Slides by Stephen Clarke from Bristol Pound presented at the Go Green Introduction to Ethical Finance for SMEs workshop.

1. Introduction to Ethical Finance for
SMEs
Stephen Clarke
Founding Director Bristol Pound CIC

2. Today’s talk
• Why bother about ethical finance?
• Some basics about the Bristol
Pound and Prospects
• How we are doing after 3 years
• Plans for 2016 and beyond

3. Why should you bother becoming
involved?• support independent traders-
encourage diversity and stop
clones
• strengthen local community-
local economic multiplier
• encourage sustainable local
economy-shortening supply
chains and saving carbon
• Make money!

4. How can you benefit as a company?
• New business links and networks; more sales!
• Business to Business meetings and brokerage
• Staff involved and committed
• Zero-interest loans (in Prospects)
• And all not-for-profit…

5. What’s the point?

6. Some basics about the Bristol Pound
scheme…
• notes-design competition
• mobile phone text payment system
• City-wide scheme
• partnership with Bristol Credit Union
• Bank of England and FSA ‘approved’

7. Some more basics about the scheme…
• simple phone text system
• Secure and risk-free
– Bank Guarantee Scheme for digital accounts
– anti-forgery devices
– trust account for sterling
• non-profit making community company
(morphing into a Co-op)

8. How are we doing?
Food
Transport
Tax
Energy

9. Some basics about Bristol Prospects
• Bristol Prospects-mutual credit circle for SMEs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAysddovDrU

10. What we can achieve together
Demonstrate the possibility of
radical change to the finance
system
Promote values that underpin a
fairer and sustainable economy
Bring people together and
empower them to act in their own
communities

11. Thanks for listening
Questions?