Developing Social Entrepreneurship

"The micro-consignment model is an amazingly simple and effective idea.It is demonstrating how to provide economic opportunities, and health benefits, to people in extremely isolated and impoverished communities without forcing them and their families to assume undue risk - people who are currently beyond the reach of conventional micro-finance. It is an idea with enormous potential for impact, because it can be readily adopted by anti-poverty organizations around the world."
- David Bornstein, author of 'How to Change the World', founder of dowser.org

"Smith and Van Kirk have developed the term micro-consignment and the value that it provides to aspiring entrepreneurs in developing economies. Their work is important to serving those who live below the poverty line." - Debbi Brock, Anderson University, USA

"The micro-consignment model is nothing short of social innovation gold a replicable, scalable, self-sustaining, high-yield opportunity that empowers individuals in the poorest and most remote parts of the world to be the change they seek in their communities. Brett and Greg provide a complete, concise, and understandable model for empowering individuals and communities to make a difference. MCM works, and every student, scholar, and practitioner seeking to make real change in the world should consider it required reading!" - Christopher E. Stevens, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director, Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Gonzaga University, USA

Autorentext

Greg Van Kirk is an Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow and co-founder of the New Development Solutions Group.

Brett R. Smith is Founding Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Miami University, Ohio, USA.

Klappentext

This book explores social entrepreneurship theory. It offers a new model for entrepreneurs in developing countries to work with businesses to develop a distribution channel for essential goods and services, to alleviate poverty and empower locals.

Zusammenfassung

Developing Social Entrepreneurship offers a new, innovative model that can be implemented in the developing world to help alleviate poverty. In this model, called the Micro-consignment Model (MCM), local entrepreneurs work together with businesses to develop a distribution channel for essential goods and services.

Starting with an explanation of the field of social entrepreneurship as it stands today, Smith and Van Kirk show how this model is a development that builds and improves upon some of the existing models. For example, micro-credit and micro-franchise models still require an initial financial investment (and therefore risk) from the entrepreneur, while the micro-consignment model does not. The book also offers practical insights into applying the model, and making it scalable and replicable.

This book will be an engaging read for students in social entrepreneurship classes, and to practitioners, businesses and NGOs committed to poverty alleviation.

Inhalt

1. Getting Started: What is Social Entrepreneurship 2. What was the Genesis of the Model? 3. What's the Problem? 4. What's the Solution? 5. Why a New Model? 6. What are the Guiding Principles? 7. How Exactly Does it Work? 8. How is Success Measured? 9. How Do you Get Started? 10. How Does it Scale? 11. What are Possible New Innovations for the Model? 12. What are the Common Pitfalls and Keys to Success?