Summary
Contributions to make a difference giving back to persons and communities
Vision for the project for long term positive community impacts
Registration and other services listing business services
How to make a difference and give back value add to business services
Further development development of more functions
Project management information background, scope and manager
Project summary
The Discover Special Value website brings together customers, businesses and public sector organisations or groups to gain benefits and to make a difference and give back. Therefore, it operates as a social business enterprise.The website has systems that;
- connect private sector and public/community sector businesses with their customers;
- connect these businesses and their customers with social, community, cultural and environmental organisations or groups, charities and business support services (‘stakeholders’);
- can provide support for stakeholders for their important social, community, charity, business support, cultural and environmental services to make a difference and give back; and
- are supported by customers, businesses and stakeholder organisations.
These systems can now be used by businesses from both sectors to make more positive differences and give back. They can add more value to their business services they list on the website by using special website features so they can deliver more benefits to their customers with each transaction. They can provide benefits to stakeholders as well such as donations.
Part of this project is to further develop these systems so financial benefits are available for stakeholders on a regular basis from completed sales.
A micropayments system will be developed and used to deduct a small amount selected by a business from each completed sale of their business services. The amount selected by them to be deducted will be above a minimum amount that applies. These small payments will be forwarded to stakeholders for them to use for their important needs. The deduction will be in addition to any other extra benefits provided by a transaction. This will be a transparent, fair and audited process.
Over time with many small payments regularly made this will make it possible for many positive impacts to be achieved on a reliable sustainable basis. This is because with each completed transaction it can be possible for;
- customers to also provide a small financial payment to a stakeholder if they choose to;
- registered businesses to provide a small payment to a stakeholder each time;
- stakeholders to gain more financial resources for persons and communities in need;
- persons with high needs or disadvantages to gain more benefits and support;
- stakeholders that provide business support services to gain financial resources for their business services; and
- more good and more positive measurable impacts to be achieved cumulatively.
Making a difference and giving back
This project is for developing systems that can assist in generating financial and other resources on a long term basis to help positive social and other impacts be made by stakeholders for their causes and those in need. Set out below are objectives of the project.
Contributions to make a difference
This project is an exciting opportunity for people, businesses and organisations to become involved, collaborate and contribute.
It is an opportunity to contribute to a systematic way to help important causes and projects in your community and business environment.
This will help support local businesses, people in need, building more community capability and more resilience when this is needed, for example, in times of natural disasters.
Letting others know of the differences made and the results
The systems can keep generating resources to help positive impacts to be made. There will be many 'doing good' news stories!
The website will be developed further to be able to promote and highlight the many important contributions made by people, businesses and stakeholders to make a difference and give back to their communities. It will then feature the results of these efforts – the positive difference made as a result (measured impacts etc).
Why this project is needed: personal and community needs
Stakeholders: resourcing needs for community challenges
We all know people, communities and local economies in need of further support to meet the challenges they have. There are few things more satisfying than to be able to help someone in need or contribute to a worthwhile cause. However, as we know there are many social, charity, community, cultural or environmental organisations or groups that have significant daily challenges in meeting the demands on their services from people and communities in need. Find out more here about relevant background industry issues to the project.
We also know many do not have the resources they need to have efficient, reliable and sustainable systems to deliver their important services. This also applies to industry and employee organisations and associations that as stakeholders represent their members’ interests and provide support and other services.
Reasons to support project
This project needs more participation, involvement and resources. Therefore, please let us know if you can assist or if know others who can; it needs more;
- involvement, collaboration and resources; and
- partners and sponsors.
How you can help
You can help by;
- like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter;
- telling others about this project;
- sending us some feedback;
- tell us who else could be interested in the campaign and where it could be forwarded to.
As more stakeholder organisations and businesses become involved there is significant value-adding capability to drive and leverage more benefits.
Giving back: supporting community facilities.
Vision for the project
The Vision is to bring together both the private sector and public sector for them to use systems that help more financial and other resources be available for use by community and business stakeholders to deliver long-term positive public interest impacts and outcomes for persons and communities in need.
