The document outlines five key questions crucial for creating a successful business, based on insights from Sheridan Chilvers, a Nottingham Roosevelt Scholar. It emphasizes the importance of understanding one's ecosystem, values, community, personal narrative, and the necessity of being ambitious in entrepreneurship. Additionally, it discusses various support organizations and co-working spaces that foster social entrepreneurship and innovation.

1. 5 key questions to create a
successful business
- Insights from USA
SHERIDAN CHILVERS
Nottingham Roosevelt Scholar - 2011

2. Sheridan Chilvers
My Background
Work Experience
• New College Nottingham - Entrepreneur-In-Resident
• Nottingham Energy Partnership – Affordable Warmth Project Coordinator
• The Energy Saving Trust – Energy Advisor and Green Communities Programme
Coordinator
• Nottingham City Council – Climate Research Officer – LCLIP
• Alliance Boots – Assistant Supply Manager
Academic Experience
• MSc in Environmental Management @ The University of Nottingham
• BSc (Hons) Business and Technology @ Sheffield Hallam University
Voluntary Experience
• Ecoworks, Nottingham Civic Society, Rotary,
• British Council: Climate Advocate (08), International Climate Champion
(09), Delegate (10), Mentor (11) and Green Ambassador (12).

3. Nottingham Roosevelt Scholarship
• Established in 1945 as a living memorial to FDR
• Aims:
1) Promote Nottinghamshire;
2) Learn about American Culture; and
3) Support professional development.
• Over 140 individuals
have taken the trip to
the USA.

4. Itinerary
3 Months
10 Cities, 9 States
25+ Organisations
Daily Inspiration

5. Purpose of visit
Research focused on:
Organisations that support and develop of Social Entrepreneurs
Definitions:
Social Entrepreneurs:
―Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most
pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social
issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change‖
Ashoka
(Business) Ecosystem:
―An economic community supported by a foundation of interacting organizations and
individuals—the organisms of the business world… Over time, they coevolve their
capabilities and roles, and tend to align themselves with the directions set by one or
more central companies.‖
James F. Moore

6. Areas of focus
(1)
Support
Organisations
Social (3)
(2)
Entrepreneurship Co-working &
Educational
Ecosystem Incubation
Institutions
spaces
(4)
Networking
Groups

7. (1) Who’s in MY Ecosystem?
Personal Business
• Friends • Strategic Partners
• Family • Competitors
• Business Contacts • Stakeholders
Locally, Nationally, Internationally

8. (1) Who’s in MY Ecosystem?...Cont
NAME:
FOCUS: Concept Start-Up
SUPPORT: • Funding
• Fellowship
• Mentorship (online/offline)
• Idea generation support

9. (2) What are MY Values?
Definition:
―Values reflect a person’s sense of right and
wrong or what ―ought‖ to be.‖
Why are they important?
• They represent who YOU are
• They support the decision making process
• They help to identify like minded people
• They help to identify potential partners
(instead of competition)

10. VALUES
Holstee
Manifesto
(Click image to
play video)

11. (3) Who’s in MY community?
Definition:
―Community usually refers to a social unit that
shares common values.‖
Why is a having Community important?
• Brings like minded people together
• Brings people around your product/service
How can you interact with your community?
• Social Media - Community without boarders
• Co-working Spaces - Collaboration

12. (3) Who’s in MY community?...Cont
*Closed Network*
―We incubate people not businesses‖ ―Some organizations incubate
companies - we incubate people. Our
• Social Innovation Institute mission is to accelerate young
leaders and help them have a global
• Ideas Market Place/ Competition impact before they become 30.‖
• Fellow Summit/ Global Circle

13. (3) Who’s in MY community?...Cont
Co-working Space (Hybrids) Incubators
• Co-Loft (LA) • The HUB (San Fran) • Green Village Philly
• Blank-Spaces (LA)
• NedSpace (Portland)
• Green Town Labs (Boston)
• Green Spaces (NYC)

14. (3) Who’s in MY community?...Cont
Blank-Spaces, (LA) Co-Lofting, (LA)
―Work for yourself, not by yourself‖ ―Work, Network, Prosper‖
Top 5 benefits of using co-working spaces
(1) Creative Environment
(2) Bespoke Support and Services – Accelerators
(3) Flexibility and Adaptability
(4) Ready Built Communities
(5) Opportunities for Collaboration & Openness

15. (3) Who’s in MY community?...Cont
Nottm Clean Tech Centre
-Environmental Technology
Biocity
HACK SPACE -Life Science
Wallis Building
Nottingham Antenna
- IT Companies
-Creative Industries
University of Nottingham Nottingham Trent University
Enterprise Labs The Hive
-Students -Students

16. (4) What’s MY Story?
Why is MY personal story important?
• It helps people to connect with you
• It provides the context for your business
• The potential to inspire others
What questions do I need to ask?
• Where did I come from? (personal challenge)
• How did I get to where I am now? (Support)
• Where do you want to go and What future
do I want to create for myself?

17. (4) What’s MY Story?..Cont
“Don’t Settle”
―Be Social Change is a platform that
empowers, connects, and organizes the world
of social change.‖
“What’s Your BFHG?”
What’s Your Big Fat Hairy Goal?

18. (5) Am I being Unreasonable enough?
―Giving high-impact entrepreneurs wings‖
• Unreasonable Market Place
• 6 week institute,
• 25 Entrepreneurs,
• 30 Mentors,
―The reasonable man adapts himself to the • 1 Mansion,
world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore all • The Unreasonable Climax
progress depends on the unreasonable man.‖
(Click Blackboard image to play
George Bernard Shaw video)

19. Creating a catalyst
Student
Entrepreneurs The HUB
The Bold
Academy
Unreasonable Rework
Institute Jobs
Leadership University
Boulder,
TechSTARS Course of
Local
Colorado,
Authority
in Boulder
Boulder, Colorado

20. Summary
• Who’s in MY Ecosystem?
• What are MY Values?
• Who’s in MY community?
• What’s MY Story?
• Am I being Unreasonable enough?
Networking…Ask the next person you meet…
• What’s their BFHG is? &
• Are they being Unreasonable in what they do

21. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
Contact Details:
• Mobile: 07938244367
• Email: sheridan.chilvers@hotmail.co.uk
• LinkedIn: sheridan.chilvers
• Twitter: sdchilvers
Business Details
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