Several years ago when I was working on developing a social enterprise around bedbug removal, I did a lot of research. One of the best articles I read, and one to this day that I still think about, was “The Limits of Social Enterprise: A Field Study & Case Analysis”, put out by the SeedCo Policy Center in June 2007. This was an example of a well thought-out, well-planned enterprise trying to fill a clear and untapped market niche. And yet…things fell apart. The article offers some very good insight on why that was, and offers an intelligent counterpoint to some of the social-enterprise-or-bust attitudes I’ve encountered among the most ardent social enterprise proponents. The article’s authors are remarkably candid about not only what circimstances they didn’t anticipate, but also what the organization did wrong. And what might not be fixable.
I ended up calling the people at SeedCo and did a bit of a debrief with them, and I can’t thank them enough for the work (and candor) that went in to putting together this piece. A great read.