Social Enterprise Development for Communities

        DLSU’s Social Entrepreneurship advocacy through COSCA's Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development (LSEED) program  component progresses with special learning  sessions undertaken on “Human Resource Management (HRM)”  and  “Business Continuity Planning”(BCP).  Realizations  during the session includes the  following:  1) human resource serves as the lifeblood of an organization  which entrepreneurs need to pay attention to, 2)  enterprise growth depends on the quality of its workforce and their  commitment to the growth of the organization, 3) employee relations play a very critical role in creating an organizational culture,  and 4) a sound business model is just one of the many elements of an organization.   

          Another  special learning  session facilitated by  the LSEED Development Specialist  for the Social Entrepreneurship (SE) fellows is the session on "Business Continuity".  The following strategies to manage business risks were  discussed: 1) identify potential disasters and their solutions, 2) identify recovery strategies, 3) identify contingency teams, 4) identify and practice procedures. In terms of communication lines (e.g. SMS and emails indicated in the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) list, Call Tree and Mass Communication.  Also presented  during  the  special session  was the result  of  a research  undertaken  by the Small Business Association where an estimated 25% of businesses do not reopen after major disasters  because of reasons which includes, among  others the loss of data, security breaches, and employee illnesses due to natural catastrophes. Considering  that  99.6 % of the enterprises in the country are SMEs, employing about 70 % of the labor force,  there is  need  therefor  for the  following:  1) BCP is no longer an option but a necessity especially for countries like the Philippines,  2) companies have to start realizing that business sustainability goes beyond profit or income, as preparedness for disaster can make or break the organizational resource,  and 3) a BCP is a requirement for a sound business model.

          Also, members of the LSEED community core group were introduced last January 26, 2018 to the story of the “Upstart The Game,” a board game developed by Mr. Dacalos that equips players with the tools and insights to help them take their business to the next level, enables them to learn lifelong lessons in an environment of fun, collaboration and play.  The game, tested for 3 years now with 11 iterations and played by 1200 players from 22 countries worldwide, aims to provide perspective on the challenges of social enterprises in the areas of strategic positioning, partnership building, and marketing.   Upstart The Game aims to uncover strengths and weaknesses in business decisions.  Also, it enables players to uncover biases and habits in strategy formulation an belief system thus, providing them an environment of continuous learning and experimentation.  Moreover, the game taught the following practical lessons in managing a start up enterprise:  1) If one goes big scale how will he go back to the core 2)  One has to start somewhere and approach the challenge like a businessman, and 3) Exposing oneself to the market and determining know what is there.

          The  Game  developer shared  to the  budding social entrepreneurs  the  following insights that have been very helpful in his journey:  a) The scarcity of resources serves as the ‘push’ to SE, b) ‘Craziness’ sometimes leads to social entrepreneurship, c) Start from a personal pain, d) Challenges and sacrifices are important in the process of succeeding, and e) Know your WHY and create something based on your strength.

        After finalizing the business models of their community social enterprises, the Lasallian Social Enterprise (SE) teams, comprised of  Casalo, Takamin, and Kalid showcased their products during the annual Christmas Bazaar of  De La Salle University, which was held last December 4-7, 2017. Community members of these SEs excitedly shared how happy they were in being able to join the bazaar and for having the chance to sell the products that they personally made. “Sobrang happy po, masaya po kami" (Super happy…We are all happy), as commented by Ruby and Louella.

        Likewise, Team Luminanay has successfully initiated a partnership with LitCo, another start-up that distributes solar lamp products.

      On the other hand, Team Lungtian Urban Farm  ranked 6^th in the recently concluded National Camp of BPI Sinag U where around 70 teams from other universities/colleges had participated in.  Both Judey and Ian expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the support and assistance that the LSEED Program has been providing them with since Day 1 of the capacity building / formation program.