The Discover Special Value website business operates as a social business enterprise. It and brings together customers, businesses and organisations from both sectors to gain benefits or provide benefits to make a difference and give back by using a combination of commercial and non-commercial functions (shared value system). Its vision is to help provide systems so more resources for important personal, business and community needs are available.
The website systems;
- connect private sector and public/community sector businesses with their customers;
- connect these businesses and their customers with social, community, cultural and environmental organisations or groups, charities and business support services (‘stakeholders’);
- provide support for stakeholders for their important social, community, charity, business support, cultural and environmental services; and
- are supported by customers, businesses and stakeholder organisations.
Project support: customer, community and business interest and general support
Importantly, this project has strong customer, community and business interest for its objectives. Having a high level of support has been important and necessary during the different development stages of the project. There is, for example, strong stakeholder support for the proposed micropayments system function outlined further.
Implementing the Vision
The website is developing systems;
- for businesses to add more value to their services, products and events so some of these added benefits can be passed onto customers and/or to stakeholders;
- for customers to pass on benefits such as donations to stakeholders with their purchases if they choose to; and
- so these benefits can be used by stakeholders for important social, community, charity, cultural, business/employee support and environmental needs.
In this way they can make more positive differences for persons, communities and programs most in need.
So please take the time to become familiar with the project and the opportunities available!
Vision: value adding to services to make a difference
Diagram: value added services and products can benefit customers, businesses and stakeholders
Vision: social business enterprise
This social business enterprise through its Discover Special Value website project has an ambitious and achievable Vision to build on the development already undertaken. This will mean there are more opportunities for making a difference and for giving back to and supporting persons, businesses, employees and communities in need.
A diverse range of private sector and public/community sector services will be available from the website if this project can develop further with more participation. The more opportunities for creating and adding value to services and more opportunities to generate tangible benefits to meet important needs and outcomes will be available. This is how the shared value system can work.
These systems can now be used by businesses from both sectors to make a difference and for giving back. They can add more value to their business services they list on the website by using special website features so they can deliver more benefits to their customers with each transaction. They can provide benefits to stakeholders as well such as donations.
Vision: making a difference and giving back
As outlined, the website brings together customers, businesses and stakeholders to gain benefits or to make a difference and give back. The website systems help them deliver more benefits and resources for this purpose.
Vision: promoting doing good
Stakeholders: distribution services
With the further proposed development the website will highlight and acknowledge important efforts that have been made for making a difference and giving back– there are many ‘doing good’ news stories!
Therefore, it will;
- promote the value added services, value added products and their benefits;
- highlight stakeholder events, causes, programs and achievements;
- feature the people, businesses, employees, stakeholders and others involved in adding value, making a difference and giving back;
- feature new initiatives and innovation that will be beneficial; and
- feature the potential benefits and positive impacts.
Using the website - registration
Businesses and stakeholders can now include their commercial services or non-commercial services on the website.
Example: Business member account dashboard
Development stage
The website is developed to an operational stage. It now requires further contributions, collaboration and development to fully deliver on the the vision.
How it works
.JPG)
Adding value to business services to make a difference and give back
When businesses list their business services they can add value to them or highlight their existing value to start the process of making a difference and giving back. Special value features make this possible.
Value added services make a difference for customers
These value added services can create more benefits for businesses to pass onto their customers with each sale. Creating more value can deliver more benefits for customers! For example, businesses can add an extra service or item, more quality to services, savings, customise their services, add free services, or add other benefits.
Adding value to sales or purchases: adding value to develop new products for customers
Creating new value added lavender products, Tasmania
Make a difference and give back to stakeholders
Value added services can also deliver important financial and other benefits for stakeholders. A business can make a donation to a program as part of a sale process (eg; the Save the Tasmanian Devil program).
Giving back with each transaction: support community causes
With each transaction make a difference and give back
By using the website’s special value features businesses can deliver value added services each time to their customers or to stakeholders or both. Customers can also use these features to pass on benefits to stakeholders as well if they choose as part of a sale or at some other time.
