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Recognised Experience

Melia Business Solutions is a consultancy working with community-led,

co-operative and social enterprises in the UK, offering specialist advice on funding, governance and business development across a wide range of sectors.

We are approved providers for the following organisations and programmes. Please contact us if you would like more information on them.

Who We Are

Helen Melia has been running and advising community businesses since 2008. With extensive knowledge of the field, she offers confident and expert guidance to both start-up and existing businesses, guiding them through the challenges they face.

Helen has worked professionally with many community and social enterprises in a wide range of sectors, assisting some outstandingly successful start-ups and helping regenerate older businesses needing a refresh. In her spare time she has set up and worked on the management team of an award-winning enterprise for many years, giving her invaluable hands-on experience and insight.

With a particular interest in community shares, she offers in-depth knowledge of community investment and is fully licensed by the Community Shares Unit to award the Standard Mark to share offers that meet national standards of good practice.

Helen has authored several e-books on facets of community enterprise and raising funds. She also created the copy for the Community Shares Unit’s online Step By Step tool, a resource designed to help people decide whether they are ready to raise investment through community shares.

Helen also works with other expert advisers through her role as an associate of Fresh Management Solutions and its Big Potential team. With complimentary skillsets they can fulfil the full range of start-up support and training needs, from achieving investment readiness to the successful development of an organisation’s management and financial capabilities.

Why Community Shares?

Community shares have proved to be a powerful way for people to take control of the things that really matter to them – from starting new community enterprises to saving vital assets in their local area like shops, pubs and libraries, the valuable institutions which bring and hold communities together and make them resilient, strong, supportive and inclusive.

WhoWeAre

SuccessStories

WhatWeDo

What We Do

The idea

The pre-feasibility stage is tricky but crucial. Will your idea fly? How do you shape your idea into a vision that will attract others? Has it been done before? What outcomes are you looking for? We can help you structure your vision and communicate it well.

The people

Who do you need to help you set up the business? How will they work together? How will you engage with the community? How do you choose and set up a legal structure? We can guide you through the whole process.

The plan

From action plan to fully fledged business plan – it can at times seem a daunting prospect. We can help you with every step of the planning process, to create a finished article that can attract the finance and the people you need.

The money

Your planning has shown you what money you need. Where will you find it? From whom? With comprehensive advice on grant-funding, social investment and community shares, we can give you the hands-on support you need to reach your target.

The business

How can the business be shaped to be sustainable and viable? How can you achieve the outcomes you want? What does success look like? We can give guidance at the outset and help with problem-solving along the way!