Develop your social enterprise idea

Introduction

A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives, whose surpluses are reinvested in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders or owners.

Social enterprises operate across the economy in areas as diverse as retail, construction, training, transport and catering. Some started out in the charity or voluntary sector and have subsequently made the transition to social enterprises. These organisations tend to operate in the delivery of public services, but many other social enterprises have been set up to address social or environmental issues.

This guide aims to explain the reasons why you might consider setting up a social enterprise and the benefits of doing so. It will also look at some of the issues you will need to consider and will give examples of existing social enterprises working in the commercial and public sector environments.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Why set up a social enterprise?
• Benefits of a social enterprise
• Financing your social enterprise
• Social enterprises and the public sector
• Here's how being a social enterprise works for our business

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