It’s about social change, stupid Manchester Metropolitan University Business School

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School

What we’ll do today Outline why I’m enthusiastic about social business Let you know what winds me up Open it up to discussion

Outline why I’m enthusiastic about social business

Let you know what winds me up

Open it up to discussion

What do I do? Training - market research, marketing, social business planning Consultancy - social enterprise One to one support Writing and blogging Photo from Ant Smallwood via flickr.com

Training - market research, marketing, social business planning

Consultancy - social enterprise

One to one support

Writing and blogging

What have I done? University of Leeds - Spanish & French Senda Juvenil Trade for Change Social Enterprise Leeds WYSE School Social Business Consulting A journey from activist to entrepreneur

University of Leeds - Spanish & French

Senda Juvenil

Trade for Change

Social Enterprise Leeds

WYSE School

Social Business Consulting

A journey from activist to entrepreneur

Trade for Change 1995-2004

Blogito ergo sum I blog I write I think I challenge

I blog

I write

I think

I challenge

Social entrepreneurs are not superheroes Guardian article Irrational exuberance Credibility crunch Credit - dougward via flickr

Guardian article

Irrational exuberance

Credibility crunch

Ten reasons why I’m enthusiastic Customers come first Marketing - building relationships Learn from the best in the business The double-bottom line Problems need entrepreneurial responses

Customers come first

Marketing - building relationships

Learn from the best in the business

The double-bottom line

Problems need entrepreneurial responses

Ten reasons why I’m enthusiastic It’s attracting talented young people A challenge to the voluntary sector A challenge to the private sector A challenge to the public sector Some openness to learning from failure

It’s attracting talented young people

A challenge to the voluntary sector

A challenge to the private sector

A challenge to the public sector

Some openness to learning from failure

Ten reasons why I’m not so enthusiastic Celebrity social businesses and entrepreneurs It’s a bit too popular with politicians Unrealistic expectations Financial buck-passing Social enterprise shock-therapy

Celebrity social businesses and entrepreneurs

It’s a bit too popular with politicians

Unrealistic expectations

Financial buck-passing

Social enterprise shock-therapy

Ten reasons why I’m not so enthusiastic Big is beautiful/corporate lite Football clubs were not-for-profit too once “ Oh yes, we now do social enterprise.” Still not enough maturity about risk/failure An assumption that business = smart

Big is beautiful/corporate lite

Football clubs were not-for-profit too once

“ Oh yes, we now do social enterprise.”

Still not enough maturity about risk/failure

An assumption that business = smart

Popular issues on the blog What’s the point? (social change, stupid) Does ownership matter? Are we being irrationally exuberant? Social enterprise - social business - or both? Is it OK to make a profit?

What’s the point? (social change, stupid)

Does ownership matter?

Are we being irrationally exuberant?

Social enterprise - social business - or both?

Is it OK to make a profit?

Good to Great and The Social Sectors We must reject the idea - well intentioned, but dead wrong - that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become “more like a business”. Most businesses - like most of anything else in life - fall somewhere between mediocre and good. Few are great. The critical distinction is not between business and social, but between great and good. (Jim Collins)

We must reject the idea - well intentioned, but dead wrong - that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become “more like a business”. Most businesses - like most of anything else in life - fall somewhere between mediocre and good. Few are great. The critical distinction is not between business and social, but between great and good. (Jim Collins)

On balance Social business and social entrepreneurs give me hope There’s a lot of nonesense spoken - but a lot of good done. For me, you can’t argue with the idea of doing good and doing well But we need a more mature attitude towards it all

Social business and social entrepreneurs give me hope

There’s a lot of nonesense spoken - but a lot of good done.

For me, you can’t argue with the idea of doing good and doing well

But we need a more mature attitude towards it all

Opportunities for you Social enterprises need talented graduates as much as any other business Social enterprise offers a different route into business - often for people who wouldn’t otherwise go into business

Social enterprises need talented graduates as much as any other business

Social enterprise offers a different route into business - often for people who wouldn’t otherwise go into business

Liam Black, The Same Wavelength “ Getting and holding on to people who are happy to live with the pressures of balancing the commercial and social missions is really difficult. I would say this is the biggest barrier to scaling up the social enterprise part of the economy in this country.”

“ Getting and holding on to people who are happy to live with the pressures of balancing the commercial and social missions is really difficult.

I would say this is the biggest barrier to scaling up the social enterprise part of the economy in this country.”

Over to you…. Comments? Questions? Photo from aymlis via flickr.com

Comments?

Questions?

www.thesocialbusiness.co.uk Blog about social enterprise e-newsletter [email_address] 0113 257 3942 07905 800 710

Blog about social enterprise

e-newsletter

[email_address]

0113 257 3942

07905 800 710

www.socialbusinessconsulting.co.uk Lots more resources on all aspects of social business planning Links to other sites

Lots more resources on all aspects of social business planning

Links to other sites