Governance & Finance
Run with honesty.
No shareholders. No salaries. Two people who believe Stroud deserves a better business network. A simple promise: everything that comes in goes back into the community.
Who's behind this
Two people.
No agenda.
SBIN was founded by Derrick Lakin-Smith and Louise Jensen. Not a corporate body. Not a funded organisation. Two people from Stroud who believed the town deserved a better business network, and decided to build it rather than wait for someone else to.
We run SBIN in our spare time, alongside our own work and commitments. That's not something we're apologising for. It's a deliberate choice. We'd rather build something real and close-to-the-ground than wait until we have the budget to run it at arm's length. When you come to an SBIN event, we'll be there.
Neither of us takes a salary or a fee for what we do here. We invest our time because we believe in what Stroud's business community can become.
Our structure
No legal entity.
No hidden interests.
SBIN doesn't currently operate as a formal legal entity. We're transparent about that. It's a community project run by two individuals who have invested their time, energy and belief into making it work.
As the network grows, we're actively considering formalising, most likely as a Community Interest Company (CIC), a structure designed specifically for organisations that exist to benefit a community rather than generate profit. This would give members formal governance rights and make our finances even more visible.
In the meantime, one thing is fixed: nothing about SBIN exists to benefit us financially. There are no shareholder interests, no profit motive, and no hidden beneficiaries. If money comes in beyond what it costs to run things, it goes back into the network. That's the deal, and it isn't going to change.
Your membership fee
A fair rate.
Every penny visible.
We charge a membership fee because running a proper network has real costs. We keep it deliberately accessible, not exclusive. The goal is sustainability, not profit.
What costs are covered
- Venue hire for events
- Quality speakers and facilitators
- The platform powering this site and the member area
- Event organisation, communications and admin
- Member materials and resources
Any surplus beyond what it takes to run things well gets reinvested directly into the network:
- More ambitious events and programming
- Higher-quality speakers and external facilitators
- Bursaries for members who'd benefit but find the fee a stretch
- The long-term infrastructure of a network built to last
How to support us
Want to invest in something real?
If SBIN has given you real value and you want to give something back, or if you're a local business, organisation or individual who believes in what Stroud's entrepreneurial scene could become, we'd welcome your support.
This isn't a charity ask. It's an invitation to invest in the infrastructure of a business community that belongs to everyone in it. Donations, sponsorships and in-kind contributions all go directly into building a better network: bigger events, better speakers, and support for members who'd benefit from being here but find the fee a stretch.
The people who help build SBIN shape what it becomes. If that's you, we'd love to talk.
Questions about how SBIN operates?