Social enterprises aim to combine the best aspects of commerce and public service by using entrepreneurial and business approaches to achieve positive social or environmental outcomes. At their best, social enterprises use clear management structures and robust financial planning to effectively serve clients while creating social impact. However, social enterprises also risk adopting the worst aspects of either commercial or public sectors, such as being profit-driven at the expense of social goals or overly dependent on unstable funding sources. The document provides examples of different types of social enterprises and discusses how they generate income through various means to sustainably pursue their social missions.

1. Business Solutions for Public Good Social Enterprise

2. What’s Social Enterprise when it’s at home? Social Business which is the best of both worlds of… Commerce Public service

3. Commerce includes Private Sector Limited companies Sole Traders Family businesses Corporate Sector Public limited companies Multi national companies And income from Investment Trading goods Selling services

4. At its best, Commerce… Uses clear management structures Creates robust financial structures Uses entrepreneurial approaches Is quality controlled

5. At its worst, commerce can be Company driven – profit before people Subject to profit motivated internal decision making Production of high returns for a few Subject to high turn-over of most senior personnel

6. Public Service includes Statutory sector Health Education Welfare Heritage Voluntary/Charity sector Advocacy Protection Arts And income from Grants via taxation (public sector spending) Grants via private donation (appeals, trust funding)

7. At its best, public service… Is client focussed – people before profit Effects positive changes in people and environments Encourages community support Uses creative solutions to ‘hard’ social problems

8. At its worst, public service can be Shoddily or over managed Highly dependent on changeable income Poor at planning and assessing risk Subject to poor or over accountability

9. Social Businesses include Local community enterprises Companies limited by share Companies limited by guarantee Mutual organisations (co-ops) Industrial or provident societies Unincorporated organisations Registered charities Soon - Charitable Interest Companies And they can be local, national or international

10. Social business income comes from Grants via taxation – payment to deliver statutory duties Grants via private donation Investment Trading goods Selling services Reinvestment of surplus

11. Social businesses at their best Use clear management structures Create robust financial structures Use entrepreneurial approaches Control quality Are client focussed – people before profit Effect positive changes in people and environments Encourage community support Use creative solutions to ‘hard’ social problems

12. Social businesses at their worst Adopt voluntary/charity sector worst practice Adopt commercial sector worst practice

13. Oxford Healthy Living Centre Company limited by guarantee Complementary therapies and counselling agencies Paying and bursary funded clients Rent raised by bursary paid therapists’ rent and agency rental Running costs and salaries are covered from rental Centre Manager and Trustee directors raise bursaries from individuals, trusts and statutory sector

14. a few more… Bulky Bobs Aspire The Eden Project Details in Social Enterprise: a strategy for success

15. and Gray-King & Gray… Company limited by shares Mentoring to community organisations and social enterprises Clients from disadvantaged areas or serve disadvantaged groups Fee income is from clients or from statutory sector on behalf of client Shareholders receive no dividends Surplus invested as discount to relevant clients

16. Social Enterprise Business Solutions for Public Good The best of the worlds of commerce and public service Fitting the square peg and the round hole together!