www.a-community-connection.com
Business plan
This is a business plan of A Community Connection. It consists of a description of the concept and how we want to manage and develop the concept.
Table of content
Contact information
Presentation
Concept Core
Financing the centres
The market
Marketing
Form of organization
Budget
The development of A Community Connection
Contact information
Siri Ekbom – project manager
Kaptensv. 8
132 46 Saltsjö-Boo
Sweden
e-mail: siri@kaospilot.se
Phone: +91 99307 80859
www.a-community-connection.com
www.kaospilot.se
Per Winroth – technical manager
St Knutsv. 3
214 33 Malmö
Sweden
e-mail: pelle@kaospilot.se
Phone: +91 99879 50390
www.a-community-connection.com
www.kaospilot.se
This is who we are and what we do
A Community Connection is project founded by us, Siri Ekbom and Pelle Winroth during our education at the Swedish creative management school “The Kaospilots”.
We have made a concept of how to educate the computer illiterate for free and make them a part of the global community and let them take part of the benefits that globalization brings through opening free internet centers and offer education in internet and computer use in slum areas around India and other developing countries.
The first step towards realizing our plan is opening up one of these centers in Dharavi, Mumbai.
A community connection brings five computers with internet connection in to a remote area of the Mumbai city. We educate the inhabitants in how to use the computers and connect them with global world.
Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai where explosive people, innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirits are witnessed every day. Innovation, creativity and brightness are a natural part of everyday life, but the work and productivity of the Dharavi inhabitants are only seen in their own community and seldom reach the global market. So what could change this situation?
Knowledge on how to work with technology and social media in a beneficial way.
What if education in those areas was for free, was thought in your own pace and driven by curiosity?
How far would you go?
How much would you learn?
How could it change your life?
We will educate the computer illiterate and make them a part of the global community and let them take part of the benefits that globalization brings.
Knowledge makes people free and open for development. Knowledge adds fuel to explosive people, innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirits. Mumbai is a city which breaths creativity, innovation and freedom. Now is the time to act and make their ideas profitable.
How will we do this?
As a pilot project Dharavi will be the place where we wish to educate the locals how to use the internet in a beneficial way. We will open an Internet centre consisting of five computers. The aim is free access to the computers 24 hours a day 365 days a year. On the computers there are education software installed on how to operate the computers and how to use internet.
This is what we want to achive:
The main goal of this project is to connect this community with a microfinance solution where the computer centre becomes sustainable and a natural part of everyday business life in the community area.
Concept Core
Knowledge makes people free and open for development. A Community Connection will educate the computer illiterate for free and make them a part of the global community and let them take part of the benefits that globalization brings.
The education centre will be a meeting point where the locals learn how to use the internet in a beneficial way through educational software programs and workshops. The main focus is learning by doing. For us theory and practice are two things you can not separate, they go hand in hand. Therefore a mix between learning by doing and facilitated education with relevant information and inspiration is implemented in the learning process.
The main goal of this project is to connect this community with a microfinance solution where the computer centre becomes sustainable and a natural part of everyday business life in the community area.
How to make ends meet – financing the centres.
A Community Connection will be a non-profit organization which main activity will be starting up and managing internet centres across India and the globe.
There are two ways of how we will finance the centres
1. Through the microfinance solution (see below)
2. Sponsor deals through international companies and private persons (see below).
Financing through microfinance
The local entrepreneur in Dharavi will write a business plan which will be presented on the internet. Possible financers have the opportunity to invest in the projects they find interesting. The transactions will go through A Community Connection, who will use the profit made from interest to fund their activities.
Financing through sponsors
Several packages will be offered to companies and private persons regarding sponsorship of A Community Connection. The packages come in different varieties were the sponsors can choose for how long time and how they would like to sponsor the organization. A sponsor can choose to finance the purchase of a computer or purchase of the internet service to a centre.
What will the sponsors gain?
The sponsors will be making a visible difference in a society where poverty and educational difficulties exist. They will be a major factor for making the world more equal regarding education and possibilities for fulfilling dreams. The sponsors will be mentioned on the webpage and get updates in newsletters of what is going on in the centres.
How to stand out from the crowd – getting ahead on the market.
There are 3 things that make this project stand out from other internet cafes or education centres:
1. Using the product is for free and easily accessible for its users.
2. The centres offer at-your-own-pace learning by doing mixed with facilitated education.
3. The concept makes a difference in the world and peoples lives – both locally and globally.
Marketing of A Community Connection
Internet will be our main marketing channel. A Homepage with information, offers and projects will be created. We are in dialogue with Piratebay.org about getting free market space on their webpage which reaches 140 millions users every day.
Flyers will be produced to draw attention towards the centre among the locals of Dharavi.
An Exhibition 3-8 of june 2008 in Malmoe, Sweden will present A Community Connection for its visitors and potential sponsors.
Form of organization
The organization will be an economic association. The board will be seated in Mumbai, India and will consist of members from all over the globe.
Budget
Capital budget
|
Item |
Price |
Amount |
Total (rupees) |
|
Computer |
11560 |
5 |
57800 |
|
Internet |
15000 |
5 |
75000 |
|
Furniture |
10000 |
|
10000 |
|
Software |
2200 |
|
2200 |
Total start up budget: 145 000 rupees
Maintenance
From 01.05.2008 to 01.05.2009
|
Item |
Price |
Amount |
Total/year |
|
Computer |
|
|
4000 |
|
Human resources |
5000/month |
|
60 000 |
|
Electricity |
1000/month |
|
12 000 |
|
Internet |
7000/month |
|
84 000 |
Total maintenance: 160 000 rupees
Total budget: 305 000 rupees
The development of A Community Connection
We will start up in Dharavi with a pilot project where we try out, experiment and develop the best concept possible in real world for A Community Connections users and investors. After having seen a proven concept we will broaden our view and open up more centres in other places and parts of the world. However we will always continue to challenge ourselves, think creatively and try new things in order to get A Community Connections concept as great as possible.
This is the first steps on a long journey that has just begun…
1 comment
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June 18, 2009 at 7:52 am
Tanu
Very interesting, but would be nice if you update on what happened post installation…