What is social enterprise?

Social enterprise is a means by which people come together and use market-based ventures to achieve agreed social ends. It is characterized by creativity, entrepreneurship, and a focus on community rather than individual profit. It is a creative endeavor that results in social, financial, service, educational, employment, or other community benefits.

It is also a  recognition that the profit motive, whilst applicable in some areas, is not appropriate in the delivery of vital services.

Take, for example, the conflict of interest that arises when a medical practice also runs a medical testing laboratory. There are documented cases of doctors being pressured to refer clients to such laboratories for what proved to be needless tests. If it can happen in the medical field, it can happen anywhere.

The ISP, driven by the profit motive, is sorely tempted to direct traffic to its own services and to manage content to suit its profit needs. It can happen, it does happen and, despite any regulation, it will continue to happen. This sort of conflict of interest is unacceptable here, as it is in the medical sphere.

A social enterprise, on the other hand, is not driven by the profit motive; it is there simply to deliver a service or product as cheaply and efficiently as possible. The bulk of the work is often done by a community of volunteers so that the running costs are extremely low. Without huge overheads it makes it a very lean, competitive and effective way of organizing.