Social Enterprise
If your organisation can charge for goods or services and create its own revenue you could become a Social Enterprise
What is a social enterprise?
The definition of a social enterprise is "a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners."
A social enterprise then, is first and foremost a business. This means that it will be involved in some form of trading activity, selling goods or delivering a service. However the business will have been set up primarily to meet a social objective, for example helping to tackle homelessness, providing training, care services or supported employment.
Social enterprises' legal structure can include:
- A Community Interest Company
- A company limited by guarantee
- An industrial and provident society
- A company limited by shares.
Some social enterprises are also registered charities.
Resources
To see the breadth of activity social enterprise covers go to the Social Enterprise Coalition website at
http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/Default.aspx
The Government have web pages about Social Enterprise at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/social_enterprise.aspx
You can get help with setting your business up as a Social Enterprise from Business Link You can see information about this at www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1077475650
You can gettraining and other support from The Social Enterprise Training and Support Consortium (SETAS) at http://www.setas.co.uk/
There is a magazine for Social Enterprises at http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/
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