next jump by t.sanchez

although they are purely entrepreneurial with no apparent social return, i had to share this link to the article about next jump. they are a shopping portal for employee perks and other micro targeted marketing that has been described as patiently gestated start-up, quietly working behind the scenes, and slowly growing their organization with no need for front row status. what struck me is how innovative his idea was, simple and focused on long-term success. we learned the importance of some of these qualities in our SE projects and they cross over whether the endeavor has a social cause or not. just good to hear it reinforced. they are hiring and word is folks are turning down amazon, microsoft, and yahoo to work for them.
peace and good luck,
tracie

Ashoka chat opportunity later today...

If you are free this afternoon... take part in Ashoka's Social Entrepreneurship chat on Twitter by following #SocEntChat. These chats are on different topics on the first Wednesday of every month from 4-6pm EST.

Today's topic is The Future of News - where media/information/citizenship are going.

For more details check out :: http://www.ashoka.org/story/6315

Hope to see you all there!

Liz Kazeck | @lizziallen

Time Management :: Liz Kazeck

December snuck up on me. While I've been anticipating the end of the semester, multiple deadlines, and numerous projects, certain things have still managed to slip through the cracks (like this post coming a couple of days late). As a student, my deadlines are set by professors, group decisions, and the university. Because of these expressed goals, I feel compelled to get things done by a certain date. Social entrepreneurs working to start up organizations single-handedly, though, have little or no pressure from external forces to get things done.

So how do these organizations get off the ground when they are usually started by individuals who hold other jobs, have families to take care of, and have other responsibilities? Time management.

Lifeorganizers.com has identified a few key points to help social entrepreneurs manage their time (http://www.lifeorganizers.com/Time-Management/The-Organized-Entrepreneur/Solo-Entrepreneurs-Tips.html)

Here are a few highlights:

1. Write to-do lists. This will improve the likelihood you'll complete tasks by 90%!

2. Be realistic about the amount of time it will take to get something done. Then block out the appropriate amount of time in your planner.

3. Don't multitask. Focus on one thing at a time and get it done.

4. If you work at home... work there during the hours you set aside to get things done. Don't let other things distract you (laundry, dishes, etc.).

5. End your day by preparing for the next. Write down the next day's to-do list, prioritize it, and clean up your work space.

These tools and others can help social entrepreneurs organize the big and little pictures that exist in their minds for their causes.

The giving vine, mom-and-pop, and Texas--Elizabeth Linthicum

I picked up the December issue of Entrepreneur Magazine in one of the waiting rooms at Athens Regional, and found several interesting stories that I wanted to share on the blog. First, Robert Spector, author of The Mom and Pop Store, lists several common threads among successful family businesses across America. He said they all have a deep desire to be independent and also changed the business in order to respond to the market. He thinks that the next generation of mom-and-pop stores will be opened by “immigrants who can’t get a job because they don’t speak English and…people who’re disillusioned and dropping out of the corporate world” (22). He predicts that small businesses will continue to thrive, especially as Americans are more conscious of supporting local restaurants, stores, and companies. In Austin, Texas (one of The Wall Street Journal’s top Youth Magnet cities), there is a very successful campaign to support local businesses and preserve the character of one of the most desirable places to live in America. The campaign is appropriately called “Keep Austin Weird.” T-shirts and bumper stickers are everywhere, and Austinites do seem to be more aware of the importance of supporting local businesses than the average citizen. On the topic of Texas, I was quite proud to see the fine state of Texas listed as one of the top ten trends of 2010, according to Entrepreneur. Texas is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state and accounted for 59% of ALL new jobs created in the U.S. last year. I’ll get off my soapbox about the rising Lone Star state.

Though I have only lived here a year and a half, people in Athens also seem to pride themselves on the uniqueness of the town by supporting local businesses. It would be great if even more Americans celebrated the things that make their town unique by helping mom-and-pop stores thrive.

Also featured in the magazine is the wine company OneHope, which is a for-profit business that tries to sell as much wine as possible with 50% of its profits going to charity. Eight colleagues from Gallo wine company left their jobs to open OneHope, which is projected to hit $1.5M in sales for 2009 and has donated $250,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to 150 charities. Sales of the merlot go to AIDS research, the sauvignon blanc supports the environment, and the zin goes to causes that support U.S. troops. By supporting a variety of causes, OneHope appeals to many different types of consumers who might tire of this or that for the cure.

