Social entrepreneurship is growing driven by technological advances, the same ones that have shaped the ever-changing ecosystem in which we live.
In this new context, competencies, previously not such a priority, took on a fundamental weight in our society. As a result, organizations, companies, the media, and children have emerged that have adopted a new way of accelerating change towards a more just world.
- Thus arises the social enterprise.
- Which is part of the same business model as a capitalist company.
- But with the main objective of combating a social problem.
Based on this reasoning, we will address the keys of social entrepreneurship, and we will do so because they explain why this concept is taking root in the current system.
A social entrepreneur is a person with a project that generates social value, that is, he is a person who, through a company, uses strategies that generate profits.
Therefore, the ultimate goal of a social entrepreneur is to create a fairer society by selling goods and services.
For example, there are social entrepreneurs working in a variety of sectors: funding social programs, designing educational tools and improving health management.
In fact, in the European Union, more than 11 million citizens work in social entrepreneurship-related jobs, representing 6% of the region’s total employment.
At first glance it may seem a utopia that the main objective of a company is to solve a social problem, here it must be taken into account that social enterprise is not synonymous with non-profit organization.
The social enterprise persists thanks to the profits it generates, although social entrepreneurs concentrate their activities beyond this profitability.
Thus, we see that its importance lies in the fact that society has a growing interest in moving towards a more sustainable world. According to a fortica report, in 2015, about 60% of consumers claimed to choose products based on ethical criteria.
Consumers are increasingly demanding and companies need to adapt to these needs, so social entrepreneurship currently plays a key role in the structure of the company.
When understanding the life of a social project, it is necessary to take into account the niche market it occupies. The following factors explain what motivates social entrepreneurship:
Thus, after analyzing the current system, we see that the key to social entrepreneurship lies in the way it redefines a company’s success and profits. Today, both concepts are often linked to social responsibility, philanthropy and transformation.
In short, the future of a company becomes responsible behavior towards its customers, workers and suppliers.
Hence the attractiveness of these companies that strive to prioritize or reconcile the resolution of social problems in order to obtain another type of profitability for their business activity.