By the authors’ definition, social enterprises are businesses whose purpose is to change the world for the common good. And “Mission, Inc.” is a practitioner’s guide of building and sustaining such businesses of unique nature.
Maybe you too share the same sentiment with me and wonder why our economy rewards businesses that do not bear the full cost of the products they sell, passing the true cost to our next generations or the indigenous peoples. There are initiatives out there such as the Equator Principles (see Wikipedia) as guidelines for the institutions to finance with the environmental and social responsibilities in mind. And there are social enterprises of various forms – for-profit or nonprofit – that compete with the traditional business. As the authors rightfully put, to change the world, your business has to be successful. To be successful as a social enterprise faces a different set of challenges. “Mission, Inc.” tackles these challenges by unlocking the ten paradoxes of social enterprise interjects with lots of concise and relevant tips and formula.
Kevin Lynch is the president of Rebuild Resources and Julius Walls, Jr. is the president and CEO of Greyston Bakery. Both come with solid credential in this topic. I would describe their book collaboration as passionate, honest, packed with useful tools and real life stories from more than a dozen social enterprises.
Though I am not from the social enterprise background, there are quite a number of major takeaways for me. I enjoy reading the various aspects of running a business condensed into something easy to absorb. Like how to derive a business plan, how to read the company financials (I am hopeless when it comes to balance sheet and income statement), the practical ways to enhance the internal process within an organization, and more. For those who are already in this business or planning to join one, “Mission, Inc.” is a strong recommendation. For the rest, “Mission, Inc.” opens our eyes to the reality of using business for the common good. I am very keen to see the day when social enterprise passes the tipping point. What a world it would be.
Paperback: 187 pages
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (January 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1576754790
ISBN-13: 978-1576754795
You may wish to get the book from Amazon.com