iterating our product/service offering and have general goals on sales costs in mind, to be refined as we refine our offering
Customers are increasing, and we're still working on reducing the costs of acquiring them
Customers are increasing, and soon our customer acquisition costs will be low enough for us to become profitable
We have a good handle on our customer acquisition costs (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), customer retention rates, and other relevant metrics, and have honed our marketing/sales activities so these are in line with our growth expectations
In terms of
marketing
and
promotions
...
We are testing marketing and promotion strategies and refining as we go
Our marketing and promotional efforts are not systematic yet, but so far they work well enough to grow our customer base and give us insights into how to reach our most important customers
Each time we conduct a promotion or a push for marketing, we pay attention to how things go. We haven't perfected our methods yet, but we have systematic processes for continuous improvement
We use a structured process to forecast and manage our marketing funnel, and have a promotional plan, calendar, and materials tailored for each channel. Our forecasts are increasingly accurate over time
Our
growth plan
...
Is still under development
Details the critical next steps we need to take to move from our current pilot stage to a stable business
Shows a path to profitability with details about the resources we need to invest to implement the plan
Is based on our historical growth for the last two or more years.
Our
financial projections
for the next 3+ years...
Are still a work in progress given our early stage. We are adjusting them as we learn.
Are made based on our initial market tests and show a potential path to profitability. They include untested assumptions that we are working to prove out
Are based on a detailed financial model that we can use to project revenue and expenses for the next 2-3 years
Are based on actual revenue and expense data for the past year (or longer), and forecast increased profitability linked to our growth plan
Are based on historical data from the last two or more years and show a scenario of managed growth aligned to market opportunities and funding that we are confident we can obtain
Regarding the
management team
and
human resources plan
our enterprise is being implemented by...
Mostly by myself, with support from a few other people. This is still a side project--we have other jobs. We do not have paid staff yet.
This enterprise is my fulltime job. I have at least one paid employee. I'm directly involved in the day-to-day operations
We have 3 or more fulltime employees who handle day-to-day operations without my involvement
We have a management team of three or more leaders with specialized skills.
We have a full management team including CEO, COO, CFO, and other positions as needed.
With regard to
governance structure...
We have one or more advisors who we consult with as needed
We have what is legally required in terms of a board. We consult with them, but they are not actively involved in governance or decision-making
We have a formal board of directors that we report to regularly
We have an external board of directors including investors that provides oversight
Our board of directors includes investors and industry leaders that add to our credibility. They are actively engaged in governing the organization
Our
o
perational model
is...
Still under development
In pilot stage and being refined as we learn
Tracked through one or more KPIs (key performance indicators). Collection of this data is still somewhat manual
Tracked through automatic systems as part of our day-to-day operations and aggregated into an operations dashboard
Tracked through a fully implemented data management system that produces realtime dashboards
Is the organization working and collaborating smoothly with
suppliers, vendors, and partners
?
We are still developing our operations and deciding what partnerships will be right for us
We have the right partnerships with suppliers, vendors, and partners for our current stage, and we're looking for new partnerships for our next stage of growth
We have strong, longstanding relationships with our suppliers, vendors, and partners. We are important partners to them, and they are responsive to our needs.
We have a strong set of suppliers, vendors, and partners that can grow with us. We also have proven backup solutions in case any of our partners cannot meet our needs
Regarding
operational systems
,
processes
,
policies
, and
documentation
...
We are putting systems in place as we go. As an early stage venture, these are continually evolving.
We have many key processes documented and systems in place for employees to follow. For processes that aren't well documented, current employees need to train new employees becasue there is no way for them to learn on their own
Our operation is running smoothly. We have systems, processes, software, and documentation in place that enable us to bring new employees up to speed quickly and generally keep productivity and quality high
At the moment, the best type of
financing
for us is:
We are raising gifts and grants for research and development and/or angel investments. It's too early to know exactly what return we can offer investors
We have already received small grants and are ready to take on larger levels of grant funding
We have proven cash flow and can repay debt, so we are looking for venture debt and/or our first equity investors
We are already using debt successfully to fuel our growth. We need to take on larger levels of debt financing
We have access to a mix of capital for ongoing operational financing needs and/or future growth
Regarding our
fundraising pipeline
:
We are identifying potential funders organically, mostly through networking. We pitch them as quickly as possible
We are actively cultivating and communicating with a robust pipeline of investors and/or donors, as appropriate to our business model and corporate structure
We do not expect to need additional funding to achieve our growth plans. We have ready access to capital when needed
In terms of
fundraising materials
:
We produce custom materials for funding prospects as needed. The process isn't systematic, but it works
We have a standard set of fundraising materials that cover most of our needs. We adapt them or create new ones as needed
We have been through due diligence processes before, and we maintain a collection of standard materials ready to send to funding prospects as we encounter them. We have systems in place to quickly respond to specific requests and customized materials for each prospect
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Concatenated Score (text)
Message (early)
Congratulations on having launched a social enterprise! At this early stage of your venture, there are many resources available to support you. We recommend this <a href='https://millercenter.app.box.com/s/c37jtwwt6lkfixq1gc3kvq5pkira2xhw' target='_blank'> list of resources</a>. Once your organization has become more established, you may be interested in applying to a Miller Center accelerator. You can access the videos, slides, templates, and examples from our accelerator program through <a href='https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1H9BO40zPweTqNHYRb3jStVqo6Chc53l5?usp=sharing' target='_blank'> this link</a>. Please come back to this assessment at any time, and once your assessment results show that you are a good fit for our program, we will guide you through the application process
Message (apply)
Congratulations on getting your social enterprise to this level. You have early signs of success and potential for growth and scale. Based on what you have told us about your venture, we believe that our Miller Center Accelerator program could speed you along your journey to greater impact. <a href='https://www.tfaforms.com/4846962' target='_blank'> Click here to apply</a>.
Message (late)
Congratulations on having built a successful, established social enterprise! Your assessment shows that your enterprise has excellent traction and sustainability. You are likely already beyond the level of enterprise that Miller Center is set up to support.
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