One of the founders believes that “creating change starts with big business…If we can educate businesses and get to a point where companies can get a competitive result, but a result that gives to others, we’ll be making a major step toward changing the world.” Clearly, the founders found supporting social causes attractive, and they thought consumers would too. The company is currently trying to leverage its name into a whole cause-oriented lifestyle brand by creating OneHope bottled water, and a OneHope branded flash drive that benefits Dress for Success, among other products. The business seems to do very well because it taps into people’s desire to use technology to change the world and to help others while pursuing a profit.

Elizabeth Linthicum

The S.E.V.E.N Fund - Will Richardson

The following link is something I stumbled upon. I think this is a really cool way to find useful enterprise solutions from classes similar to ours.

http://www.sevenfund.org/new-models-development/index.php

The idea is that students submit innovative models for economic development (such as microfinance programs) and the winner receives $10,000 for college costs.

They also have a good example from Rwanda in an article listed on the page.

Check it out!

Innovation Is Not That Innovative-Erin Porter

Several weeks back we discussed "Mastering the Art of Innovation". This is a topic which really stuck with me. Everybody who works for or with a non-profit is looking for an edge, they want to create the next big thing. The more I think about innovation, the more I am convinced that true innovations is bred out of our expertise.

A couple of weeks ago my husband told me about an organization discussed in one of his law classes. The organization is called The Legal Grind and it "seeks to provide legal assistance to middle class people with ordinary problems. The founder of the organization, Jeff Hughes, recognized that poor people have access to legal aid organizations and rich people are able to afford the best attorney their money could buy.

The Legal Grind boasts a legal resource center, self-help books, document preparation, notary service, lawyer referral service, and a coffee bar. Local lawyer are hand-picked to volunteer their time and expertise. A schedule of attorneys and their expertise are posted daily and clients can sign up for a "coffee and counsel" to receive specific advice.

In 2001 The Legal Grind received an award from the American Bar Association for assisting "people in the resolution of their legal problems in innovative ways". I found this article to be especially inspiring. So often I find myself trying to dream up ways to raise money for Global Samaritans and create a buzz around the organization and what we are doing. However, this article taught me that innovation is not that innovative. I need to take a hard look at what I am good at and find a way to put a new twist on my expertise and combine it with a way to help Global Samaritans.

It is a simple as, "justice served daily".

Erin Porter

The business plan as a marketing tool - Katy Sides

I think that the concept of a business plan in a social enterprise is very interesting. So often, when we describe a social entrepreneur we talk about their innovation and ability to use resources without being concerned about their limited access to those resources. It is not often seen in the literature that a social entrepreneur focuses on strategic planning for the future. I know that I tend to think about social entrepreneurs as focused on getting their organization started and meeting their original needs. I have always imagined that if social enterprises participate in strategic planning and the creation of long-term planning it is once the organization is fully developed and thriving. I think that there is a lot for social entrepreneurs to learn about successfully using business plans from the beginning. The creation of business plans and implementation of them forces social entrepreneurs to consider possible future scenarios for the organization and the environment, as well as pay attention to some of the details of the organization. Not only does it provide an outline for the future, make predictions of how to deal with the possible directions of the organization, possible exit strategies if needed, but it also can be a tool to garner more support for the organization. It can be a way for social entrepreneurs to show that they have a big plan that is strategic and business-minded. It can be used to attract some of the necessary resources that they may not have access to, by becoming a tool to attract potential stakeholders. The idea of a social enterprise is a new business form that blends together a nonprofit business model with a traditional private sector business model. While it is exciting to have an organization that has both a social and a financial bottom line, many investors are likely to question how successful this model can be. By showing that they have invested in the time and resources to consider the future of the organization through a business model, a social entrepreneur can show that they have more than just a great idea, and can attest to their potential in the market. The social entrepreneur can show that they understand the tension between their social mission and need for financial empowerment in their business plan. They can also show that while they are trying to improve social conditions of a certain area, they are also capable of creating financial benefits. Additionally, a business model can act as a way to test the social enterprise against its possible future tests. By preparing for what lies ahead, the social enterprise makes itself stronger for today and the future.