Business Outside

Business Outside is a Community Interest Company (CIC) created to enable reformed offenders to become productive members of society through education and business mentoring. There is strong evidence to show that education can help offenders to change their pattern of behaviour. Our objective at Business Outside is to provide a solid educational course with real opportunities to start a new business venture on release. This is achieved by creating a ‘Business Enterprise Certificate’ that comprises a number of business modules with the opportunity to present a final business plan to investors who can make the enterprise a reality. Business Outside holds a small stake in each venture that obtains funding to contribute to future projects. Prisoners who have completed a business course and who are committed to the enterprise and have a viable business plan, will have the opportunity to present to a team of “Dragons”. The criteria for obtaining funding would simply be based on the viability of the business plan and the commitment / enthusiasm and ability of the offender to see it through. We are looking for socially minded investors and mentors who would be willing to either invest or donate a sum of money to enable ex-offenders to set up their own business and / or provide a mentoring service in the initial stages. We hope that some investors will want to get actively involved and visit the prisons where they could meet the prisoners and see their business ideas and proposal. If you would like any further information or would like to become involved with Business Outside either as an investor or mentor, please do not hesitate to contact Nicki Pinder. Nicki Pinder nickisherlockpinder@hotmail.com (M) 07956