Have you ever heard of social entrepreneurship?
This process is valuable because it allows you to use common practices in the corporate world, such as creativity and innovation, to impact society, helping to solve problems related to health, employment, education, environment, housing, human rights, among other issues.
If you want to know more about what it is, what are the characteristics and pillars of this form of entrepreneurship, keep reading the article! In addition, we also bring some examples and books for you to delve deeper.
What is social entrepreneurship
O social entrepreneurship it is a form of entrepreneurship that seeks to develop products and services that impact society, helping to solve the problems faced by it.
In other words, the social entrepreneurs seek to transform a reality using common techniques in the corporate world, such as management, creativity and innovation.
This model gains strength in scenarios of economic, social and environmental crisis. In these contexts, the social entrepreneurship helps to resolve situations related to health, employment, education, environment, housing, human rights, among others.
What is the difference between traditional and social entrepreneurship?
Profit is one of the central points to differentiate traditional entrepreneurship from social entrepreneurship.
In the first model, the main idea is to achieve financial returns by selling to markets that can pay for the offers. The expectation, from the first moment, is that entrepreneurs and investors will have financial gain. Profit, in these cases, is essential for these businesses to sustain themselves.
O social entrepreneuron the other hand, does not prioritize generating profits for investors — which are, in general, philanthropic and governmental organizations — but rather generating benefits for segments of society or society in general.
O target Audience of the actions of social entrepreneurship they tend to be underserved populations, who do not have the money or political influence to achieve certain benefits.
However, this does not mean that a social entrepreneur refuse lucrative proposals: such a business can also generate income. However, this is not the main objective.
But the social entrepreneurship and traditional also have similarities. Both the ordinary and the social entrepreneur are motivated by the opportunities they find. Regardless of the profit motive, in both cases they have a vision, finding personal fulfillment as they see their innovative ideas put into practice.What is the importance of social entrepreneurship
O social entrepreneurship deserves attention, as it is a powerful tool to solve or alleviate problems faced by society and improve the population’s quality of life.
O social entrepreneur he observes injustices and finds inspiration in these situations to act, using his courage and creativity. With your ideas, you can significantly transform society.
What are the three components of social entrepreneurship?
Every initiative of social entrepreneurship consists of three elements: diagnosis, identification of opportunity and creation of a new reality.
Let’s understand each of them:
Diagnosis
The first step in creating a social enterprise it is to identify the existence of an unjust reality, which causes exclusion or suffering to society as a whole or to a part of it – in general, people who do not have the financial means or political influence to get out of this situation.
Some examples are poor education, hunger, homelessness, unemployment, exclusion of certain groups (such as women, blacks, people with disabilities, among others), violation of human rights and environmental problems (such as deforestation, pollution and animal abuse) .
opportunity identification
After diagnosing the problem, it is necessary to transform it into a business opportunity, a company idea that offers a solution to the problem faced by the affected group.
This is done from the entrepreneur’s creativity, motivation and innovation skills. It develops a social value proposition that can change reality.
Creating a new reality
After the implementation of the business, the company manages to create a new stable equilibrium, which solves or alleviates the difficulties faced by the group. As a result, the affected population has a better quality of life. The benefits can also be reflected in society as a whole.
Books on Social Entrepreneurship
Creating a social business (Muhammad Yunus)
In the book Creating a social businessthe Bangladeshi banker and economist Muhammad Yunus, laureate in 2006 with the Nobel Peace Prize, shows how social business went from theory to practice, bringing examples used by large businesses, entrepreneurs and activities on different continents.
He also shows how this type of business transforms lives and offers advice for those who want to create their own. social enterprise.
Social Entrepreneurs: The Uncommon Example of People Transforming the World (Pamela Hartigan and John Elkington)
In light language, the authors show how a new generation of entrepreneurs is working to change the world.
To that end, they bring examples of men and women who, with revolutionary innovations and courageous leadership, are bringing about remarkable changes in society.
Change, you, the world: manual of social entrepreneurship (Gabriel Cardoso)
Consultant, author and professor Gabriel Cardoso explains in the book why the social entrepreneurship is considered 21st century capitalism, showing why it is revolutionizing nations around the world.
In addition, it provides tips on how to train and prepare to become a social entrepreneur, teaches how to identify social problems and propose profitable ways to overcome them. As you would expect from a manual, the book is accessible and practical.
Inside Out: How a Generation of Activists Is Injecting Purpose into Business and Reinventing Capitalism
Journalist Alexandre Teixeira shows how entrepreneurs who do not accept things as they are, but operate according to the logic of the market, are transforming society, reconciling profit and social justice.
To write the work, the author spoke with some of the most creative minds of this generation, which is transforming capitalism from the inside out.
Examples of social entrepreneurship
Now you know what it is and what is the importance of social entrepreneurship. Below, we bring you some examples for you to know initiatives of this type in practice.
spawning hawks
THE spawning hawks is a social development ecosystem that works in favelas with projects focused on bringing sports and culture to children and adolescents and professional training for young people and adults. The initiative was created by Eduardo Lyra, a young man from the outskirts of São Paulo, and has already impacted more than 700,000 people throughout Brazil.
Asta network
THE Asta network is an acceleration program aimed at women artisans. The initiative connects partner companies that invest in the training of professionals, helping them to make a living from their art. The initiative has already directly impacted more than 5,000 women, in addition to generating 20 million reais in income.
Fonderie 47
THE Fonderie 47 is an initiative that seeks to reuse abandoned AK47 rifles in Africa, turning them into exclusive jewelry. The company seeks to draw attention to the problem of violence on the continent, while generating high-value products.
Join the RD Summit Live Show
Social entrepreneurship is a theme that is present in all editions of the RD Summit, the largest Marketing, Sales and Innovation event in Latin America. After 2 years, he’s back in face-to-face mode in Florianópolis!
If you can’t be there, a great tip is to watch the RD Summit Live Show! We will broadcast interviews with speakers live and behind the scenes of the event, in 30 hours during the 3 days that we held this super meeting.
Sign up below and, by the way, compete for prizes by participating in our nomination program! Just click on the banner to learn more.
