In early 2019, I began actively looking to work with social enterprise business — and relaunched The Allyson Group with this shift in brand focus.

This shift came from an inclination toward business solutions that focus on service to people. The idea that service to people can be profitable appeals to me. Many of the most successful companies are mission-driven, in my humble opinion. All the best companies are corporate “citizens.” This means to me that they hold the wellbeing of their communities as a primary concern, even as they earn profits to sustain themselves and their employees’ families. Their business model is structured to address a pressing social need.

That’s who we want to work with, pure and simple. So let’s talk about social enterprise.

What is a Social Enterprise?

What’s a social enterprise? How is it different from a nonprofit? Glad you asked!

The Social Enterprise Alliance suggests the following basic working definition:

Organizations that address a basic unmet need or solve a social or environmental problem through a market-driven approach.

The Good Trade describes it this way:

Think of it this way–a social enterprise exists to achieve a social mission–such as providing healthcare or safe drinking water…, introducing renewable energy, creating jobs for the unemployed, or advancing education initiatives.

The L3C – or “Low-profit Limited Liability Company ” – designation identifies the social enterprise business for IRS tax purposes. Candid Learning offers this definition of the L3C:

…a for-profit with a nonprofit soul

The Foundation Center also posted this video for the deep dive on L3Cs. This social enterprise / L3C segment of business is growing in strength and power quickly because young capitalists believe in business as a force for good.

Shopping Your Values

The internet has connected us to the whole world – so that we see the PEOPLE on the other end of our government’s policy decisions, our businesses’ operational decisions, and our own buying decisions. Many consumers actually care where their stuff comes from and, increasingly, they shop their values. We may love “fast fashion” but be disgusted by the labor practices that produce cheap clothing for our closets. That kind of fashion is also the world’s biggest polluter (did you know that??? I didn’t!). Knowing that, you get to make a choice; and more consumers are making buying decisions based on factors like these.

Luckily, today it’s easy to find out who is who. Brands like The Good Trade, Brightly, and Good Carts can help you s hop with brands that share those same values, whether around sustainability or social progress for humans.

At the same time, more and more members of the Millennials, Gen Y, and Gen Z generations refuse to work in meaningless jobs. They want meaning. The world is a mess and they want to innovate solutions. Even if they are a cog in a wheel (a big company, say), they want to be moving toward something positive – a greener world, a cleaner world, a more just world.

This is the intersection where social enterprise lives, and the sector is growing strong.

Serving Social Enterprise as Content Writers

How can content writers help a social enterprise?

Social enterprise businesses need what all businesses need. A strong communications strategy and a framework for implementing it. They need a very clear understanding of who their target audiences are. They need to know who else is operating in their market space – whether or not they think of them as “competitors.”

Like nonprofits, they may need to connect not just on a business-to-consumer level, but with other types of people as well. They may need to talk to foundations that support work in their sector. They need individual donors and family foundations to know that they exist and to see the impact of their work. They may need volunteers to help them bootstrap ambitious new ideas without major hits to their budgets. and, if they are producing products, they also need to identify and connect with their best customers.

That’s where we can help.

e know we love these types enterprises. They are energetic! Some have already had a measure of success–and need only to uplevel their brands to start attracting serious money. Some are bootstrapping a startup with just their passion and a lot of heart.

Know anyone who needs us? Please send them to this page where they can schedule a time to talk through their project.

We do pay referral bonuses – so there’s a little something in it for you too!

We ask people: “Are you seeking earned income through the activities of your business – while executing a mission to do good in the world? We just might be your communications team. Give us a call to talk about it!”

Is your business a “social enterprise?” We want to help you elevate your brand message and extend your reach. We want to help you attract the people who can help you, as volunteers, funders, partners – tribe. Let’s get you to your tribe.

Better yet, let’s use targeted brand messaging to get them coming to you!