What it takes to become a Social Entrepreneur — Part 1
Social Entrepreneurship is a trending term nowadays. More and more upcoming entrepreneurs want to align with the idea of creating a social impact rather than just building a profitable enterprise. But there is still a lot of ambiguity with regards to the definition of a Social Entrepreneur. So, what is a Social Entrepreneur or rather, whom we can really call as a Social Entrepreneur?
A Social Entrepreneur is a person who strives to create a self-sustaining and a profitable enterprise by providing solutions that are capable to resolve or eradicate social problems. A social entrepreneur is interested in starting a business for greater social good and not just for the pursuit of profits. They may seek to produce environment-friendly products, serve an under-served community, or focus on philanthropic activities. The success of a Social Entrepreneur is defined by how their business improves the world. Unlike non-profits, social entrepreneurship still earns a profit, but the focus is placed on the social or environmental change made while earning that profit.
What we can decipher from this is that Social Entrepreneurship has two key components, i.e. Profit and Purpose. From these two components we further derive two things that are essential for every Social Entrepreneur before they start their journey. These are — Intent and Skills.
Intent comes before anything else. It is the most fundamental element that one is required to have before for starting any journey and not just the journey of Social Entrepreneurship. It is the intent that motivates a person to become a Social Entrepreneur rather than just another profit-oriented businessman. This is not to suggest that there is anything wrong with being a profit-oriented businessman but to realize that it takes a greater amount of selflessness and right intent to choose the path of being a Social Entrepreneur and working for the society. But where does this intent come from? And more importantly, how sustainable is this intent?
There are several examples that show how people start their journey with the right intent, or at least that is what it seems like when they start their journey, but ultimately end up deviating from the original path. While intent is the most basic thing to have in order to start something, it requires stability and firmness in its roots in order to keep surviving for years to come and not get swayed with the first blow of challenge or the bait of earning higher profits. This stability comes from the values and principles of a person that are deeply embedded in their character and can also be seen in their personality.
