Investment into SEEBs (3/3) — Bridging To The Future

You can start this mini-series here.

Professor Muhammad Yunus is a well-known and widely respected social entrepreneur. He is the founder and manager of Grameen Bank and was recently awarded the no. 3 spot in Salt Magazine’s list of the top 100 Compassionate Business Leaders.

Not to mention his Nobel Peace Prize…

Yunus established the microfinance revolution in Bangladesh with the belief that everyone had a right to credit. His family of over 50 social venture businesses have helped millions of people in rural communities access small loans and microfinance.

Bridging to the Future’s origins lie in investing in new businesses and new entrepreneurs; we started with a commitment to support and coach talented leaders and community action and this is the basis of our belief in the strength of economic independence.

So, we can say that Bridging to the Future is a SEEB. If this series of articles has struck a chord, we would like to encourage and enable you to become a part of this growing movement.

How can we get things started?

We should teach the differences between SEEBs and ‘normal’ businesses in schools, colleges and universities; we should educate the decision makers and the influential figures. If you think you have a solution to a local need, start a business yourself! Do things better than other suppliers, work in partnerships, listen to people and understand what they want, what they need, and what they will pay for. Then innovate, be creative and reinvest your profits into your area.
The crucial point is to start. With SEEBs, as with everything, the whole is other than the sum of its parts, and so you should believe and have confidence — you are not alone!

If you are thinking about setting up a business, click here to learn about the 3Q Model.

DT