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

Dear Roozt fans,

All of us here at Roozt have so much to be thankful for this year and on the very top of our list of thanks is for all of you!  Thank you so much for being there with us from the beginning and helping us prove that even small deeds can lead to great things.  We are so excited to share our new marketplace with you in the next couple weeks and hope you consider Roozt when doing your holiday shopping this year!  We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with family, friends, food and fun.

  Faithfully yours,

The Roozt Family

There is something very unique and dear about knowing the person who carefully handcrafted the bag or earrings you’re wearing.  It builds a connection to a piece that no mass-produced accessory can achieve.  Well Five Accessories, a Fair Trade, eco-friendly social enterprise is taking that concept to do good – five individuals at a time.

Five Accessories’ mission is to ‘empower and deliver sustainable livelihoods for workers and their communities through the sale of eco friendly and fair trade locally made products.’  Their artisans create handbags, sustainable jewelry and recycled purses that are sold in over 100 stores nationwide.  Their most recent products feature their Cambodia, Bali and Chicago lines.

Five Accessories and Roozt want to share the power of people-to-people businesses by giving away a free Calypso bag and wallet and keychain to three lucky winners!  All the items were created from recycled mosquito nets and the wallets were specially handcrafted by Sophea, chief tailor for Smateria in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  Sophea started working with Five Accessories’ Cambodia partners, Smateria, back in 2005.  She was unemployed at the time and her husband was a moto taxi driver.  She has risen from being a cleaner of recycled mosquito netting used for bags and has now made enough to purchase a house for her family in the countryside where she is from.  Like all of the company’s partners, Smateria uses Fair Trade labor practices to ensure that the workers are treated with respect and paid fairly.

Enter for your chance to win one of these handmade accessories by following the contest rules below!

It’s almost that time of year when children of all ages get to play pretend and indulge in treats.  It’s so easy to get swept up into the gluttony of Halloween so here are 5 tips on how to make this year a year of giving back.

courtesy of Parents.com

1. Find your costume at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army – How many naughty nurses and pimp costumes is too much? This year, think outside your normal Halloween costume supply stores and visit a thrift store to create your own one-of-a-kind, wallet-friendly outfit.  In the process, you’ll also be benefiting others by purchasing from organizations who support those in need.

2. Roast your pumpkin seeds for a natural, healthy snack – It’s fun to decorate pumpkins, but remember that it’s also a vegetable!  For a wonderful fall snack, clean off the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin, lay them flat on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil and salt then bake in a 300 Degree oven for 40 minutes.  You’ll be making double duty of your Halloween staple!

3. Bring Fair Trade alcohol and treats to the party – Now that we are too old to go trick-or-treating, enjoying a good old fashioned Halloween party is a must.  Still, remember to try and support Fair Trade products by picking up a bottle of Fair. Quinoa Vodka or Etica Chardonnay for your friends. For a grown-up treat, also try Coco-Zen Halloween Chocolate bars to make everyone really feel like a kid again.

4. Donate candy to soldiers – Have a ton of leftover candy and need a way to get rid of the temptation?  Operation Gratitude is a wonderful way to support our troops by sending over packages of candy or snacks to those serving overseas.  This year, convince the trick-or-treaters around you to offer some of their candy to Operation Gratitude for the sweetest treat of all.

5. Host a Halloween party for a non-profit – nothing is more fun than inviting your friends over and having a costume contest.  Put a twist to this year’s festivities by opening your party up and gathering donations for your favorite charity.  It’s a great way to meet new friends and also celebrate the non-profit that you support!

Have a safe and socially-conscious Halloween!

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Here at Roozt, we are sipping our free Earth Day Starbucks coffee from reusable mugs and enjoying the lovely sunshine. We know that it is the small changes in our lifestyle that can make all the difference! So we invite you to join us in Earth Day celebrations.

Here are some basic tips to get your started… But think outside the (recyclable) box!

1. Fill a bowl with cold water and wash fruit and vegetables this way, instead of letting water from a faucet run over them.

2. Arrange furniture to take advantage of natural light from windows. Place desks and reading chairs next to windows to cut down on the need and use of supplemental, artificial light during the day.

3. Configure your printer to print on both sides of the paper!

4. Bring your own bags to the supermarket. Not only are you saving plastic, but reusable grocery bags are usually bigger and sturdier, anyway.

5. Hit the light switch when you walk out of the room!

6. Turn off the oven ten to fifteen minutes before cooking time runs out; don’t worry, food will continue to cook without using the extra electricity.

7. Pay as many bills as possible online to reduce paper use.

8. Fix those leaky faucets.

9. Limit the time you spend in the shower to just a few minutes.

10. Turn off your computer when you’re not using it (even setting it to “sleep” mode still uses power).

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ROOZT EARTH DAY PROMO – tell us how you’re celebrating Earth Day!

1. Go to facebook.com/rooztdeals and post on our wall what you’re doing for Earth Day. No action is too big or too small: be creative, have fun, and be green! (Bonus points for uploaded pictures and/or tagging “@Roozt.com” on your own Facebook wall)

2. As a reward, we will be giving away (1) $40 Roozt.com gift card for the most impressive action, as well as (3) $10 Roozt.com gift cards for the top 3 people with the most voted “likes” on their Earth Day posts or pictures!

3. So spread the word, tell your friends to help you win, and get green! We’ll be accepting posts through next Friday the 29th.