The social entrepreneurship is the creation of a company whose ultimate goal is not to maximize economic profit, but to create value for society.
Social entrepreneurship is the satisfaction of social or environmental needs through an enterprise that generates economic benefits and invests them in the achievement of a basic social objective.
Social entrepreneurship should not be confused with non-profit organizations, since the latter do not seek economic profit, while the social entrepreneur, through his company, seeks monetary profit to be used for social purposes.
Social entrepreneurship should not be confused with social innovation, because entrepreneurship means creating a company whose business model may be a social innovation. However, a socially innovative idea can be implemented by an existing company, an NGO or the public sector and does not necessarily imply a business model.
Examples of social entrepreneurship
Preparado
This company, founded by social entrepreneurs Ricardo Rodríguez and Stephany Saavedra, manufactures 3D prostheses for amputees or people born without limbs, and also offers psychological support to the people they serve so that they gain autonomy, confidence and quality of life.
Gatia
Gatia is the company created by Ivonne Bocanegra that works to raise awareness about the problem of solid waste pollution in the Amazon. Its work consists of working side by side with the inhabitants of the Amazon area so that they themselves generate the necessary change. In addition, it also manages solid waste from the area to turn it into art or fashion.
Alto Perú: The creator of this social enterprise is Matías Ballón, who decided to create a surfing school for the children of the Alto Perú neighborhood in Chorrillos, where crime plagued the streets.
The impact of this sport in the lives of these children was such that the company soon added other activities to reach more young people, and in fact today it has its own gym where it offers boxing, functional and muaythai, and a high performance center sponsored by Nike.
Glamping
María Fe Gamarra is the founder of Glamping, a company that invites you to go camping without giving up comfort. That is why Glamping campsites have huge tents, beds and electricity services.
If you spend a few days glamping you will not only enjoy the landscapes and nature of Misminay, Huilloc and Piuray, but you will also contribute to the development of the families who live there, as they receive a percentage of the price paid by tourists and have the opportunity to market their products and work as tour guides.
Matchcota
This company was founded by social entrepreneur Paula Navarrete. Basically, the business consists of putting animals that have been rescued from abandonment in contact with potential owners. All you have to do is look at their photos, choose a pet and go meet them. And if you like them… Match made in sight!
Social entrepreneurship examples Spain
AUARA
This company aims to put an end to the lack of drinking water that affects more than 700 million people. To this end, they sell bottled water and allocate 100% of the dividends to developing projects to provide access to drinking water for those affected. These projects consist of the construction of wells, storage tanks, and sanitation areas, thus reducing famine and disease, increasing hygiene, improving schooling, and supporting women’s independence.
With the profits obtained from their business model, they have managed to provide access to drinking water and sanitation to more than 48,000 people in more than 17 underdeveloped countries. To achieve this, they have already built more than 80 infrastructures that have enabled them to supply more than 48 million liters of water.
Here you can find Auara’s water in case you want to support this initiative.
L’ESTOC
This company is a social cooperative that produces and designs furniture from recyclable materials with workers with intellectual disabilities. Its goal is to eliminate polluting waste and integrate people with disabilities into society.
This project was born after detecting that in Catalonia there were 378,000 people with disabilities but only 78,000 of them were working. In addition to a salary, it offers them the possibility of engaging in stimulating activities that encourage creativity. This also gives visibility to the abilities and skills of people with disabilities.
ESCUELAB
This social project offers young people the opportunity to access quality science education through innovative, practical, and interactive experiences that foster scientific vocation.
Its objective is to offer all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, activities that foster their interest in science. To this end, they offer scholarships that allow the participation of children at risk of social exclusion.
They also place great emphasis on promoting interest in science among girls, since only 26% of women study engineering, and in careers such as science, mathematics or computer science, the number of female students does not reach 50%.
HELP ME 3D
This entity offers 3D printed weapons to people without resources anywhere in the world. Its aim is to improve employability and schooling by reducing inequality. They also participate in talks to schools to promote social work among young people and raise awareness of the benefits that technology can offer.
It is also worth noting that during the Covid-19 pandemic they decided to use their 3D printing machinery to produce medical supplies.
In just over two years, they have already distributed some 13,000 weapons in 40 countries.
L’OLIVERA
This company produces wines and oils in an environmentally friendly manner and incorporates among its employee’s people with mental disabilities, especially those with more disadvantaged social situations, who actively participate in the production process.
The objective is to achieve their personal and social promotion, through a normal integration in common life, work and relations with the city and the region where the wine and oil are produced.
ECODOME
This company designs and builds ecological housing. They are fully recyclable houses that manage to reduce environmental impact and energy consumption by up to 40%. Its objective is to contribute to the sustainable development of the planet.
As we have seen, all the cases presented have very different proposals and business models despite having a common final objective, social, environmental or cultural sustainability.
