What is a social enterprise?

Let Michael Sheen and Chris Addison give you the low down on what makes a business a social enterprise…

In essence, social enterprises are businesses that are changing the world for the better.

Like traditional businesses they aim to make a profit but it’s what they do with their profits that sets them apart – reinvesting or donating them to create positive social change. Social enterprises are in our communities and on our high streets, from coffee shops and cinemas, to pubs and leisure centres, banks and bus companies.

By selling goods and services in the open market, social enterprises create employment and reinvest their profits back into their business or the local community. This allows them to tackle social problems, improve people’s life chances, provide training and employment opportunities for those furthest from the market, support communities and help the environment.

Well known examples include The Big Issue, Belu Water and the Eden Project but there are over 100,000 social enterprises across the country contributing £60 billion to the economy and employing two million people.

They’re creating jobs and opportunities for those most marginalised from the workforce, transforming the communities they work in and making the Sustainable Development Goals a reality. It’s business for good and when they profit, society profits.

You can support these incredible businesses by buying from them – join the revolution!

Find out where you can Buy Social here.

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