Yes, focus is the way the private sector succeeds. By focusing on a single product’s success, a company is able to grow and ultimately expand into adjacent areas. This success is based on financial metrics and ultimately market demand. If a product is not desirable - proven by lack of purchase - it does not succeed. Finally charities are being evaluate by demand and not special interests. Social enterprise is the next generation of global impact that was the vision of Carnegie, Rockefeller and then groups like UNICEF and Mercy Corps, but the social enterprise model takes advantage of market-driven best practices to create a channel for more sustainable social impact.
I wonder why the author assumes nonprofits/traditional charities do not have the ability to focus on fewer thing. Well, they do have.
Focus is a strategic and managerial choice to be made in any kind of organization, nonprofits or social enterprise. Taking few examples and from them assuming that traditional charities do not have the ability to focus on fewer things is not accurate and very superficial. An orphanage? Very clear focus in few things. A shelter for homeless? Very clear focus in few things. (As many things as any other exemplos of social enterprise in the text).
So, social enterprise: very nice. Nonprofits: very nice. Differences? Many. Ability to focus on fewer things as “competitive advantage” for social enterprise? Nope.
I’m still left with the question how social enterprise is different? I can see how it is a lens with which someone looks at the world, problem solves, but that happens in the for profit and nonprofit space. Social enterprise isn’t a sector as much as it is a business philosophy. How do you know you are a social enterprise? Is there a yard stick or standards somewhere that makes this nonprofit or business but that nonprofit or business not a social enterprise? Nonprofits only exist for a public purpose, a social impact (called mission) and they raise and earn dollars to support that mission. How is that different than a business-school type definition of a social enterprise? It certainly isn’t size (budget or people), it isn’t mission or programs so what is it?
COMMENTS
BY Kelli Peterson
ON August 10, 2015 12:26 PM
Yes, focus is the way the private sector succeeds. By focusing on a single product’s success, a company is able to grow and ultimately expand into adjacent areas. This success is based on financial metrics and ultimately market demand. If a product is not desirable - proven by lack of purchase - it does not succeed. Finally charities are being evaluate by demand and not special interests. Social enterprise is the next generation of global impact that was the vision of Carnegie, Rockefeller and then groups like UNICEF and Mercy Corps, but the social enterprise model takes advantage of market-driven best practices to create a channel for more sustainable social impact.
BY Anderson Silva
ON August 16, 2015 04:37 PM
I wonder why the author assumes nonprofits/traditional charities do not have the ability to focus on fewer thing. Well, they do have.
Focus is a strategic and managerial choice to be made in any kind of organization, nonprofits or social enterprise. Taking few examples and from them assuming that traditional charities do not have the ability to focus on fewer things is not accurate and very superficial. An orphanage? Very clear focus in few things. A shelter for homeless? Very clear focus in few things. (As many things as any other exemplos of social enterprise in the text).
So, social enterprise: very nice. Nonprofits: very nice. Differences? Many. Ability to focus on fewer things as “competitive advantage” for social enterprise? Nope.
BY Alicia M Schatteman
ON February 24, 2017 09:44 AM
I’m still left with the question how social enterprise is different? I can see how it is a lens with which someone looks at the world, problem solves, but that happens in the for profit and nonprofit space. Social enterprise isn’t a sector as much as it is a business philosophy. How do you know you are a social enterprise? Is there a yard stick or standards somewhere that makes this nonprofit or business but that nonprofit or business not a social enterprise? Nonprofits only exist for a public purpose, a social impact (called mission) and they raise and earn dollars to support that mission. How is that different than a business-school type definition of a social enterprise? It certainly isn’t size (budget or people), it isn’t mission or programs so what is it?