Social Entrepreneurship

As a buzz phrase, social entrepreneurship is certainly not new, but is becoming increasingly more popular.  While governments and NGOs alike often strive to deliver the best they can to people, it is often found that better, more inclusive results happen from social entrepreneurs.

Social entrepreneurs (SE or SEs) are otherwise average citizens that recognize economic or social community needs and develop a strategy for addressing these needs. Schwabfound.org is an excellent resource to what an SE looks like.  A well-known example is Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus who developed Grameen Bank as a bank for the poor.  He saw a need and addressed that need while developing a sustainable income for his firm.  And this is the core of SE: originating a business model that develops great community benefit while providing income for the business and its stakeholders.

In recent years, as we near a truer global economy and community, the growth of SEs has exploded.  (It is understood that while most SE firms are legitimate, other SE firms are not; and, unfortunately, this reality is likely to always exist.)  More and more global citizens are taking responsibility to develop products or services that address social and/or economic problems.  While major corporations are, more and more, engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it is the individual that is developing new approaches to time-worn problems.

SEs are innovators.  They ask relevant questions, such as: Why is there mass poverty in Africa, and what can I do about it?  How is it possible that so many people have no, or limited, access to water, and what can I do about it?  Why is it still acceptable in today’s age that women are still not globally afforded equal rights, and what can I do about it?

These are simple questions whose answers resonate deep sociologic, economic, political, etc., reasons for being.  But there are answers and solutions!  The social and economic answers that beset the world can be addressed by us, the global citizens.  Our desire at Delivering Your Best it not to change the world.  Rather, our desire is to empower individual people through inspiration, motivation, and education that allows them to ‘deliver their best’ in and to their communities.

How do I Become a Social Entrepreneur?

          Becoming an SE is not difficult.  Address a social impact, develop an innovative approach that is sustainable and meets your goals.  Understand, SE are business people.  You are running a company that is either for-profit or non-profit, but is principally-centered around accomplishing its mission and vision.

          Being a successful entrepreneur is hard work.  Being a successful social entrepreneur is even harder.  Not only does your firm need to maintain enough revenue to repay its obligations and stakeholders, it must resolve a model that has enough revenue to adequately address its social impact.

          Read through the website at Schwabfound.org to see some characteristics of an SE.  (This is not an explicit endorsement of this firm.  Rather, we believe they have information that presents a good start for someone looking into SE.  If you believe there are better, more informative sites, please let us know.)

          Larger firms have entire departments and divisions addressing their CSR.  As an entrepreneur, it’s usually you (and often your family) and a few others.  Don’t let this reality set you back.  Greatness is developed in the suffering and sacrifice found on the road to success.

 Being a successful SE is hard and most people don’t have the fortitude to continue the march.  That said, if you recognize that you may not be an ‘entrepreneurial-type,’ then find a way to get involved with a cause that addresses your social impact needs and desires.

I want to make a difference

Remember, there are social problems in each of our local communities that are in desperate need of address.  You do not have to reach out to another continent to make a difference.  Often, the difference you seek to make can be found in your own neighborhood or community.  Being a successful SE does not have to have a global reach, it can literally be in your own ‘backyard.’

Making a difference in other people’s lives is a rewarding and just cause in its own right.  Being willing to make that difference and then acting on that desire is what sets us apart from those who only talk about the problem.

Action is needed in all corners of the globe.  Social good is not a political narrative, and if we are going to make a difference we will need people from all walks of life to contribute.

A final thought on ‘making a difference’ is that if you can positively influence one person, who will then positively influence one person, and so on, you can change the world! 

       

Follow-up Action Item

          Determine your strengths and weaknesses.  Reflect on those items that you are passionate about and get educated about them.  If you find there are firms addressing your desired niche, get involved.  If you find there is a void in this segment, get creative!

Takeaway

          SEs are the future of our global way of life.  While they can never answer the political questions, we can as individuals get governments to look at pressing social impact issues through a different, or improved, lens of thought.

Delivering Your Best