It is important to note that, like practically all companies, in their beginnings they had to face different obstacles, such as finding adequate financing, making the plan scalable and economically sustainable, knowing how to make the value proposition known, detecting how to build customer loyalty, finding their market niche, knowing how to properly structure the business plan, etc.
Therefore, whatever your business goals are, it is essential to know the importance of training for entrepreneurship in order to do it successfully and not fail in the attempt.
Social entrepreneurship Canvas
The social canvas, social business canvas or social lean canvas is a tool that allows the analysis of business ideas grouped within social entrepreneurship.
To know and understand how to use the social canvas model, you first need to know where it comes from.
It is an adaptation of the well-known lean business model canvas, which is nothing more than a canvas composed of 9 blocks where the main aspects of your project are analyzed:
- What problem exists in the market and how do you solve it?
- What is your differential value proposition?
- Who are your products or services aimed at?
- How will you communicate with your customers?
- What key resources do you need to carry out your business idea?
- What is your cost structure: expenses and revenues?
Characteristics of social and economic entrepreneurship
We are talking about people who are changing the canons of success and convincing investors to lend their resources to projects that create social value. Moreover, as you might expect, their goal is not to directly multiply the zeros in their current account, but to obtain the necessary profits to continue supporting social and solidarity projects.
Are you also thinking about becoming a social entrepreneur? If you need to make sure you have the right skills to start a business, these are the values these new entrepreneurs have. You’ll be ready for the job if you have the following prerequisites:
Commitment
Tenacity and perseverance are two qualities common to these workers. The tenacity that accompanies their personality goes hand in hand with an absolute love for their plan, however, complex it may seem.
Nonconformism
We are not talking about people who complain about a situation verbally or through social networks, but about individuals who act out of conviction. Social entrepreneurs are characterized by not resigning themselves to the idea that we get what we deserve or that the situation is unsolvable.
Rebelliousness
All this leads them to be rebels and to fight to change the world using the tools they have at their disposal. They are true revolutionaries because they do not sit around waiting for someone to solve the problem, and they use the right strategies to challenge everything they consider unjust.
Creativity
Social entrepreneurs are resourceful people who know how to use all the resources they have around them. They optimize resources and limit their invention, two necessary tactics because these enterprises often have limited capital.
Business vision
These new entrepreneurs have the ability to see what is worrying the company or a part of it and create a reaction and a positive impact. Their activity must be attractive and profitable so that the company does not go bankrupt.
Motivation
Energy and positivity are values that surround the social entrepreneur. Finding a goal to strive for and not giving up at the first difficulty is not easy. These people are cut from different cloth.
Transparency
Clarity and transparency are valued in any company. Even more so if it is a company that creates social value. If you want to embark on this business model, you have to be completely transparent in your decision-making.
Accountability
If your goal is to enrich people’s lives, you have a task ahead of you that requires more reason and judgment than if you were on your own.
Occupation
Social entrepreneurship implies a tendency towards altruism and selflessness. Vocation plays an important role because the sacrifices involved in this dedication can only be endured if one has a protective or helpful attitude towards those in need.
Discipline
All of the above qualities will not bear fruit unless you put them into practice through a plan. The method is indispensable in any company for everything to work well. If we are talking about a social enterprise.
Aquí te recomendamos una estupenda lectura de Ricardo Bravo Vargas
Master’s Degree in Social Entrepreneurship
The Master in Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation (MESI) enhances the skills of future entrepreneurs with social sensitivity so that each student acquires transversal competencies from an interdisciplinary perspective that allows them to develop innovative feasibility plans for the implementation of projects that pursue not only the creation of economic value but also the creation of social value.
Competencies and career opportunities of the Master in Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation – UCM
In an ever-changing global environment, society must also adapt to these changes and be prepared to face new challenges. Companies increasingly understand that they are the driving force behind the responsible and sustainable transformation of the social and economic ecosystem. Entrepreneurs are leading CSR innovations and initiatives in every corner of the planet.
The M.Sc. in Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation seeks to empower future entrepreneurs with social sensitivity so that all students acquire transversal competencies from an interdisciplinary perspective. That allows them to develop innovative feasibility plans for the implementation of projects that aim to create not only economic but also social value.
This master’s degree represents a unique experience for innovators and social entrepreneurs focused on the third sector: NGOs, foundations, and associations with social purposes. You will learn how to turn your ideas into business solutions, how to design your business plan, how to find the right team, and how to raise the funds to launch your project.
Its Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation program provides the theoretical and practical basis, resources, and contacts to create and develop projects that guarantee success in the field of social innovation.
You will be able to turn your business project into a benchmark of corporate social responsibility, either by launching your own project or by promoting it within your organization. Be a model of social innovation, build loyalty among your audience by practicing a necessary and inevitable trend of the new century.