Social entrepreneurs demand to be taken more seriously

94% of social entrepreneurs believe they are not taken seriously in the enterprise space and are not credited for running a “serious business for good”, according to an opinion poll conducted by UnLtd.

The study found that 87% of individuals running a social venture want to be better understood by the public, while 63% have said that the barriers they face in starting and growing a social enterprises undermines their potential to do good.

Specifically, the challenges of finding a sustainable revenue stream (71%) and making a living from their social enterprise (71%) were seen as the biggest barriers to social ventures followed by the ability to access the right kind of finance (60%).

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has previously pledged his support for social enterprises in the UK with the commitment of £285,000 to 20 community projects including green spaces, educations and health support, as part of a larger £9m fund.

With Global Entrepreneurship Week currently underway, co-host UnLtd has announced that is it launching a new scheme for 2016 to support social entrepreneurs called ‘Going mainstream: how can social entrepreneurship break through?’

Katharine Danton, director of strategy and influence at UnLtd, said the scheme would help “many more social entrepreneurs reach their potential to create serious social impact”:

“We are seeing a surge in the number of people stepping up with entrepreneurial solutions to social problems. But the reality is it’s still very difficult for social entrepreneurs to maximise their social impact.

“Our new strategy [Going Mainstream] is focused on working with others to use all of our insight into what works, so that together we can break down the barriers faced by social entrepreneurs.”

For more information on social enterprises and advice on how to start a social enterprise, click here.