You have to give it to social entrepreneurs though! These individuals see a need in their community and try to create new systems that can ameliorate or replace broken ones. For social entrepreneurs, the aim is not just to make profit for self but there is a collectivist approach to doing business, in the sense that the aim is to benefit oneself and the external community at large.
The fascinating thing about the nature of social entrepreneurs is that they are big-time innovators who try to steer away from the norm. They do not just want to follow a path that has long been constructed and riden on but rather, they may follow it with their own rules for inducing community development. These people are not just about the money, they are not just about investing in the interest of feeding their bellies and beautifying their bank accounts. They tackle and consider business and investment opportunities from the angle of societal interest – what is in the best interest of society.
Social entrepreneurs approach entrepreneurship from a conscious angle. They care about the non-investors, the non-shareholders, the non-customers, the less privileged and in some cases, environmental sustainability. Social entrepreneurs are concerned with having spill-over business effects that will enrich society. If you ever dig into the details of some social enterprises, it is noticeable that they are trying to create something new, something unique and something beneficial to the society. These entrepreneurs shed light on social issues and through their own medium, implement new ways of curbing such occurrences.
I feel inspired to come from a family of social entrepreneurs. Daddy and my elder sister came up with the business idea of producing Ebys Tea Africana through natural raw materials, as a response to the need for organic and healthy refreshments in Nigeria. It thrills me whenever I am told that people formerly suffering from illness found relief after drinking the tea. My father and my sister saw a need, worked through a long process of implementing it and they are rapidly saving lives in our country, Nigeria. Also, recently, I have been inspired by another social enterprise called Enactus.
There is a lot to learn from social entrepreneurs. The highlight about these entrepreneurs may be their consciousness that reaches beyond the organization to the marginalized, the poor, the oppressed and even this rare, beautiful planet in which we find ourselves – Earth (we must sustain it).
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