Social Entrepreneur
Candlefocus EditorAt the core of any successful social enterprise is a passionate idea that arises from the needs of a specific community or population. Social entrepreneurs use existing resources – both human and financial – with innovative methods to develop and launch products and services that can improve the quality of life of their target demographic.
Four Key Types of Social Entrepreneurs
To explain this concept, it is helpful to explore four primary types of social entrepreneurship.
Community Social Entrepreneurs: These individuals focus on supporting and building a strong community. For example, a social entrepreneur might launch a business that teaches job skills to at-risk youth.
Non-Profit Social Entrepreneurs: Non-profit social entrepreneurs develop and implement strategies to get new donors or volunteers. These individuals may focus on getting the public to donate to their particular cause.
Transformational Social Entrepreneurs: This type of entrepreneur focuses on creating small-scale, localized initiatives that facilitate positive change in a specific community.
Global Social Entrepreneurs: Global social entrepreneurs focus on resolving global issues. This type of entrepreneur typically has a global perspective and seeks to create an efficient roadmap on how to solve widespread issues like poverty, climate change, and food insecurity.
The 6 P’s of Launching An Idea
Once social entrepreneurs have identified an area in need of improvement, they must determine the best way to solve the problem. To help frame the problem and solution, many social entrepreneurs use the “6 P’s of Launching an Idea” framework which includes the following steps:
People: Define the target audience.
Problem: Identify the problem you want to solve.
Plan: Create a plan to solve the problem.
Prioritize: Determine what needs to be done first.
Prototype: Develop an idea or prototype.
Pursue: Turn the ideas and plans into tangible results.
The Benefit of Social Entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurs provide society with a unique way to take control of and develop solutions to social problems. Through ingenuity and hard work, social entrepreneurs are able to find innovative solutions to issues and create positive change.
In addition, social entrepreneurship can be incredibly rewarding for entrepreneurs. These individuals are driven by their passion and the ability to make a difference and often don’t seek the same profits and rewards that traditional entrepreneurs seek. This can provide an entirely different sense of fulfillment that more traditional businesses may not be able to provide.
Social entrepreneurship is a growing community that provides opportunities for both entrepreneurs and society at large. Through their creativity and drive, social entrepreneurs are able to solve social issues, develop strong communities, and make a positive difference in the world.