Social Enterprise
Social Enterprises are businesses which, while seeking to make a profit and succeed commercially, use their profit to create a positive impact.
How they operate, who they employ and how they use their profit is based around a social or environmental purpose.
They will have a clear mission which will be set out in their governing document and will re-invest or donate a significant percentage of profits to achieving their aims. A large proportion of their income will come from trading, as opposed to funding.
Social Enterprises can take a variety of legal forms: community interest company; sole trader; cooperative; company limited by guarantee; SCIO; etc . Social Enterprise UK provides a guide to starting up.
Support for Social Enterprises can also be found at:
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action can provide local support to social enterprises and run an Aberdeenshire Social Enterprise Network
