Diving into entrepreneurship is a commendable action. Deciding to plunge into social entrepreneurship is enlightening. However, deciding to build a business that turns a profit while benefiting the earth and humanity poses great challenges. Cynics believe there’s no way to do good, while reaping financial rewards. We beg to differ. Here are five keys for creating and sustaining a successful social enterprise.

Build a Brand
Unfortunately, charity is generally not thought of as “sexy”. Websites are often          clunky and packaging dull. I admire companies such as charity: water that make it an important part of their overall strategy to brand their company correctly. By aligning their look to the donors they are trying to attract, they have become extremely successful. Their magazine quality photos, sleek website, striking videos and hip merchandise are akin to a high end fashion brand, not a non-profit.

Pick Great Partners
No one can do it alone – pick the right partners for your company. At Jack’s Soap, we love our charity partner, Children of the Nations International. COTNI was the perfect choice for a partner because as we grow as a company, we can grow with them – they provide for children in 7 different countries. Currently we work with them to provide soap in a village in Haiti. Building strong relationships with many different charity partners is not easy, so the fact that we can expand beyond Haiti with the same contacts was a huge win for us. COTNI has an office here in southern California, so we can visit with them at anytime. They allow us to be completely transparent with our customers, which brings me to the next point.

Be Transparent
People are more likely to purchase a product or donate to a cause if they are 100% positive that their contribution is going to the right cause and the right place. In this day and age with social media, Google Earth, smart phones etc., there is no reason why your company can’t be open with its customers. Tell them exactly why they should be interested in your cause – who does it effect? How exactly is your company helping? Where does their money go after they pay? Krochet Kids does a fantastic job of this. Not only does their website explain exactly where and how they are making a difference, but when you purchase a hat, it comes with a tag sewn inside that is signed by the lady who made it. Go to the Krochet Kids website, search the name, and you see a photo and biography of that woman – and can even send her a message! Take the extra step and make the personal connection between your customers and your cause.

Think Locally
While building your company, you must remember to think locally about the area that you want to help. Every country is different, and sometimes you may be hurting more than helping if you do not research the local culture. Sir Richards, a one-for-one condom company, takes the extra step of thinking local – when giving to a specific area, they design a completely new brand that has cultural relevance to that place, with guidance from local artists and healthcare providers.

Provide Great Customer Service
This may seem like a basic responsibility of any company, but I feel it is even more important in a charitable organization. Glasses company Warby Parker does an incredible job at customer service. When browsing different frames on their website, the customer can upload a photo of themselves and see how it looks right then and there. If that’s not enough to decide, Warby Parker will ship you your choice of different frames to try out at home – for free. If you still aren’t sure, jump on their Facebook, post photos of you in the different frames, and they will respond with which pairs they think look the best. They will even personally call your eye doctor and ask for your prescription! Going above and beyond with customers will make them return.

Bridget Hilton is the co-founder of social start-up Jack’s Soap, founded in 2011. In addition to being immersed in the social entrepreneurship scene in Los Angeles, she does marketing for major label musicians and guest lectures at UCLA and USC Marshall School of Business.

Image Source: actasifblog.com

When a business has the single goal of generating individual success and profit, they tend to create quid pro quo partnerships. These alliances spawn out of a need to pool resources to stay competitive, but once the problem is resolved the partnership is disregarded. Back in July of 2011 when Google+ came out swinging touting its superior ability to connect friends with integrated video conferencing, Facebook and Skype quickly joined forces leveling the playing field. Fast forward to last week where Skype releases a 12 million dollar marketing campaign slamming Facebook among other social networks. While telling people to “upgrade from a wall post to a first class conversation” isn’t likely to hurt Facebook’s usership or upcoming IPO, it sends a clear signal that Skype no longer has Facebook’s best interest in mind.

As I began working in the world of social enterprise with PictureHealing, I could see tons of collaboration happening among organizations. The biggest difference was that these people had goals beyond profits. They were all fighting to inspire and create a positive change in the world. This common goal is at the heart of every social entrepreneur and creates an instant connection.

Come to a SocEnt.LA Tuesday mixer, any StartingBloc event or meet some Hub LA member and feel the positive energy, support and passion towards a positive impact. Even as I attended the Pitch Some Goodevent at SXSW where seven companies were competing with the attendees as the judges, not a negative word was said about any organization. Amy Ward put it best reflecting on that event in The Non Profit Timeswriting, “Conversations tended towards opportunities to connect people directly with each other, a theme of many of the conversations about new tools throughout SXSW hallways.”

Community and collaboration have become a staple of the Social Enterprise world with companies big and small. We’re all thinking of new ways to screw business as usual, so we can build successful sustainable companies that thrive on supporting a triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

Even if the there isn’t a clear way to partner on the business side, how can the company you work for connect with other organizations to make a difference in the community? Start simple, for example last month we joined BetterWorks for an after work clothing driving. This month we’re teaming up withRoozt.com and Philanthro Productions for a Earth Day Beach Cleanup. Events like this are not only good for the community and company interest, they also boost morale and are ridiculously fun!

One thing’s for sure, social entrepreneurs stick together. They make introductions, give honest feedback and team up on projects big and small. I can safely say I’ve got a standing frieNDA with all of the LA #SocEnt crew. Business as usual is broken and we’re working together to fix that.

Michael DeHart is the Community Guru for PictureHealing. He’s borderline obsessed with new media, harnessing emerging technologies & creatively integrating philanthropic philosophies into businesses. His goal with socially responsible strategies is to drive new traffic, improve corporate culture and foster company pride, all while increasing a business’s exposure and profits. He also enjoys cycling!

What’s up Roozters!

Roozt is back and better than ever.

Featuring the world’s sexiest cause-related brands and products all under one roof, the new Roozt lets you Discover, Shop, and Share the hottest and most inspiring companies at the click of a button.

Roozt saves you time and money by letting you browse multiple brand’s products and deal catalogues in one streamline shopping experience.

Earn points for discovering new brands, making purchases, and sharing with your friends. The more points you earn, the better the prizes and discounts you unlock.

Being a Roozter now means that you will never again sacrifice how you look for how you want to feel.

So check out the new Roozt and take the pledge to bring sexy back to giving back today!

Inspire & Be Inspired,

Brent Freeman
Founder / CEO

The watch is ticking for the launch of Roozt’s Marketplace and we are as busy as ever!  To celebrate this big occasion and also as a warm THANK YOU to all our dedicated fans, we are giving away an earthy-chic, eco-friendly WeWOOD Date Watch to one lucky winner!

WeWOOD first began in Italy as an ‘emblem of eco-luxury and design’.  The company is dedicated to the health of our planet and follows strict sustainability guidelines.  Every watch is free of artificial and toxic chemicals, leaving only the most natural touch on your skin.

To bring to life their philosophy of sustainability, WeWOOD works with American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit conservation organization, to plant one tree for every watch purchased.  Talk about bringing nature back!

Roozt is so proud to support companies like WeWOOD and all the hardworking, wonderful, socially innovative companies that we have encountered.  We can’t wait to finally give our customers a platform to shop and engage with all these businesses and hope you’ll find it as inspiring as we do!

But for now, enter for a chance to win your own WeWOOD watch and help us count down to the big day!