What is a Social Enterprise?

Use the Multiple Bottom Line below to explore the answer.

To understand what social enterprises are, how they differ to normal businesses, and to introduce Fairtrade as an example, the multiple bottom line is a brilliant short exercise. It lasts some thirty minutes. Ask the children if they know what 'the bottom line is'? Do a quick audit table on the flip chart, and see if the children can guess what the bottom line is (ie the profit). Show the bottom line on interactive whiteboard and take the students through a scenario. For video clips and further instructions click here.

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Click on the yellow squares and they will rotate. If the arrow points up then it is positive, if down negative, and if horizontal then there is no change. If you click on the yellow squares whilst holding down the up arrow the square will move up, and if you press the down and click on the square, it will move down the column.

The idea is to look at decision making in a business and to get the students to think about how it would affect the bottom lines (eg a company making trainers decides to start making brighter products using bleach and toxic bright dyes... you could explore the case of Rebok promoting Jamaican culture through one of their shoes and linking it with rappers who were 'violently homophobic' in their lyrics.

If the children just look at the scenario in terms of passive outcomes they are doing a corporate social responsibility audit, but if they start making decisions such as using the profit to protect the environment, or to give better pay to the workers, that is to ensure the bottom lines are all positive then they are acting as a social enterprise.