Social Enterprise Resources

Summary

This guide has been created to support the following strategic priorities of the Community Connect HUB:

  • Supporting a Thriving Local Economy
  • Supporting the Social/Changemaking Sector

In partnership with the Lillooet Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Sun Country – a local business mentorship program is being developed to help generate more businesses and social enterprises in the Lillooet Area. For more information on the Lillooet Entrepreneur Accelerator Program (LEAP) contact the HUB or one of the listed partners above.

Interested parties in creating a social enterprise should be able to access plenty of information on the topic and have the tools necessary to begin planning from this guide.

Introduction

The following resources are introductory materials that give the basics of what a social enterprise is. Short, easy to follow, and packed full of information!

  1. HUB Presentation – What Is a Social Enterprise?
    A brief overview of definitions of social enterprise, examples and terminology related to the social innovation field, presented at the Community Connect HUB in Lillooet.
  2. Investopedia – Social Enterprise Definition
    Answering questions about social enterprise in 1-6 pages.
  3. Start a Social Enterprise – Government of Canada
    Tools and information from the Government on how to create a social enterprise from scratch.
  4. Innoweave – Social Enterprise Info Session
    Presentation on Social Enterprise – that also dives into how to plan your social enterprise with the idea of what social change you want to create. “Theory of Change”
  5. Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation – BC Social Initiatives
    List of social initiatives in British Columbia, to inform and inspire
  6. Thrive – Social Enterprise Tools
    1-page document with clear tools that will help at different stages of the social enterprise.
  7. Thrive – Agency Self-Assessment
    An assessment to see if your non-profit is ready to create a social enterprise venture.

Planning

These resources will help you plan and identify how the social enterprise could operate.

  1. BC Centre for Social Enterprise -“Just Do It” Lean Approach
    Article on the Lean Approach and how to achieve a minimum viable product.
  2. TRICO – The Blender Canvas Workbook – Plan your Social Enterprise
    Use this canvassing tool to plan your social enterprise according to your mission.
  3. Ingrid Burkett (Griffith University) – Using the Business Model Canvas for Enterprise Design
    Detailed guide in how to develop a business model canvas with a social purpose.

Social Finance

The area of social finance is expanding, as funders and investors want to target where they are putting their money – to create social impact. Social financing options should be explored when developing a social enterprise.

  1. Imagine Canada – State of Social Finance in Canada’s Charitable Sector
    Learn more about what social finance is and how to build capacity through finance.
  2. CF Leadership Institute – Advances in the Social Economy
    A learning module and workbook that reviews the social economy in a general sense.

Growing

These guides are for when you are ready to SCALE UP and grow your started social enterprise.

  1. Innoweave – Scaling Social Impact Info Session
    Presentation on scaling up, out, and growing impact in existing organizations.
  2. Stanford Social Innovation – Scaling Impact
    “Get 100x the results with 2x the organization” by Jeffrey Bradach
  3. Buy Social Canada – Social Enterprise Certification
    Guide to getting a certification if you are a social enterprise that sells products.
  4. Vancity – Financial Fitness Handbook – Enterprising Exercises
    Handbook for social enterprise managers, executive directors, board members, and business partners operating at the 2–3-year mark.

Detailed Guides

  1. ENP – The Canadian Social Enterprise Guide 2nd Edition
    A large document that lists everything you need to know about social enterprise. 134 pages.
  2. Shaun Loney – The Problem Solver’s Companion – Practitioner’s Guide to Starting Social Enterprise
    Detailed and visually appealing social enterprise guide. 40 pages.

Books

  1. Succeeding at Social Enterprise – Hard Won Lessons (Social Enterprise Alliance) 2010.
  2. Scaling Up Business Solutions to Social Problems – A Practical Guide for Social and Corpo- rate Entrepreneurs (Olivier Kayser, Valeria Budinich) 2015.
  3. Powering Social Enterprise with Profit and Purpose (Scott Boyer, Jeremey Gudauaskas and Mike Hamel) 2023.

At this time, these resource links are hosted on the Lillooet Area Library Association’s website, un- der the subject guide “Tools & Resources for Organizations”.

In the next year, the HUB will have these resources on our website for the public to explore.