Hello,

My definition of a business model is at the following link:

http://www.opensourceteaching.org/images/BusinessModelOST.doc

Art

Hi Art,

 

Thanks for your business model - it looks really good, and I think you're just about done. I had just one question about your expenses: You've only budgeted for one full-time staff, an operations manager. I'm wondering if that will be enough - are you the operations manager? Who is the president/CEO - is that someone on the board? It seems like you have the budget for more personnel and overhead expenses, and I just want to make sure this accurately reflects your true expenses.

 

Otherwise, though, this is a really impressive exercise, like your other two - thank you! I'll be reviewing applications through the weekend, so feel free to post an update if you want.

 

Best,

Katharine

 

 

Hello Katharine,

 

Thanks again for the feedback, it is very encouraging.

 

In regards to our operations, conveying the exceedingly high
level of efficiency within our project comes as a pleasant surprise in our
discussions with interested stakeholders and cities.

 

Our city partnerships generally require an allocation of $20,000
in part-time project management hours. As an organization our work is centered
on project facilitation and project management and is the financial structure
in which our existing pilot is successfully implemented.

 

The current project manager is the President of our
organization, receiving a compensation package based on this part-time project
management model. Three other independent contractors, including myself,
balance a sum total of project management responsibilities.

The goal is to
continue to scale a similar type of project management structure by recruiting,
mentoring, and training very talented graduate students in respective future partnership cities (most likely studying business management, etc.). The
stakeholders within our partnerships actually perform most of the “on the
ground work”, based on project management plans that we craft, facilitate, and
follow-through on collectively.

 

Our goal, without question, is to continue to acquire
additional city partnerships. This will require more project management staff.
However, each citywide partnership, does not require more then $20,000 to
$30,000 in operational management oversight from our behalf.

As a start-up
organization, our goal within the next 12 to 18 months, is to be in a financial
position to hire one full-time equivalent project manager who will coordinate
these efforts across multiple cities (hopefully 2 new cities).

 

This initiative began as a collaborative of five full-time
working professionals serving as part-time volunteers. Our initial operations
strategies developed under the assumption that our start-up development
would require a volunteer operations framework. To our pleasant surprise, we
have been able to generate revenue that allows this structure to comfortably
transition towards a compensated model, based on part-time project management
hours among a collective team.

We anticipate a business structure with a recurring
positive fund balance, that will be used to explore other program offerings
directly related to our mission. Our desire is to stay organizationally lean, efficient, and
transformationally effective.

I would be happy to add this additional clarification within
the exercise and also detail our current operational structure.

 

What do you advise?

 

 

Thanks again for the feedback.

 

Art

Hi Art,

That's incredible! Truly amazing work, and I'm sure the decision committee will want to know more about how you have accomplished such efficiency. Two things - it looks, based on my calculations from your exercise, that you have more than enough funds to hire an FTE now, so that might be something you are prepared to discuss if asked. Also, you may just want to make a quick note about how you operate with a very small staff and overhead - I think the only way for you to really explain this would be in a conversation.

So, great stuff - it has been really fun to learn about your organization! Feel free to post an update that includes that small comment, and then I think you will done.

Best,
Katharine

Hello Katharine,

 

I have benefited greatly from this exercise and have enjoyed reviewing your comments. Each has helped to facilitate greater clarification about the exciting work in which my team is involved.

I have posted an update that also provides a one-page summary of our operations framework to compliment the diagram.

 

http://www.opensourceteaching.org/images/BusinessModelOSTUpdate.doc

 

Should any additional changes or edits be required just let me know.

Best Regards,

 

Art

Thanks, Art. This looks great. I think you are done.

You will be contacted by the main GSBI office about next steps shortly. Would you mind emailing your email address to GSBI2008@scu.edu, so they can reach you that way?

 

It has been a pleasure to learn about your organization and work with you through this process. All the best to you.

 

Katharine