A WORLD THAT IS RUN BY SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
By: Chit Juan
We are in recession and a time of economic crisis. If one wants to get into business today, one good idea worth looking into is Social Entrepreneurship. It takes the same effort to think of starting a business that should just make money, as it does to start a business that makes money and more. This is what Social Entrepreneurship is about. The added benefits, besides money, is that it helps the environment and/or a social group–be it a small community, a special group like the handicapped, or the marginalized sector of society.
While corporations are thinking of Philanthropy or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as important objectives or "nice- to- haves" that support them during times of recession, individual business owners like entrepreneurs also find wisdom in changing their mindset during these hard times. It is not corny to help others while we help ourselves. It is not a PR move to do business while we help others. It is, in fact, what the whole world needs at this point in time.
The financial crisis has actually leveled the playing field as "haves" now become "have nots" (especially if you played a lot on Wall Street or at the local bourse). The rich have become "not so rich", and some have even become poor. Everyone is actually forced to think of going into small businesses as job layoffs become the alarming trend of the day.
Second, resources are getting scarce around the world which makes energy savings a "must do" not a "nice to do". Oil prices skyrocketing have forced us to rethink of ways to cut our gas bills.
Third, the environment is showing its pain through global warming, floods where there were none before, ice where there was none and heat where it was cold.
If we are to go with the flow, the direction is to reset our minds through a time warp: specific to when life used to be simple. When people walked to work. Or rode bikes. When we brown-bagged our lunch or brought baon to work in a lunchbox. When we opened our car windows and airconditioning was not a necessity.
It is this same mindset that will create a society receptive to social entrepreneurs. Where helping someone make a living was considered noble and not foolish (why give the job to them when we can import from China?).
Where doing things locally meant generating more jobs in our communities.
It is this same mindset that makes us think of new businesses that add to the environment rather than remove from it. (let's use plastic, it's cheaper!)
Where bringing your own shopping bag is not foolish (remember our bayongs?) but thoughtful.
It is this same mindset that will make us restore what our environment has lost, what jobs were removed from our communities, what heritage and culture we have buried under colonial influence.
So, our challenge today is one simple thing: let's start with readjusting our minds. Only then can we make this a world that will be run by social entrepreneurs, whose beneficiaries are not just the communities they support but the country they were raised in and the country we all have to care for.
WIf all countries took a mindset change, this world will run not just on the usual kinds of businesses, but on socially-responsible businesses made up of socially-conscious customers and social entrepreneurs.
IS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP A REAL BUSINESS?
By: Chit Juan
During talks and interviews, I am often been asked: Is Social Enterprise a real business? Yes it is! You have to make a profit in a social enterprise. It is a “FOR PROFIT” endeavor with a social cause. It is a global trend for entrepreneurs who find more fulfillment in doing business whilst helping a community gain access to the retailer or the consumer.
How does it work? Social entrepreneurs look for gaps in the value chain and fill them. Artisans, whose handcrafted creations represent our country’s heritage and culture, are almost always paid by the piece and their works are sold by volume to compete with other countries’ products which may be cheaper or machine-made with precision. Instead of competing in this global mass market a social entrepreneur would showcase an artisanal work in a niche environment where the consumer will understand the imperfections and natural qualities of a product. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS LINK THE CRAFTSMAN DIRECTLY TO THE CONSUMER.
Social entrepreneurs also encourage communities to listen to the market. By giving the artisans an idea of what is sold in retail shops around the country and around the world, we are able to help the communities make products that the market wants or needs. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS MAKE SURE THE PRODUCERS LISTEN TO THE MARKET.
Sustainability is another concern. Will raw materials eventually run out? Can we sustain the livelihood by getting more artisans to learn the skills? SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS MAKE SURE THE CONCEPT IS SUSTAINABLE.
Market access is the main issue of producers. Yes they can learn to make things. Yes they have funds to buy materials from various NGOs who provide livelihood. But if these products never have the chance to be showcased in a retail environment, these products will remain unseen and unappreciated by many. Further, the market is hungry for new products that are unique and made with a lot of human soul. ALL WE NEED TO DO IS BRIDGE THE GAP. AND TAKE THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS TO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO APPRECIATE THEM.
