Bill Gates is often hailed as one of the most generous entrepreneurs in the world and campaign in January saw the Microsoft founder encourage business builders to create enterprises from poo.
No, his estimated $81.1bn wealth hasn’t driven him insane – Gates was promoting the launch of a new system designed to treat waste and purify it into drinking water. Elsewhere, it was revealed in the summer that more than 50 tech and digital entrepreneurs from UK firms are supporting social good through the Founders Pledge. The commitment sees them donate at least two per cent of their salaries, which has generated more than £18.5m. David Goldberg, director of Founders Forum for Good, said: “Social responsibility is growing in importance to society today. This reality is regularly backed-up in consumer and business surveys alike and to my mind there has never been a stronger case for helping to facilitate like-minded people with a way to leverage their success for a greater good.” As such, the National Enterprise Network and social entrepreneur body UnLtd have discovered that 27 per cent of people looking to develop a business are doing so because they have social or community purposes in mind. It reveals that Brits are motivated by social objectives and calls out for enterprise support groups to ensure they have the right guidance in place for entrepreneurs of that ilk, such as access to social finance and sourcing volunteers. Read more on philanthropy:
Indeed, the report found that nine per cent of people looking for help aren’t able to secure the required information and aid to develop social goals in the business plan. “There’s a swell of people stepping up to tackle some of society’s greatest problems with entrepreneurial solutions – but they need the right support to start well and thrive,” said Cliff Prior, CEO of UnLtd. “We want enterprise organisations to ensure social entrepreneurs get off to the best start, and this research shows that even more can be done to ensure that potential social entrepreneurs can access the support they need.” The government should ensure conscientious entrepreneurs are sent in the right direction, according to UnLtd, especially given the Conservatives pledge to “give more people the power and support” for social enterprise development. Anna Soubry, small business minister, was in agreement with the findings and said she’s pleased to see social is becoming central to the way people approach business. Dawn Whiteley, CEO of the National Enterprise Network, added: “Our membership has had the view for some time that there is a growing number of those they are helping to start a business who are motivated by much more than just profit. “We now want to work with government and others to ensure those entrepreneurs, as well as any others, get all the help and support they need to give them the very best chance of creating businesses which flourish for the longer term.” By Zen Terrelonge
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.