Social entrepreneurship. We hear more and more about it. This is a movement that is growing in popularity every year. However, do you actually know what a social entrepreneur is? Do you know how this kind of entrepreneur differs from the responsible entrepreneur?
Although both take care to do good through their businesses, these entrepreneurs differ among other things by the nature of their operations.
WHO IS THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR?
The definition and limits of social entrepreneurship are not yet clearly defined. So I present to you the definition of the Ashoka Foundation that I could translate as follows (Free translation):
Social entrepreneurs are individuals who provide innovative solutions to the most pressing issues in our society. They are ambitious and persevering. They tackle major social problems and come up with new ideas for large-scale change.
Rather than leaving the resolution of social issues to governments or certain industries, social entrepreneurs find the different issues and solve them by changing the system in which it operates, by sharing their solution and by convincing society to move in one direction. different.
In short, the social entrepreneur is an entrepreneur whose mission, the axis of the company, aims above all to respond to a problem of great importance for society. Social entrepreneurship is therefore in itself a solution to address problems. It can be job creation, fair trade, environmental protection, etc.
THE SOCIAL MISSION AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING
For the social entrepreneur, the chosen issue – the one that will be put forward – makes up the vision, the heart of his business . Through his strong personal motivation to make a difference, he will use his business, his knowledge and his resources to achieve this social objective rather than maximizing his profits.
However, do not think that profits are not important to the social entrepreneur. Like any business, the social enterprise will have financial goals and must make a profit in order to survive.
What characterizes the social enterprise is not that the latter does not seek profit, it is rather that it has a social mission above all and that it uses its sales to achieve this impact. Thus, the more the social enterprise grows, the more its positive impact is important in its community.
WHO IS THE RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR?
Unlike the social entrepreneur, the responsible entrepreneur will above all aim for profitability. He will integrate social, environmental, economic and good governance objectives and strategies into his business model.
In fact, the responsible entrepreneur will voluntarily rely on strategies contributing to sustainable development to give meaning to his practices.
As consumers are more and more informed, companies must be aware that their social responsibility is an effective way to differentiate themselves from the competition and therefore to maximize their profits. Responsible entrepreneurship therefore becomes an interesting avenue for entrepreneurs who want to stand out from their competition and for whom such a type of responsibility is consistent with their ideals and lifestyles .
Thus, although the primary objective of the company is to develop profitable activities, responsible companies also integrate objectives related to sustainable development as part of their business strategy.
In conclusion, the key to differentiating these two activities lies at the very heart of the companies that will be created. As a result, it is at the very heart of the entrepreneurs who create them. If the social entrepreneur uses all his expertise and resources to solve a societal problem above all, the responsible entrepreneur, for his part, will build his business by first having a profitability objective in mind, to which he will give a responsible vocation thereafter.
So tell me, are you one of these two types of entrepreneurs? And if you came to be part of it, what problem would you tackle?
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