FAQ: What are the main issues facing Social Firms at the moment?
Some of the main issues facing the Social Firm sector at the moment include:
- access to start-up funding;
- identifying businesses which have a decent enough profit margin to fulfil the social aim of employment for people disadvantaged in the labour market;
- dealing with the often risk-averse nature of trustee or director boards;
- conflict in culture between ‘care’ and ‘business’;
- becoming sustainable; enabling the transition from benefits to paid employment.
A useful indicator of the current issues facing the sector can be found in the 2006 Social Firm sector mapping reports.
Social Firms UK is dedicated to lobbying government on policy and funding issues relating to the Social Firm sector. Examples of reports submitted to government as part of this lobbying work can be found on the Policy Work page of this website and reflect well some of the issues being tackled at the moment.