Opinion: Why does social enterprise matter?

Ideas are swapped during the 2013 Social Enterprise Startup Weekend in Wellington. Photo / Mark Tantrum

Social enterprises fall somewhere between traditional business and non-profit models. Positive social change is the goal but that doesn't mean an enterprise can't be self-sustaining - or even profitable. Examples in New Zealand include Conscious Consumers, Rekindle, Bucky Box and Chalke. New programmes and organisations such as the Akina Foundation's Launchpad, Live the Dream, Enspiral and Lifehack Labs are emerging to support them.

Here, the team at the Akina explain why the timing is right for this kind of method.

1. It's about changing the system
There's a need for disruption.

2. Change is accelerating
The old, incremental way of tackling problems won't work anymore; we need to radically imagine new ways of coming together to deal with the accelerating world of change.

3. To solve our problems, we need more problem-solvers
We need to accelerate the number of changemakers in the world, and ultimately get to a world in which everyone is a changemaker. Social enterprises address the root causes of problems, rather than the symptoms.

4. Enabling communities and young people to lead
Helping people develop the skills to flourish is critical to solving today's problems.

5. Scale through collaboration
Scaling impact isn't necessarily the same as scaling an organisation. Partnerships, franchising, scaling through influence and encouraging replication all build impact.

6. Technology is driving creative disruption
The democratisation of the power of technology and its ability to generate positive social change.

7. Power is moving from the few to the many
Empowering people as far down the chain as possible is key. Just like the traditional business community, social enterprises can take many forms - including social business startups, community enterprises, joint ventures and transitioning not-for-profits.

8. The silos are breaking down
Are NGOs, corporates, and government agencies reaching the end of their shelf life in their current form? Social enterprises have the potential to create significant partnership and procurement opportunities that can create substantial social and shared value.

9. Here comes the social intrapreneur
Self-identified social intrapreneurs (changemakers who are working within an organisation or the political system) are finding ways to transform their organisations.

10. Investing for social and environmental change
Social enterprises have the potential to deliver scalable, sustainable impact via financially-successful business models. When mature, this means they can access and use investment in ways that project-based, or traditional, charity models can't.

The Akina Foundation, in association with Contact Energy and the Department of Internal Affairs, has opened a new accelerator programme, the Launchpad. If you have a great business solution to a social or environmental problem, or are interested in supporting the programme, go to contactlaunchpad.org.nz. Applications are now open, and close on Sunday 29 June.

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