Critical Success Factor 6: Must be Scalable and Sustainable

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The social enterprise model being contemplated must be scalable and sustainable.

The ChallengeTo be viable, the social enterprise you choose must be scalable beyond the break-even point, and should grow to a target profit level your nonprofit organization can manage and sustain. Profits earned will help augment or replace funding from the government and other sources that continues to shrink, or becomes harder to qualify for.

Assuming your social enterprise model meets the first 5 critical success factors we discussed in ...

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not for profit, small business, strategy

Critical Success Factor 5: Proportionate Allocation of Resources

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The social enterprise model being contemplated must not require a disproportionate allocation of resources, which could impair the mission.

What essential resources are needed?

1. Financial

2. Infrastructure

  • Job Task Analysis: defines what needs to be done and who will do it
  • Organizational Design: defines the management and reporting structure
  • Electronic Records Management: defines how information is stored digitally
  • Paper Records Management: defines how information is stored physically
  • Work Space Planning: defines how workspace is functionally configured
  • Service Delivery Process: defines how your core operations work
  • Operations Manual: defines how ...
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not for profit, small business, strategy

Critical Success Factor 4: Funding and Resources… Culture Matters, too!

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When a nonprofit selects a social enterprise to create, it must have, or be able to access the funding needed to launch, grow and sustain the model. If the npo also needs to augment its staffing, management or infrastructure resources to support the model, a strategic alliance or outsourcing may provide cost-effective solutions.

How much money and other resources will it take?

As is true for any new enterprise, a business plan needs to be developed to state social and financial goals, ...

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strategy

Critical Success Factor 3: Differentiation

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In my last post (Does your social enterprise model have market viability?), I shared some insights and market research tools to help you determine if there was a market for your proposed social enterprise model.

Assuming the answer was a resounding yes, it is also important that the enterprise be able to differentiate itself within its competitive space, meaning:

It will provide a product or service that has unique qualities, perceived or real, which distinguish it from competing products or services, ...

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strategy

Critical Success Factor 2: Market Viability

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In my last post we stressed the most important criterion a social enterprise must meet, namely that it is consistent with and supports mission.

Assuming that this is indeed the case, it must now meet the second criterion: it must have market viability.

Key questions that will need to be answered:

  • Is there really a market for this enterprise?
  • Who will the customers be?
  • Is it a growing market?
  • What’s the competitive landscape?
  • What are the barriers to entry (e.g. high operating and/or marketing costs, expensive technology, ...
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strategy

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