Define social enterprise
Understand what makes a business ‘social’ and what it means to be a social entrepreneur.
Explore income options
Learn the income mix and how trading, funding and investment can support your mission.
Clarify your model
Identify the need you address, the benefit you create and how profits can be used for good.
Next steps confidence
Leave with practical prompts to strengthen your vision, values and mission and plan what’s next.
About the workshop
This interactive 1-hour webinar introduces social enterprise as a way of doing business for social or environmental good. You’ll explore what it means to be a social entrepreneur, how social enterprises generate income, and how profits are used to create benefit. You’ll also map out the core building blocks for getting started: vision, values, mission, need, your model and timing. This webinar is led by one of our expert facilitators.
You will:
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explore what social enterprise means in practice
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define social entrepreneurship and social purpose
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look at the ‘income mix’ (trading, funding, contracts and more)
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understand how profits can be reinvested, donated or used to subsidise
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bring together foundations: vision, values, mission, need and model
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Get clearer on whether a social enterprise approach fits your idea
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Spot different income routes and what they’re for
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Strengthen your foundations (vision, values and mission)
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Sense-check your need, model and the benefit you want to create
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Feel more confident about your next steps
This session is a webinar format but with opportunities to interact and respond. You’ll be invited to share ideas, respond to quick polls and ask questions throughout. Our trainer will explain key concepts and real-world examples, then guide you to reflect on your own foundations.
This webinar takes place on Zoom.
Open to anyone, anywhere in the world. It’s useful for anyone who wants to understand what ‘social enterprise’ means, how the model works, and what foundations you’ll need. It might be particularly useful for people that are:
- early-stage social entrepreneurs and anyone exploring how to start a social enterprise
- wanting to explore how to create a sustainable project that does good in the world
- working in existing community, social or environmental impact projects that want to explore using social enterprise to grow and sustain their work
About the trainer
This workshop will be led by one of SSE’s specialist in-house facilitators. Each year, these facilitators deliver thousands of hours of learning and support to social enterprises across the UK. They draw on SSE’s long experience of working with funders big and small to help a diverse range of people strengthen their organisations and increase their impact.
Impact skills for anyone
Our workshops are designed for people looking to create impact, but anyone, anywhere can join.
Completely free
This workshop is free to anyone that is interested in joining.
Expert-led course
This course is delivered by one of our in-house specialists who deliver thousands of hours of learning to the impact sector every year.
Essential knowledge in an hour
Get the important information to help you lay the foundations for a social enterprise project.
Feedback about SSE workshops
87 %
of people score 8/10 or above for quality of facilitation
84 %
of people score 7/10 or above for usefulness
758
Workshop places booked in 2025
FAQ
If you have any questions that are not answered here, please feel free to contact us.
Yes, we can offer any of our workshops or completely bespoke training on request. Please contact us to discuss the options.
You are very welcome to book for multiple people but each individual joining the workshop must be booked on to join, even if sharing a computer. You can select your number of tickets when you make your booking.
You can cancel or change the booking for this free webinar at any time. Please inform us if you are not attending.
If you wish to make a change or cancellation please contact us and state the name of the workshop and email address used to make the booking.
This workshop takes place online via Zoom. Once you have booked your place you will receive joining instructions in your confirmation email and in reminders closer to the time of the workshop.
All currently available dates are listed in the Book now section. We run most of our workshops repeatedly throughout the year, so if you cannot see further dates, they may not have yet been scheduled. Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page to be kept up to date.
We do not record all our workshops as they are interactive workshops and watching back a recording does not provide the value of taking part live. It also allows people to speak more freely when taking part in discussions within the workshop.
At the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), we back people with purpose. With practical learning that makes sense in the real world. With funding that grows as you grow. With mentors, peers and people who’ve been there and done it. We don’t care where you started. We care about where you’re going and the difference you want to make in your life, in your community, and in the world.
Find out more about SSE here.
You can see the times under the dates in the Book Now section. All the workshops are on London, UK time.
If you have a question that is not answered on this page, please feel free to contact us.
Bespoke training and support
We have a range of options for delivering impactful training to your organisation or organisations you support. Get in touch to find out more.
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