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Pandemics like the H1N1 influenza of 2009 have not only set the stage for novel approaches to public health concerns, but have joined the global financial crisis in welcoming new entrepreneurial activities that address both economic and societal concerns. The outbreak of COVID-19 is affecting our lives as social enterprise founders, managers, funders, and volunteers—and it will continue to do so in several ways.

Continue reading "The Impact of Coronavirus on Social Entrepreneurs and Changemakers"

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Where social entrepreneurs and social impact workers have been aware of systemic inequalities that have existed for decades, the emergence of coronavirus has made these clearer for the rest of the world. COVID-19 has presented the world with a new look at how individuals or certain groups are exposed to health crises, food shortages, job insecurity, and more. It is becoming increasingly clear outside the social enterprise sector that social impact entrepreneurs and companies are needed in this space.

Continue reading "Crisis, COVID-19, Social Enterprise and Social Change"

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Whether within local communities, nationally or globally, social entrepreneurs are dogged changemakers who put the needs of the ordinary citizens above financial gains but understand the need to be financially sustainable to scale their solution to more people. While a lot is known about what it takes to run a successful for-profit business, little is known about how a social changemaker navigates life as a business person.

Continue reading "4 Phases of the Social Enterprise Lifecycle"

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With social enterprise being a largely unregulated term in Australia, organisations in the cause space need to work even harder to be transparent and build loyalty and trust. Luckily, we can draw on the power of social media to find and nurture our tribe of trusting followers. Here are four posts you can schedule in that focus on building trust.

Continue reading "4 Ways Social Enterprises Build Trust Through Social Media"

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Whether you’re an established organisation or just starting out, you can’t avoid the fact that you need finance to kick things off or keep them growing. You won’t always find a financial solution that is straightforward or simple. It’s likely you’ll need to work with multiple stakeholders on a “blended” finance structure. Read on for Sefa’s 4 Ps (Partnerships, Passion, Pathway & Persistence), on starting a social enterprise or investing in entrepreneurial growth.

Continue reading "The 4 Ps: Financial Collaboratives for Purpose-driven Organisations"

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The key to kick-starting your social enterprise dream is to turn inspiration into motivation and motivation into action. Many social entrepreneurs started their ventures as passion projects, but over time have reaped the rewards of running their own business. Finding funding is one of the biggest challenges faced by social entrepreneurs. You can have what you think is the best idea in the world but without the moolah to make it happen, it’ll be close to impossible to even get off the ground. But it’s not all doom and gloom – here are some awesome social enterprises that have harnessed the power of crowd to kick-start their social enterprise dreams.

Continue reading "Kickstarting Your Social Enterprise Dreams"

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Hearing input directly from your customers can be daunting for a social entrepreneur. You’ve likely put everything on the line for an idea that you believe in and while you know that seeking input from customers can be valuable, it can be a confronting exercise! Many entrepreneurs avoid research because of this, but those who do know that the payoff is big.

Continue reading "Making Customer Research Pay-off for Your Social Enterprise"

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New giving concepts and donations platforms seem to be popping up left, right and centre. But let’s take a look at collective giving – you might be wondering what it is and how is it changing the way Australians are interacting with charities. Is it just another buzzword? A passing trend? Or is it here to stay?

Continue reading "Demystifying Collective Giving: How Your Social Enterprise Can Leverage the Movement"