Is Social Enterprise really that confusing...

I got an email this weekend from the authors of a new book which aims to demystify social enterprise and help people to develop their own definitions of what a social enterprise is.

Is it me or have we inadvertently created an industry that surrounds social enterprise that justifies its existence through perpetuating the notion that there is ‘confusion about social enterprise’.

Does that confusion really exist....and does it really matter if it does.  Let’s be honest, how many people on the street know the difference between a PLC, a LTD company, or a Cooperative?

Surely what matters is that people understand the objectives of any company and its products or services...

I think there is a danger that in creating an industry around demystifying Social Enterprise, we ironically make it more complex!!

If I was writing a book about social enterprise and what it means....it would be a quick read, and probably a picture book!

Line  1 – Social Enterprises have positive social and/or environmental objectives

Line 2 – Social Enterprises reinvest their profits so they can do more good

Line 3 – Social Enterprises aim to be self-financing, not reliant on the state or grant funding.

Page 2 – Nice pretty pictures of Social Enterprises doing what they do....helping disadvantaged groups, protecting the environment, making great products.

KISS (Keep it simple, Stupid!)

Jon Rolls

Chief Executive

Cornwall unemployment rises: No surprises...

So why do we potentially face losing an award winning programme that gets long-term unemployed in to employment...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-12227844?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

The Cornwall Works for Social Enterprise programme, funded through ESF and delivered by a range of innovative Cornish Social Enterprises  has been heralded by many, and nationally by DWP! as best practice...collaboratively the programme will place nearly 500 people into employment at a success rate of well over the national average of 20%.

Moving the goal posts and delays in decisions on next rounds of funding means Cornwall faces losing the highly experienced staff that have been delivering this programme....and potentially organisations as well....

And guess what...you can bet your bottom dollar that the programme will have to start up again later in the year...meaning we all have to re recruit to get staff to deliver the programme...at what cost!

Sometimes it is very frustrating that 'business as usual', when it is performing very well, is not seen positively...and that we have to constantly re-create programmes, re-design them and generally tinker...and the only people that suffer are those that depend on the services and the organisations that deliver the work who offer so much other added value that doesn't get counted.

Rant over...its a lovely sunny day and I need to talk to our fantastic manager of a great little social enterprise solution to disabled children's incontinence issues....

Cloudy with meatballs....

2010 was a year of benign weather following the extremes of the stormy recession in prior years....

With the outlook unpredictable for 2011 we perhaps need to reflect on how well many of us have come through the last 2 years of heavy weather. Surely they have taught us that we're a resourceful bunch that can, when push comes to shove, come up with solutions, many of which are simple and cost neutral.

So what will 2011 have in store for social enterprise.

First things first....it's going to be challenging. In the ReZolve Dictionary, that's a positive word meaning.."exciting" "full of promise" "tiring, but in a good way" and "asking us to do more with less".

Secondly there's going to be much uncertainty. In the ReZolve Thesaurus that's a word with a host of variations..."moving the goal posts" "shifting sands" "herding cats" "backward shoulder gazing".

Finally, it's definitely going to be full of opportunity...if you're prepared to think outside the proverbial regular quadrilateral.

Referring to the ReZolve Operational Manual, actions arising from an opportunity will involve..."ridiculous ideas from the CEO" "much consternation as everyone tries to understand these ridiculous ideas" "hours of wondering how on earth we'll make the ridiculous idea happen" "much back slapping when said ridiculous idea pulls off" (or a small proportion of said ideas come off, more of a scatter gun approach)

In all seriousness, and the above is quite serious, this year has much to offer, and Cornish Social Enterprises have much to offer 2011. When the outlook is bleak, our creative services and alternative financial models make us intriguing wet weather gear. We can help those in need to get back on the ladder, we can help protect the environment which has a zero value to many and is open to abuse and we do it with multiple outcomes and adding huge value locally.

These "extreme" opportunities are going to come thick and fast and as a sector we need to react to them, together, in partnership, for a better chance of making them work for the people of Cornwall and further afield.