Giving back: support community activities: coastal rehabilitation
Collaboration for delivering more benefits
This project is by its nature a collaboarative type of project (shared value system). It will work more effectively if more people, businesses and stakeholders become involved. This is because everyone involved can collectively make a big difference by generating more benefits to be available!
A variety of businesses and stakeholders have expressed interest in being registered on the website and others are intending to register shortly. This includes important local and national stakeholders and businesses from diverse sectors. There are common industry issues and challenges for their interest and participation.
Therefore, it is important for many;
- businesses from both sectors to be encouraged to list their services;
- employees to be involved;
- potential customers to be involved; and
- stakeholders to be involved (including stakeholder volunteers).
Contribution and investment
This project is an exciting opportunity for people, businesses and organisations to become involved, collaborate and contribute.
It is an opportunity to contribute to a systematic way to help important causes and projects in your community and business environment. Each contribution will become an investment in the project outcomes and will be helping to do more long term good.
This will help support local businesses, people in need, building more community capability and more resilience when this is needed, for example, in times of natural disasters.
Therefore, please provide your support and your enthusiasm to help make this happen! It is an opportunity for you or your business or organisation to make a difference and will be acknowledged!
Further development
Further development: stakeholder resources
(a) Stage 1: Website development - promotional features and services
The website will be further developed to;
- feature and actively promote the important contributions of businesses, employees, stakeholders, volunteers and others in adding value, making a difference and giving back;
- actively promote the value added services, value added products and their benefits;
- highlight stakeholder events, causes, programs and achievements;
- feature new initiatives and innovation that will be beneficial;
- feature areas where more resources are required; and
- feature the potential benefits and positive social and community impacts achieved.
(b) Stage 2: Development of micropayments feature
To make it possible for regular financial contributions to be provided to stakeholders it is proposed to develop a micropayments system that integrates with the existing online services. This will be a process for routine small deductions to be made in relation to every completed payment for business services.
Payments deductions and benefits
The payments system will deduct a small amount selected by a business from each completed sale of their business services. The amount selected by them to be deducted will be above a minimum amount that applies. These small payments will be forwarded to stakeholders for them to use for their important needs in the services areas mentioned.
Development of system
Further development work is needed to;
- integrate the current Braintree financial system further with existing online services; and
- incorporate the proposed micro payments system.
Businesses and customers use of system to do good
Further integration of the financial system with a micropayments system will mean businesses will then provide financial payments to stakeholders every time they complete a sale. Also, to add to the number of micro payments customers will also be able to make micro payments when they complete transactions as well - more contributions for 'doing good'!
Project management
The business, Discover Value, is a business based in Hobart, Tasmania. It is developing and managing this project as a social business enterprise. As a social business enterprise it has both commercial and social/community business purposes. Its objectives are set out in the Vision and the project.
A key objective of the business is to continue developing systems that generate financial and other resources for the social/community sector stakeholders to use for their services. As the project manager it co-ordinates the skills and expertise this project needs as a full time commitment of the business.
As the business develops as a social business enterprise it is necessary to further develop its business structure. In addition, as this project is developing as it moves to further stages other resources, involvement and collaboration is sought. For further information, please contact us here.
Project background and scope
Research for this innovative project commenced approximately 2 years ago followed by modelling, analysis and testing. During this period different forms of feedback, testing, review and validation have been obtained for the different stages.
The business has funded development work which commenced from late 2012. Further feedback, testing, review and validation has occurred during this period from potential customers, businesses and stakeholders (local and national).
Project manager
Michael Bartlett
Background experience and skills
- legal practitioner experience: private and public sector legal roles;
- small business ownership and qualifications;
- risk management; previous national director and secretary of rmia; a national risk management member based organisation;
- relevant industry knowledge and expertise includes: legal, risk management and governance; corporate information systems; enterprise wide software management systems; software project management; information management technology; intellectual property; corporate social responsibilities (eg; theory; practice; measurement); social business enterprise knowledge; social enterprise information management systems and measurement; experience in public sector including extensive experience with stakeholders; detailed working knowledge of (international and national) customer, business and technical trends in the online and offline small business sectors in local, national and international markets.
Further Project Information
Find out more about;