In 2009 I won a social entrepreneur competition through the school of social entrepreneurs and got to meet Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street. It was a wonderful feeling to know people thought I was part of team that could actually make a difference.
This is me outside 10 Downing street.
This was our winning team
Anyone can be a social entrepreneur and they can be self employed, work in charities, companies, and various other business models....OR JUST MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD BY BEING KIND!
I was an "official" social entrepreneur as an employee for many years, I developed enterprises. That was my paid job. However when I got made redundant I decided I wanted to do it as an individual. I did a year study in the school of social entrepeneurs and learnt alot but my belief is that it has to start with kindness. You can be rich in many ways.
I am heavily into developing people and believe this creates a more entrepreneurial world and I also believe being an social entrepreneur is not just about making money, although that is what is imprinted in our paradigms.
It is about making a difference no matter how small.
The butterfly effect that causes big waves.
Over to you. What does being a social entrepreneur mean to you?
"imprinted in our paradigms" - perfectly stated. I'm longing for a paradigm change though, don't you? :)
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I am a law of attraction practitioner...it's in my mission to know my paradigms. It's very exciting. :-)
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I get you ;)
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Unfortunately, social entrepreneur seems to be a contradiction in most cases. Being a entrepreneur includes maximising profits, which usually leads to unsocial behaviour as a result. Social responsible behaviour is often seen as a weakness, since it reduces priofitability.
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Yes I can see your point and being more socially acceptable in approach means being less ruthless and can decrease profits. I get that. However reputation can help develop a long term credible strategy. Anita Rodderick is a classic example made huge profit through her charitable aims. Founder of body shop)
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Well, this is a complex subject with many facettes to observe. Of course, social awareness in business conduct can also be a positive asset, regarding productivity, marketing, sustainability and so on. And, btw, the idea is not new and has proven to be successful in the past. Henry Ford is perhaps a outstanding example for this (even if some of his action appears archaic from our perspective).
I guess it is a concept that works best in a business that is run by one strong person, or a small group of equally minded people. But thats not how most bigger businesses are led nowadays. Mostly, the executives have no personal connection to the company. Their goals are maximal profit to satisfy the share holders and to secure their astronomical bonuses. If they can do this for a few years, they can retire on a tropical island for the rest of their life. So why should they worry about the companies reputation, sustainability of the business model, the work moral of the staff and similar things?
The fundamental flaw lies in the system, that is seen as "modern economics" today. I find it admirable when people (like you) try to take a different approach. However, should you ever apply for a executive position in a corporation like Monsanto or Subway's, you better not tell them about your social entrpreneur award. :)
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I really get what your saying here which is why I work for myself haha! Henry Ford yes...I get that but he also supported hitler in the early days and that sort of sets the scene I suppose although I don't think he was aware of what was going to happen afterwards! Social entrepreneurs exist in the bigger picture with their corporate social responsibilities but is it mindset dodging taxes? You could argue it doesn't matter as long as the money is generated but it does if we want to make longer term moral and social investments for future generations.
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Yes, I know Ford sympathized with the national socialist society model. It had, at the core, a social oriented foundation aiming to improve conditions for the working class people. Same as the communist socialism model of Marx and Engels. The way those ideal were perverted later is a different, sad story.
One good example for the modern mind set of the conventional type of entrepreneurs is the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The entire leadership of VW knew (even if they deny it now) that they were commiting fraud, on their customers as well as the authorities. And that there was a great propability that it would be discovered sooner or later. And yet, they could not resist to rake in the profits from this fraud. That those profits have been eaten up by multi billion fines and compensations VW had to pay, is not the problem of those who are responsible for the mess. They got fired - after receiving millions of wages and bonuses for their "good work".
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I love your discussions. I'm popping out soon but will come back to this later!
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I'm sorry, I get carried away a bit sometimes... :)
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Dont appologise it's great. I have conversations like this all the time with my son. Everyone else rolls their eyes haha!
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Umm, develop and implement solutions to problems that effect the people? So could be environmental, cultural, and anything for the good of the people imo. Some scope in this area for sure!
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Yes anything. Society can be very quick to box people up lets make money anyway we can and donate a few quid. A rich society is about all the above and more. :-)
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Entrepreneur often defines as one that invests by an opportunity he sees fit. Since our world is driven on a profit wise market, money is often the motivator and thought behind it. A social entrepreneur would be seen in these morals as one with a financial gain. By its definition self it could be seen as one that gains by the means of improvement.
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Yes that's the perspective I get. If every businessman/ woman had a social responsibility and truly wanted to make a change, how rich would the world be, socially finacialy and morally.
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I love this!
Well, to me social entrepreneurship means giving business a meaning that goes beyond the individual profit and use its principles to make the world a better place. It's the most sustainable way to create real change in the world and solve the problems of humanity.
But I love how you extend the concept to every act of kindness people do in their everyday life. It definitely begins there :)
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Thanks for your comments....glad you feel the same! :-)
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