Hello All. In the spirit of the season, I thought I’d share my list of social enterprise resolutions for the coming year.

Focus on the Customer, Not the Funder
Like most nonprofit-based social enterprises, we have a history of receiving funding from government agencies and foundations to develop and deliver products and services for the customers we serve (i.e. people and organizations that provide technical and financial assistance to entrepreneurs). It’s surprisingly easy how we can secure funding for a proposal that is built upon a plausible argument, but which is nonetheless unsupported by actual evidence of demand and/or need on the part of our customers. Sometimes, we get lucky and hit upon something that our customers want; many times, we end up with a product that may look great and that our customers “should” want, but don’t, and it sits on the shelf, unused, and we move on to the next funding proposal.

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I think that all social enterprises should focus primarily on mission-related opportunities. Not merely because it’s the right thing to do (which it is), nor because it helps avoid running into trouble with the tax man (which it does), but mostly because it’s good for business.

Mission-related opportunities focus on what you’re already good at, and involve the people who already know and trust you. This reduces cost, time-to-market and risk, by ensuring more fundable proposals, a more committed and aligned team, better partnerships, higher-quality products and services, more satisfied customers, and a better financial bottom line. Here’s why.

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We read a great article, or hear a wonderful speaker, or attend a workshop, or just get struck with inspiration. We get all fired up and then lift our head up and face the reality of our work – there’s always too much, and we find ourselves saying, “I’ll get to that as soon as things settle down a bit.” But they never do. So you put it off and deal with what’s in front of you. This happens with more than just social enterprise; it’s common with many would-be private entrepreneurs as well. The problem with this pattern is that we’re really, really good at what I think is the first part of a four-part process.

We’ve all got “dream big” down. It’s what comes after where things grind to a halt. So, I’d like to suggest a little mantra for you: dream big, start small, start now, and grow as you’re able.

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I remember participating in the first National Gathering for Social Entrepreneurs in Colorado Springs back in 1998 – one of the first times a national event had been organized in the USA around this emerging movement.  Like many first creative efforts, this one was fresh and filled with new ideas. People who would become long-time friends and colleagues – and leaders in the movement – met in person and exchanged powerful ideas for the very first time. 

This first event would grow into an independent nonprofit in 2001 (NGSE) and, in 2002, NGSE and its sister organization, SeaChange, merged to create the Social Enterprise Alliance, the world’s largest community of social enterprise leaders.  SEA provides a great service to its community of several thousand members – events, product and service discounts, market development, information, and high-quality learning opportunities.  It also plays a vital role in policy development and field building in the US.  It’s a great story, and I feel proud to have been an active member while I lived and worked in that country.

In Canada, our own great story is unfolding.  We have a thriving, diverse social enterprise sector, with world-class enterprises in every province.  We’ve got several leading organizations – Enterprising NonProfits, Social Enterprise Ontario, The Edmonton Social Enterprise Fund, Social Capital Partners, Community Services Council, and Chantier to name a few – that are actively building the field in their respective regions. And we’ve got the Social Enterprise Council of Canada, with volunteer representation from across the country, that is seeking to support and connect the national community.

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