Transformational Leadership. Social Entrepreneurship

Every Wednesday, MightyRasing.com features a series of articles on social entrepreneurship and/or personal development. This is the fourth in the series on Social Entrepreneurship. Do check out the first three articles in this series:

1. What is Social Entrepreneurship
2. The Social Entrepreneur: A Profile
3. How to Start a Social Entrepreneurship Organization

Social entrepreneurship is helping change the landscape of business and economics around the world. Thousands of creative people are bringing in their expertise in business and entrepreneurship to address the problems of the world. If you are but starting out in this field, you will need to understand the problems of the world that you want to address.

I suggest you start by taking a look at the gifts, talents, skills and resources that you could use. Go through my series of articles under the Ignite Yourself series.

First things first, you really should be passionate about the project you want to take on. Half-hearted pursuit is a slow but sure way to disaster.

If you are really intent on pursuing the social entrepreneurship path, then read these tips on How to Start a Social Entrepreneurship Organization.

Here are 24 social entrepreneurship business ideas you can use as seeds for thought.

Education. In a developing country such as the Philippines, education is available mainly to the middle and upper class strata in the society. Oftentimes, though, those who belong to the marginalized sector and lower economic classes have little or no access to education and the resources needed to help them build their future through education. The following ideas come to mind.

1. Scholarships. You can source out scholarships for poor and deserving students. This scholarship program can be for grade school, high school or even college students.

2. Books and Libraries. For most people in the barrios and villages, books are in short supply. Gathering second-hand books can be a big boost in helping students.

3. Teaching under-privileged kids. A friend of mine started a teaching session with under-privileged kids in her neighborhood. This might be small-scale but it can be very helpful to kids.

4. Providing education to marginalized sectors. Indigenous peoples and those who are in the shanties and slum areas are among those who have limited access to education, by reaching out to these people with low cost education, they, too, can contribute to national development.

5. Street children outreach. Whether through feeding programs and educational outreach, street kids will benefit immensely from any outreach program geared for them.

6. Computer literacy to students. Not all schools offer computer subjects. That is why, offering computer literacy program to students would be a great program for schools and communities.

Livelihood

7. Teaching arts and crafts. Empowering people can be as simple as teaching them arts and crafts that they can produce and sell.

8. Sustainable Agriculture. Agriculture can help people get out of poverty if done in the right way. By promoting sustainable agriculture through organic farming,

9. Coffee farming. I’m a big coffee lover. If somehow, sustainable agriculture could be translated to coffee farming, I’ll be very very happy!

10. Partnership with big companies. If villages and other organizations do have agricultural produce, or crafts being produced, you and your organization can act as a broker for partnership with big companies in terms of production and supply chain management.

11. Marketing the arts and crafts produced by villages. Not all producers of crafts and art products know how to market their wares. By taking on the marketing side of their business, you empower them to focus on production and you will take care of the business side of the equation.

12. Microfinance. Having business ideas is good. But it really is no good if you do not have the capital to get it started. As a social entrepreneur, you can empower micro and small-time entrepreneurs by providing them with microfinance.

13. Employment referral program. The Philippines has thousands, if not millions, of college graduates every year. It’s just that it is very difficult to get employed. The situation is even worse in the provinces. By starting an employment referral program, you can help hundreds and thousands of unemployed individuals.

Environment

14. Junk Shop. Money can be found in garbage. Nuff said!

15. New technologies for the environment. The environment sorely needs support right now. By investing and developing new technologies for the environment, we can slow down global warming.

16. Recycling facilities. Recycle, recycle! That’s how to save the earth!

Health and Welfare

17. Medical services to marginalize sectors. By providing health and medical services to poor and marginalized peoples, they can enjoy a better quality of life.

18. Reaching out to homeless people. If you walk the streets of Manila, you’ll encounter numerous homeless people in the sidewalks. Help them out. They need it.

19. Low-cost fitness camp. Fitness is in short supply these days. What with the sedentary lifestyle and the couch-potato culture we now have. If you help kids and adults become more aware of the importance of fitness, you’ll be helping them a lot.

20. Providing access to clean water. Water means life. And if you help provide these to people around the world, you’ll be saving a lot of people.

21. Fighting off killer diseases. You can help in educating people about killer diseases such as HIV and AIDS, Dengue, and even simple diseases such as cholera, malaria and diarrhea. Sometimes, the solution is painfully simple yet people neglect them.

22. Helping people build their own houses. A house is one of the most basic needs of people. Follow the lead of Tony Meloto and help build houses for people!

23. Empowering Social Entrepreneurs. If you have business expertise and social entrepreneurship skills and know-how, then you might as well equip social entrepreneurs and mavens—those who are willing to blaze new trails in providing social services to the people who need them.

These are but some of the hundreds of things that you can do in the name of social entrepreneurship. Begin with a simple idea that you are passionate about. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section.

Related posts:

1. Social Entrepreneurship and Non Profit Fundraising Ideas
2. What is Social Entrepreneurship?
3. Social Entrepreneurship: A Call to Action
4. How to Start a Social Entrepreneurship Organization
5. Fighting the Culture of Dole-out through Social Entrepreneurship

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