Thursday, September 29, 2011
Echoing Green Fellowship Application is Announced :Take this opportunity to become social business leader
Could you use up to $90,000 to launch your idea to solve the world’s most difficult problems? Echoing Green identifies promising social entrepreneurs with bold ideas and provides them with up to $90,000 in seed funding, strategic support, and a powerful community of nearly 500 other Fellows and Alumni. Online application open December 5, 2011 to January 9, 2012. Sign up to receive the latest news: http://bit.ly/p8euX1. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/oBczc6.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
THE END OF POVERTY: Examples of social Businesses
In business the number one priority is profit maximization.The question most business men and women ask themselves is how do we increase our profit margin.So they come up with different models and projects to achieve this goal.As people in the business world we think of concepts like demand and supply, customer satisfaction and experience.Another important question is what market demographic to target.So we carry out research and draw pie charts and graphs and things like that.But we fail to see the fact standing in front of us that there is a market with the highest demographic and potential for profit if properly harnessed. That market demographic is made up of poor and physically challenged people .
Yes it is hard to see why big corporation would want to make products for this demographic but if we look closely at the figures it would be a prudent decision to make. Over three billion people live in the world live in poverty today and 80 percent of the worlds population lives on less than $10 a day .Imagine a business model that could take into account the needs of the poor and still make profit....That is truely a social business.Imagine saving the world and making clean money while doing it...That would be the dream of any truely humane individual.
The social business model lets you do this.The number of people in need is enormous and products to meet their needs are few.If businesses could provide such products it would result in a two way success story.This is the basis of social business to try to resolve social issues while earning a reasonable amount of profit.
Here are a few examples of social businesses:
Grameen Danone Foods Ltd.
is a profit-oriented business that is owned by the poor or other underprivileged parts of the society, who can gain through receiving direct dividends or by indirect benefits. Grameen Bank, being owned by the poor, is the prime example of this type of business model, Grameen Danone, which is Yunus* prototype social business was launched in 2005. It's social mission is to address malnutrition in Bangladesh, by providing products, such as yoghurt, containing many of the nutrients missing in an impoverished child's diet and providing these products at a price affordable to everyone. Grameen Danone received seed capital and in-kind support from dairy products company, Danone and the brand credibility leant by Yunus' well-known micro-finance company, Grameen Bank.
These are a few examples of social businesses that are changing the concept of doing business.The world needs more social businesses to make life easier for less privilegded people.
* Prof. Muhammad Yunus was the first to describe the social business model in his books Creating a world without poverty - Social Business and the future of capitalism and Building Social Business - The new kind of capitalism that serves humanity's most pressing needs)
Yes it is hard to see why big corporation would want to make products for this demographic but if we look closely at the figures it would be a prudent decision to make. Over three billion people live in the world live in poverty today and 80 percent of the worlds population lives on less than $10 a day .Imagine a business model that could take into account the needs of the poor and still make profit....That is truely a social business.Imagine saving the world and making clean money while doing it...That would be the dream of any truely humane individual.
The social business model lets you do this.The number of people in need is enormous and products to meet their needs are few.If businesses could provide such products it would result in a two way success story.This is the basis of social business to try to resolve social issues while earning a reasonable amount of profit.
Here are a few examples of social businesses:
Grameen Danone Foods Ltd.
It is the children of Bangladesh who frequently suffer from serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Grameen Danone Foods Ltd., a social business joint venture of Danone and Grameen in Bogra/Bangladesh, has provided effective assistance: It produces and distributes yoghurt enriched with vitamin A, zinc, and iodine – a mixture that exactly meets the nourishment needs of the children. Moreover, at a price that approximates 6 Eurocent per cup, it is affordable for the poor and even the poorest. Grameen Danone’s social business goal benefits everyone in the chain of value: purchasing, the local dairy industry, production, new regional jobs; in distribution, where it has made it possible for the so-called “Grameen Ladies“ to earn enough to support their needs.
You will find further information about Grameen Danone on the following web pages of the Danone Group:
Pegasus GmbH
Pegasus GmbH, in Berlin (Germany) is an extraordinary service provider. At Pegasus physically or mentally disabled individuals pursue quite ordinary career with the help and support of other employees. Indeed, their work is quite successful in the market place – with a wide range of activities that include construction and painting, facility management and IT support, as well as gastronomy and catering. Pegasus not only satisfies the widest range of customer needs, but also provides work to 100 employees based on their individual abilities and inclinations.
For further information go to the web site of Pegasus:
Grameen Danone.is a profit-oriented business that is owned by the poor or other underprivileged parts of the society, who can gain through receiving direct dividends or by indirect benefits. Grameen Bank, being owned by the poor, is the prime example of this type of business model, Grameen Danone, which is Yunus* prototype social business was launched in 2005. It's social mission is to address malnutrition in Bangladesh, by providing products, such as yoghurt, containing many of the nutrients missing in an impoverished child's diet and providing these products at a price affordable to everyone. Grameen Danone received seed capital and in-kind support from dairy products company, Danone and the brand credibility leant by Yunus' well-known micro-finance company, Grameen Bank.
These are a few examples of social businesses that are changing the concept of doing business.The world needs more social businesses to make life easier for less privilegded people.
* Prof. Muhammad Yunus was the first to describe the social business model in his books Creating a world without poverty - Social Business and the future of capitalism and Building Social Business - The new kind of capitalism that serves humanity's most pressing needs)
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