1|Page Contents: 1. Executive Summary 2. Business Development 3. Vision, Aims & Objectives 4. Practical Applications 5. Business Structure and Management 6. Building & Renovations 7. Marketing Plan 8. Operational Management 9. Finance 2|Page 1 Executive Summary The Spotted Cow community project has developed strongly since 2017 when it started out as much in hope as expectation. Rescuing The Spotted Cow from property developers and creating a community hub was a phenomenal achievement, all the more remarkable given the lack of experience among the Society’s Steering Committee in such a project and given the severe time pressures. This Business Plan, issued by the Management Committee of Holbrook Community Society (the Committee) confirms that the Society’s original aims and values remain intact and that we continue to develop our modus operandi to ensure the future development and viability of The Spotted Cow. The Society has, to date, survived the ravages of the Covid pandemic extremely well and the aims of this plan are:  To give confidence to future investors and grant funders  To reassure existing investors that their investment is being properly utilised  To provide the Committee with a foundation against which all their decisions are made  To stimulate actions which further develop business profitability November 2021 3|Page 2. Business Development Our Origins Holbrook is a pretty hilltop village close to the edge of the Peak District National Park with lovely views over the Derbyshire countryside. Holbrook is ideal for exploring the Derbyshire area and is situated close to Belper in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Holbrook’s village history can be traced back to Roman times but also has an industrial past: it has a heritage of stocking manufacture and there are examples of stocking framework cottages in the village, one being a listed building accessed through The Spotted Cow car park. The pub, café and post office are housed in a building which dates back to 1604; it stands in the centre of the conservation area of Holbrook. The Spotted Cow was first listed as an ale house in the 1861 census, then owned by James Sheldon, described as a “beer retailer and carpenter”, back when people ran a pub and had a job! The pub has been a focal point for village life for over 150 years. The pub was closed by the Amber Valley Borough Council in 2014 and bought by a property developer in February 2016. In August of that year a planning application was submitted to convert the pub into a residential dwelling. Local residents fought the planning application with a proposal to take the pub into community ownership. The refusal of the planning application in November 2016 gave the community a chance to bid on the pub and to safeguard its future. The Purchase and Re-opening The Spotted Cow was listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) in August 2016. The result of public consultation was overwhelmingly positive giving the Steering Committee a mandate to try to create a community facility owned by the village, run for the good of the village and providing support to the whole community. The pub was bought in April 2017 and over the following three months extensively renovated fit for opening. This was financed by a combination of investments from individuals and institutional investments and loans. The local community did not only support the project financially; volunteers reduced the renovation costs enormously by spending very many hours painting, building, gardening and cleaning. The pub re-opened in July 2017. Simultaneously, a newly created café opened and the village post office followed in August 2018, completing the originally conceived village hub. 4|Page The Local Community The most recent published census results are from 2011. Salient figures for Holbrook include:Total resident population: 1,538 Total number of households: 651 46% of households are deprived in at least one dimension (economic, social, environmental etc), less than the national average of 57%, but still a significant proportion. 28% of the population is aged over 65. Holbrook village is made up of three distinct areas. Holbrook and Holbrook Moor were once were separate villages about a quarter of a mile apart. In the 1960s the Moorfield Road estate was built, filling the gap between Holbrook and Holbrook Moor. There is another pub (two until 2020) and the village shop in the Holbrook Moor area, accessed from the old vil