Although Rob Greenland is currently suggesting that an irrational exuberance and a big top atmosphere is spoiling social enterprise, I am still planning to sit on a panel at Venturefest. The topic; “Routes to Finance”.
It’s a chance to get the attention of some highly motivated people (entrepreneurs) and perhaps get them thinking about what really drives them. I doubt it’s all about the money. I am sure some will have soul-less bling bling dreams, but the majority of successful entrepreneurs (i am told) do it for the challenge. The money is an afterthought. If that’s true, why aren’t more of them joining the social enterprise scene? It is certainly challenging.
I think its because they don’t really know about social enterprise. I am amazed on a daily basis by the percentage of private sector folks I meet who have no clue what social enterprise is or for that matter, the 3rd sector.
Back to the panel; Routes to Finance, yeah – I know about that. But, every route to finance must have a story. Maybe our story will get them thinking about theirs.
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Thanks for the link Todd. I’m not sure that I’m saying that what’s going on is “spoiling” social enterprise. That makes it sound like I want a social enterprise monoculture built in my own image. Instead I’d suggest that some of the dominant voices in the sector are threatening the long term sustainability of social enterprise. I’m all for the big hitters, and I’m pleased to see that you were at Venturefest today. But the big is beautiful brand of social enterprise in dangerously intoxicating for politicians and policy makers, who lazily assume that everyone should be an FRC or an Eden Project. My point is that there is a broad spectrum of socially enterprising activity, and I’m tiring of being presented with the same, big, examples of shiny happy people running gleaming flawless enterprises. And more importantly a lot of my clients are tiring of it too.
Good to hear it Rob. I am also fed up with hearing about the same “6″ gleaming social enterprises! It would be great if you could (sorry if I have missed this) post about the comments your clients make in this regard. Perhaps it would shed some light on the subject and we could discuss ways to draw benefit for “all others” from the current celebrity of social enterprise.
Thanks Todd. Yes, that’s a good idea, I’ll post something in the next few days. I think it’s an important issue – all the research suggests that a key factor in someone realising their potential as an entrepreneur is knowing someone else who’s an entrepreneur. Similarly seeing examples you can relate to must be important – whilst examples that you can’t relate to so much may entertain for a while, but like with celebrities, will start to irritate after a while.
Can’t resist entering the ‘exuberance’ discussion kicked off by Rob. Let’s all agree that people can get unnecessarily hyper-ventilated about the subject and that we’re bored with the same social enterprise super-models on the cat walk.
Beyond that though, Rob’s comments need a bit more context. Those as old and bald as me can remember the heady debates about reforming the welfare state at the start of the 80s. With political power and will there would have been the opportunity to move to independent, user controlled services within the public sector.
The current move to social enterprise service delivery using market mechanisms is by contrast often (not always) inappropriate. What’s more I would bet good money that it evolves in the same way as the Housing Association movement; in 15 years time services will delivered by large voluntary sector organisations that behave remarkably like – council departments. Rob is right to feel jaded about this process, I largely try and avoid it.
What excites and enthuses me is working with those who WANT to enter the market to do stuff. We’re never going to beat the profit maximising sector on price because of our social benefit overhead, but we can beat them on everything else. In almost every sector we can compete for 10-20% of the market that is much more concerned about quality of service and ethics (e.g.the Just Coffee people in Leeds would be a large company if they could grab 5% of the Leeds coffee market).
My exuberance has two sources. 1) The Development Trust movement and the inspiration that everyone can become an economic player and not just a moaner and 2) those that play the capitalists at their own game for a social outcome.
Unlike Jim Brown, I’ve never seen social enterprise as a highly political force trapped as it is in a profit maximising system, just a way of getting people together to get good things done.
For that reason I’d be happy to give what arms I’ve got left to get into bed with massive housebuilders if the outcome was to be sizeable community owned assets with a fizzing business plan. I’ll be back blogging when we achieve that!