Before you know it we're going to get hit by the perfect storm of EU and Mainstream funding colliding in the upper atmosphere, the Work Programme will drop out of this and Prime Providers will also take on the European Social Fund/DWP element as a result, Council contracts will start to change opening up a range of contracting options, the Regional Growth Fund will interest weather experts and changes to the Criminal Justice System should provide interesting sub-contracting opportunities, paid by results. With significant rainfall expected after the VAT change and budget cuts likely to threaten the tidal walls of many charities it's no wonder the Transition Fund has been created to sure up defences and protect the vulnerable.

So a real mixed bag...but all opportunities to do things better, more efficiently and with more people.

So to summarise, the outlook for 2011:

"Stormy but with a good chance of prolonged sunny spells...for those prepared to brave the conditions!"

Social Enterprise Day beckons....

Welcome to ReZolve's new blog and the launch of our new social media channels...which sounds a bit pretentious really so welcome to our modern day newsletter!

In fact we've been blogging and twittering for a while now on one of our national pojects and the results and feedback has been so positive that we decided we should look at using it in Cornwall to improve the way we communicate with our partners and customers.

So who are we, what do we do and what makes us different.

ReZolve is a Social Enterprise, set up in the late 90's to look at sustainable waste management. We've come a long way in that time and now we are company that employs over 30 staff, diverts 1'000's of tonnes from landfill every year through reuse and recycling both locally and nationally, has helped over 100 long term unemployed in to jobs over the last 2 years, trades for well over 50% of our income and competes for the majority of the rest and supports over 180 environmental businesses in Cornwall to grow and develop.

We're Carbon Negative - that means our operations divert more carbon than we produce as an organisation. We are Matrix accredited - that means the quality of advice and guidance we give is up to standard. We are FRNe Accredited - that means our furniture reuse operations are audited annually and pass tests that are similar to ISO 9000.

Finally, we have the Social Enterprise Mark, logo above, one of only a handful of organisations in Cornwall to have achieved this, alongside Eden, Fifteen, Real Baby Milk, Pentreath, CoaST, CEP, Zoo Training, Bosence Farm, Blisland Community Association and the National Lobster Hatchery.

So what is a Social Enterprise...there's so much talk of it in the press, in the public sector and everyone wants a piece of it! Here's a quick animation that explains it...nice and simple....the way I work!

To obtain the SE Mark you need to demonstrate the following:
• Your company has social and/or environmental aims?
• Your company has its own constitution and governing body?
• At least 50% of the company profits are spent on socially beneficial purposes?
• The company earns at least 50% of its income from trading?
• Your company can demonstrate that social/environmental aims are being achieved?
• If your company ceased trading, remaining assets would be distributed for social/environmental purposes?

The Social Enterprise Coalition uses the following definition:

"Social enterprises are businesses trading for social and environmental purposes. Many commercial businesses would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social and/or environmental purpose is absolutely central to what they do - their profits are reinvested to sustain and further their mission for positive change." See http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/pages/frequently-asked-questions.html for more useful explanations.

That just about sums it up for me...and that is what ReZolve is all about. We develop projects with social and environmental purposes and reinvest any profits in to furthering our overall objectives, which are about improving our environment and helping those who are disadvantaged. I guess the biggest myth in all of this is about trading and profit. Many commentators think that Social Enterprises shouldn't make a profit...or shouldn't pay staff....and that couldn't be further from he truth.

Gone are the days of public subsidies, large grants for core funding and plain brown envelops to keep you going! The future is going to be about competing with the private sector, gearing up to deliver contracts for the public sector and finding innovative ways to trade to supplement income streams. Certain activities will always need an element of grant funding and rightly so, but a Social Enterprise has commercial spirit at its core, and to survive, that needs to be the case. Not at the expense of social or environmental objectives, but aligned in a 'triple bottom line approach'. So in terms of profit...I say the more the merrier...but nobody is going to get fat on it....it just means we can reinvest for the benefit of Cornwall and to ensure that we can still be here in 2013 when the EU tap is turned off, delivering services that make a difference. Those that do not embrace a more business like culture will not survive.

This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week, and Social Enterprise Day is tomorrow, 18th November. So please join us in celebrating everything that is good about Social Enterprise and the part it can play in Big Society, Big Cornwall, Big Everything....so join us by following our blog, tweets and everything else trendy!