A clear example of social entrepreneurship would be RoadRunner. This startup based in Pittsburgh focuses on waste management and recycling solutions for local businesses. Their social mission is to help companies recycle more. This is done in conjunction with saving the companies money. The social impact of this venture is to increase recycling rates in urban environments. These goals are accomplished by cutting costs to businesses and guaranteeing 100% of recycled goods are actually being recycled, rather than the industry average of only 10%. One advantage of this venture is that businesses are economically incentivized to join RoadRunner. The low cost of the service will entice more businesses to join and help recycle more goods in the city of Pittsburgh. One limitation of this venture is that there is an advanced level of logistics required for the business to operate. This means future expansions to other cities around the country would be an incredibly difficult process.
As a former Chick-fil-A employee, I saw their social mission in action. The mission of my Chick-fil-A was “To warm the hearts and minds of Washington.” This was accomplished through an emphasis on kindness and personal connections shared between workers and the guests. One advantage of this venture was that the entire atmosphere of the store was centered on positivity. This made working there a much more enjoyable experience. It also made the customers frequently walk away from the store in a much better mood than when they arrived. One disadvantage of this venture was the loss of business due to the corporate positions on very political issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Although the individual employees at Chick-fil-A have a plethora of personal stances, the corporate stance impacted sales as well as the community’s view on our chain.
Social enterprise businesses seem most intriguing to me because they are more sustainable and can foster a great deal of change. If a business can be successful and grow, then its mission can spread to more people. This means a large amount of change can be made, while still providing jobs and economic growth to regions where the business operates. Social enterprises are less likely to rely on funding from grants or charities. They can operate independently while still serving their communities and accomplishing their missions.