Starting A Social Enterprise With No Relevant Background

[Guest]

Question for entrepreneurs... (I've also posted this question to a UK business forum but I'd be interested in hearing your perspectives)

After a lot of soul-searching, I have decided I want to set up a social enterprise. I want to do this because building a mechanism for positive social change seems to be the most compellingly meaningful thing I can do with my life, and because I believe that the social enterprise movement is the most pragmatic vehicle for social change within the late capitalist landscape. Perhaps I’m coming at this from an unconventional angle, starting more from idealism than a business background or with a specific goal in mind. I haven't decided on a niche or even a sector yet. Nevertheless, it’s where I want to go and I’m just trying to work out an efficient way of getting there. I'm just looking for a reality check in the early stages of my thinking.

What I’m concerned with is my lack of resources. Here are my handicaps: (1) My academic background is in music, and since graduation I have been working in IT (both are fields I intend to gravitate away from). (2) I don’t have many useful contacts. (3) I'll really be starting from scratch business knowledge-wise. (4) I only have £15K ($20.8K) capital. (5) Although I have some useful personality traits and soft skills, I don’t possess many relevant technical skills.

I’m aware that it probably seems naïve and a perhaps a bit silly to be talking about doing this with so little to offer. My question, however, is: are sheer determination and fast learning enough to put me in a position to realistically make this happen? Is it possible to teach yourself the skills needed, learning as you go along, or will I need to get some more relevant work experience beforehand?

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by Stretch

[Clay]

You seem thoughtful and driven. I don't fully comprehend what this social enterprise you want to build will consist of (whether it's a software platform, organized events, social network, combination of these, etc.) but I believe you have the proper resources to execute your idea. You don't need to build your entire project yourself, utilizing all your skills. You have a lot of capital, and for less than a quarter of it, with proper planning and managing, you can outsource your idea and get it completed into an active product/brand. Rather then spend the time learning skills to do the numerous different bottom-level jobs that are necessary to complete your project, learn skills to be effective at outsourcing and managing your project.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Clay Curl

[abrakamowse]

I don't know but maybe this article can be of help:

 

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/05/how-to-make-money-from-your-blog/

 

[gian]

@Stretch i recently graduated with my MBA and I really don't even feel like i would have a great idea on how to plan all that out from scratch hahaha. BUT, with the proper research (and the fact you have that much starting capital) and focusing on what it exactly is you want to build you would be better off than most people in my opinion.

do you have a clearly defined goal or at least a direction you want to go in? your ideas sound quite broad, but definitely malleable into something concrete (i didn't intend that to sound like an oxymoron) if you put the time into it.

i would strongly recommend checking out some material from Tai Lopez or others alike. He is more business oriented, and does offer some online courses for business development/entrepreneurs. (i am current watching his 67 step program and find it very helpful)

also, if you have a LinkedIn account, i would try and find some professionals (or even those just starting out) in a similar sector or niche and pick their brain. (even if they are not in a certain niche, just someone who is involved in business development, or any line of work that they may have some valuable knowledge)

feel free to personal message me. i am pretty fresh out of grad school and am in my searching process for my "life purpose" and honing in on finding fulfilling work for myself. id like to try and give you some broad ideas on where/how to begin if you'd like.