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Have you ever thought to start your own company? What would be its main aim? Can this aim be more oriented towards a social cause or the environment? If yes, then your idea can not only become an enterprise but a social one!
So, what is social enterprise?
A social enterprise is a business that offers new ideas for wide-scale social and environmental impact. More specifically, it unites the passion of a social mission with a business idea, innovation and determination. Therefore, its main objective is to have a social impact rather than make a profit.
In other words, a social enterprise can be a restaurant that employs people with disabilities, a company that recycles all materials, or even a store that provides a pair of shoes to people in need when a pair of shoes is being sold. Through companies like these, people in need are offered help, the ones with fewer opportunities are included in the society and the labour market and more emphasis is given to the environment.
How is social entrepreneurship evolving through the years?
In fact, social entrepreneurship has started gaining popularity in many countries due to many reasons. Its innovation, its aim to help and contribute to society, as well as its imperative to social change are just some of the reasons why more social enterprises have been founded over the last years.
Moreover, the European Commission aims to create a favourable financial, administrative and legal environment for these enterprises so they can operate on an equal footing with other types of enterprises. Then, EU countries have adopted new legislation at a national level in order for start-ups to become social enterprises in their countries. Many are the benefits proposed by national governments in order to motivate and encourage people to start their own social enterprise such as lower tax rates and funding opportunities.
Therefore, the Erasmus+ KA2 ruraLAB project aims to help young people better understand social entrepreneurship. More specifically, it focuses on equipping young people in rural areas with tools and skills in social entrepreneurship, thus preventing them from leaving for urban areas and preventing these areas, which are rich in tourist and ecological resources and have economic potential, from becoming empty.
