About Social Businesses
A business model fit for the challenges of today
We have perhaps never faced greater and more global challenges than we do today. A growing wealth gap, an energy crisis, large-scale deforestation and worsening air pollution levels to name a few.
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In the midst of this turmoil, traditional corporations find themselves unable to fully meet the needs of both shareholders and local communities. This ambivalence is a very palpable issue that we business students constantly encounter; it often results in the market failures that we witness in e.g. underpaid labor, over-tourism or the absence of proper sanitation in rural communities.
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Simultaneously, we have to face the hard truth that traditional non-profit organizations such as NGO's rely heavily on donations as well as political context, and are therefore restricted in their impact.
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What compromise can we make? You guessed it...
How it works
Where the traditional corporation is commercially-aimed, the social business entirely revolves around solving a social or ecological (yes, not just social) issue.
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Where the typical non-profit organization relies on donations and volunteering, the social business seeks innovative market opportunities to finance its activities in the long-term.
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Social businesses arise right at that sweet spot. At the crossroads, where profit meets purpose.
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These insights are well documented... well beyond the expertise of a group of passionate undergraduates and young graduates. If this is a topic of interest to you, we encourage you to research more or perhaps even dare to leave us a message!
