I was talking to my friend Natalie about Milestone Foundation, the social enterprise that has been set up by my wife and I. She had spoken to a couple of entrepreneurs about an idea of hers and they had both come back to her and said either she makes money or helps people, but you can’t do both.
I so disagree with this concept. Why is it that it can’t be both? Surely a community based company can make sustainable profits, without total reliance on grants and such funding. There are so many examples
Ricardo Semler the CEO of Brazilian based SEMCO.
John Bird and The Big Issue.
Paula Newman at CafeDirect.
The Soap Company
At the Foundation we have some projects which include:
- My speaking for students at schools and colleges
- Youth and Community Enterprise
- A programme for youth following Science, Maths and Technology careers
I can unashamedly say that we will be making money from this programme but also helping others. I suppose it’s where your heart lies that really matters.
Incidently there is a platform called i-genius, where a community of social entrepreneurs is beginning to build momentum. So there.
Filed under: Uncategorized , Charity
You can do both, but I think one has to take priority for a while. It really depends on which you want to focus on first. If you need the money, focus on generating the profits needed to sustain the business, then go social.
I like the i-genius concept. I’ll look into it more. Great post.