Having worked in the development field for many years now, I have seen all sorts of people speaking about making a difference and a change in the world. Good, and I am always happy to hear that. But do you want me to be honest here? It’s not for everyone. I don’t mean to discourage you here. I mean, everyone can think about making a positive impact and starting a business with a social cause and effect. However, not everyone is capable of doing this successfully. What I am trying to do here is to tell you more about the traits of a social entrepreneur needed to start a social enterprise on good ground and a concrete foundation. I want you to know about these traits and make sure you have what it takes. You only need to make sure you have the mindset.
So let me tell you more about this.
Get ready and get excited!
Myths About A Social Entrepreneur
Here are some misconceptions for some people. To love doing good only does not make you a social entrepreneur. Believing in a cause is crucial, of course, but it takes more than this. Yes, social impact is the primary motivator for every social entrepreneur. However – get ready for myth number one – believing in their altruism and that social entrepreneurs have no interest in financial success is a total lie. How else would they have a sustainable business that changes the world? The second myth here is the belief that social entrepreneurs are chaotic people thriving on uncertainty. Yes, entrepreneur is a French word that means adventurer. But this does not mean that they are planless with no clue about their next step or where they are heading. My last myth for you would be that social entrepreneurs are lone wolves who do what they have to do independently with no team behind them. In fact, in my years working with social entrepreneurs, I haven’t met anyone who works solely without the support of a well-aware team (large or small).
Now, just forget about these, and let’s get to the facts.
Just an important disclaimer before I set off and tell you more about this: all that I list here is based on practical experiences managing projects and interacting with social entrepreneurs globally from different fields in my own context.
Truth: Traits of A Social Entrepreneur
I will tell you the combination I look for whenever I interview any social entrepreneur.
Leadership and Influence. But not like any other. The thing here is you should have a powerful influence as a social entrepreneur to inspire others to join their mission. You need to constantly remind your team, network, and funders of the social impact you are aiming for and working towards.
Business mindset. Focusing on social impact and doing good does not mean you fail in your economics and accounting. In fact, if you don’t understand business concepts and how they are applied, you fail in your social enterprise or NGO. If you don’t fail, you remain very limited in your capacity and growth. Learning about financial management gives you the knowledge and skills to create sustainable and scalable social ventures. I want you to read more about this in my very related article here.
Emotional Intelligence. I save the very best for the last because this is my favorite. Emotional intelligence is taken lightly when it shouldn’t be like that. Knowing and understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, and motivations allows you to lead your change-making business with self-awareness and authenticity. And this is of crucial importance when you are working in a field that primarily involves humans, their future, and making the world a better place.
Let all that you read sink in, and think about if you have what it takes to become a successful social entrepreneur. Some may naturally possess certain traits that help pave the road to social entrepreneurship. Suppose you are not one of these. No worries; everything can be learned and developed. If you have the right motivation, then through experience and self-reflection, you can take on the necessary skills and mindset to become a one-of-a-kind social entrepreneur.
Final Thoughts to Help from Albusi
There are also some perks that we can help with.
Two things: tools and experience. And we can provide you with as much as you need from both.
For the tools, we have many downloadable pitch decks and business plan templates on Albusi’s website that serve as excellent guidance to prepare business tools for your social entrepreneurship business. These will give you a concrete idea to write all the contents that need to be put in any document. We also build your own! The Albusi team can craft a one-of-a-kind pitch deck just for you! This is another exceptional service to entrepreneurs that you should check out. The linked page will tell you more about what our previous clients say about this service.
This is not just it. The second thing that you will need here is experience. If you need to talk more about your idea, you can also come to one of our freelancers. They will help you with everything you need to plan for your business. They are great at pitching and will help you with the tweaks you need to pitch your idea to others, too.
Meet The Author Of This Article
I’m Jenny Ayman, a project manager in the development field with specific knowledge and experience in capacity building and entrepreneurship programs. I aspire to transfer the hands-on experience I gain in my professional career through writing.
Also, if you need help planning your business, I recommend checking out some of our freelancers’ business plans or pitch decks!
