Project Brief
Project Brief
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Beehive Industries Cooperative’s SWOT Analysis
Strengths
A strongly diversified service portfolio covering a broad range of services, including social procurement, packaging and assembly, mailhouse services, online fulfilment, sample packing and distribution, and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) services (Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited, 2019a).
The capacity to leverage positive social procurement trends towards realising a greater social impact.
The ability to offer low-cost meals for seniors’ programme for assisting senior citizens supported by the company to raise their awareness about healthy and nutritious meals.
The availability of strong partnerships, supporter initiatives, and volunteer opportunities that support the social enterprise with social procurement contracts and maintaining growing, prosperous, and successful relationships with suppliers.
Positive branding for the social enterprise and its social procurement services, causing a win-win impact for all stakeholders.
A well-established social media framework for connecting with people and a digital inclusion programme that includes training sessions relating to employment readiness. Weaknesses
The disjointedness of the social procurement sector characterised by many small social enterprises offering services that generate different social impacts on the elderly, persons with disabilities, indigenous business enterprises, and refugees, among others.
The absence of marketing professionals in this social enterprise, making it difficult to articulate the marketing and branding message effectively.
Uncertainties surrounding outsourcing social procurement to the not-for-profit social enterprise, with fear and perceived risks being on whether or not it will do the job well and punctually.
Opportunities
Expansion of partnerships, sponsorships, and volunteer programmes to enrich its integrated social support experiences.
Possibilities of leveraging social media platforms to run advocacy campaigns for supporting the health and social wellbeing of people while championing the support of senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and disenfranchised individuals.
Prospects of tapping national Australian wellness programmes and resources for support service enhancement as the CEO of Beehive, Brendan Lonergan suggests (Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited, 2019b).
Prospects of augmented adoption of digital technologies in all operations. Threats
Limitations of online donations and non-monetary donations.
The constant need for raising awareness about social procurement, which requires constant resource injections.
Potential risks of losing experienced social procurement personnel.
Key Business Issues Arising from the SWOT
This SWOT analysis shows Beehive Industries Co-operative as well-prepared to leverage its services and wellness programmes reflected in its strengths to offer exceptional services to the society’s less privileged. This aligns with its mission which entails tackling loneliness and social isolation encountered by senior citizens in Sydney, persons living with disabilities, and long-term unemployed individuals (Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited, 2019c). The firm’s strengths also indicate the social enterprise’s capacity to foster self-worth and identity for such individuals, support their mental, physical, and social well-being, and offer them a sense of purpose.
Even so, some issues emanate from this SWOT analysis. The first is that some clients may distrust the capacity of this social enterprise to be punctual and effective in doing social procurement work. Another issue is the potential insufficiency of donations to facilitate Beehive’s efforts to support marginalised individuals. The third issue is that the social enterprise lacks marketing professionals, which makes effective marketing message articulation a challenge. The last issue is that despite having resource constraints for reliance on donations, Beehive must constantly inject resources to raise social procurement awareness.
The Assumptions Being Made
Three principal assumptions are being made when presenting this SWOT analysis. Firstly, there are other competing social enterprises in Sydney offering standardised and high-value social procurement services, which can deal a blow to Beehive’s competitive pricing. Secondly, the firm’s weaknesses and threats can help determine which strategies can reduce negative impacts on service delivery. Lastly, the firm’s opportunities can guide Beehive in designing strategies meant for maintaining its business growth and sustainability.
ReferencesBeehive Industries Co-operative Limited. (2019a). Business services. Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited. Retrieved May 10, 2020, from https://www.beehiveindustries.com.au/business-services.
Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited. (2019b). Social procurement. Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited. Retrieved May 10, 2020, from https://www.beehiveindustries.com.au/social-procurement
Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited. (2019c). Our story. Beehive Industries Co-operative Limited. Retrieved May 10, 2020, from https://www.beehiveindustries.com.au/our-story
