Some of the most successful social entrepreneurs say that you should differentiate knowing and understanding. When you “know” something, it means you are aware of it or able to recognize and express it. But when you ‘understand’ something, you remember its  information so that you can connect it to others. Understanding something also can make you able to explain about it and perceive its significance and deeper details. The most valuable part of understanding is that you are truly learning something and being able to apply it into different situations. For example, you learn a lesson when you experience a certain situation. If you did understand about the situation, you are able to apply your knowledge and own method on similar situations. So, understanding something that makes you learn can be your power, a guide, a shortcut, and etc.

How to Become a Successful Social Entrepreneur. (2020). Retrieved 24 December 2020, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/how-to-become-a-successful-social-entrepreneur/360286

The above article is about the writer’s opinion about how to become a successful social entrepreneur. In the description, the writer says that become an actor between government and consumers. It is impossible to create social changes for any government, NGO, and even social enterprises alone, so you should recognize this and serve politics and complicate social systems to make those changes. 

Also, there are a few more tips that writers give to us. First is ‘Replacing a key technology with one that costs less’. Developed countries don’t really care about the cost of certain essential technology, but this actually *matters* in the other regions around the world. Second is ‘Creating new technology to empower communities’. By developing technological infrastructures, we can change how people see the world around them and access funding for projects. Third, the last one, is ‘Repurposing existing technology’. Because modern developments are focused only on people who can afford these services, countries that are economically less-developed can bring technological advancements but it is difficult to apply them for making any difference. 

I thought that all the sort of main ways the writer examined are also important to be a successful social entrepreneur. Also, I think that maybe the writer wanted to tell us that thinking creatively, critically, and progressively will be very important to success.

The Critical Role Green Social Entrepreneurs Need To (And Should) Play At Upcoming COP Meetings. (2022). Retrieved 24 Jan 2023, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-ae/entrepreneurs/the-critical-role-green-social-entrepreneurs-need-to-and/431343 

COP, stands for conference of the parties, is a conference that all world leaders gather to discuss climate changes and environmental issues. The article above describes what kind of role green social entrepreneurs have to play for this meeting. In COP, interviews with leading green social entrepreneurs valuably contributes to the discussions and suggests sort of solutions. The report has sorted out 5 ways in which the entrepreneurs can add value. 

First is ‘Providing practical solutions’. Green social entrepreneurs have to develop and localize practical solutions to real climate problems right in front of us. The solutions mostly ranged from sustainable agriculture and food waste reduction, to renewable energy, recycling technologies, and sustainable e-commerce platforms. Second is ‘Raise awareness’. The green social entrepreneurs have to raise environmental awareness by promoting their own solutions, and some should be focused on this objective. Third is 

Drive an ecosystem for changemakers’. The entrepreneurs should also strengthen the ecosystem and help green startups. Fourth is ‘Support corporate sustainability’. They can take their chances to support larger organizations developing their environmental capabilities. Fifth is ‘Influence policy making’. All green social entrepreneurs can consult the governments on policy making. Through this, they can support them to make effective policies to solve such problems. 

I believe that discussing solutions for public benefit and encouraging green startups to gather around and cooperate for better results seems very helpful to solve such problems more than arguing personal opinions. This would be helpful to me when I join meetings on environmental issues.

How to set your goal?

You’re becoming a social entrepreneur because you want to solve a problem. It will be mostly related to social problems happening around your environment. It can also be about greater things in the world, but I believe achieving simple things is a better way to start some activity. When you are setting your goal or a particular social service that you want to serve, you should objectively set your plan and cite a SMART goal in it. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Referring to these criteria when you set your goal can help you succeed as a social entrepreneur, achieve your goal, and contribute to the public benefits.

To set your goal specifically, you need some effort in the planning step. Not just writing down what you want to accomplish, how you will drive yourself through to solve the problem, how long you estimate that takes to solve it, how many people would be needed, where and when it is going to have happened, and a lot more information should be prepared and planned in your mind or whatever to be readied as a social entrepreneur.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: List of Skills with Examples. (2021). Retrieved 22 December 2022, from https://www.valamis.com/hub/hard-skills-vs-soft-skills 

To succeed as a social entrepreneur

To succeed as a social entrepreneur, hard and soft skills will be required. Hard skills are about skills and abilities to perform a specific role. For example, hard skills can be interpreting, planning, projecting, managing, marketing, engineering, and more. On the other hand, soft skills are more focused on abilities to perform ‘interpersonal activities.’ Skills such as communicating, leadership, time management, critical and creative thinking, adaptability, etc. Not only hard skills and soft skills but also other essential factors exist that are more likely to be successful as a social entrepreneur. For example, gaining credibility from your teammates, keeping a persistent attitude toward the goal, having good teamwork(not about the strong degrees like Ph.D., it only makes it worse), being resilient, and analyzing past failures are important skills for the successful social entrepreneur.

Fundamental skills and languages in businesses also are essential in social enterprises. The particular reason for this circumstance is that social enterprise is a derived form of business. This is because running a social enterprise makes it easier to face such financial problems, team conflicts, and miscommunications more often than running an ordinary for-profit business. Therefore, business skills and languages are essential to safely and wisely run a social enterprise.

Some often argue that social enterprises must be non-profit because they are built to solve social problems, not for the owner’s wealth. I can strongly disagree with them because even if a particular social enterprise is for-profit or non-profit, what is important is that they put their mission before profit. 

(2022). Retrieved 16 December 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrQuGTvwl0s

A complete guide on Social Enterprise Impact | Sopact. (2022). Retrieved 16 December 2022, from https://www.sopact.com/social-enterprise 

Social Entrepreneurship

What is social entrepreneurship? Social entrepreneurship is a type of business that identifies social problems that need to be solved for the public benefit. Social entrepreneurship is available to approach ordinary enterprises, social services, and engagements creatively. What makes social entrepreneurship different from ordinary businesses is that it could be for-profit or non-profit. Still, it aims to solve social problems rather than accumulating the business owner’s wealth and estate. As ordinary businesses focus on expanding their business when it becomes profitable, social entrepreneurs can make decisions with their cause without taking other ways that might make money. 

Then, why is social entrepreneurship important? What kind of social impacts do social enterprises make in the community? For some problems, a for-profit business may be better suited to solving them. The businesses can make profits to expand what it is doing and address and solve problems they might have found. 

Besides, social enterprises may be less suitable for making a profit. Still, we can count on their positive impacts on the community, such as job creation, health care for the most vulnerable members, environmental protection, etc. Social enterprises are organizations that face the problems society has to go through. They are hard-working at the frontiers for the public, for us. Even when the priority for ordinary businesses would be profit, the very first priority for social enterprises is solving such social services they are serving.