Community entrepreneurs are often groups or organizations that seek and act on opportunities to transform communities and create a positive impact on community values.
The reason this is different from social entrepreneurship is that many social entrepreneurship models focus on people and disadvantage.
Community entrepreneurship focuses on the community as a whole and creates a sense of abundance for all.
Examples of activities may include:
• A new indoor and outdoor community facility in a built-up neighborhood
• A community focus on activities that reduce the carbon footprint
• Attraction of businesses in rural communities
• Make strategic use of IT to connect communities
• Create community identities through music and the arts.
What is a Community Entrepreneur?
They are in your community. They have a story to tell, a story that has transformed their community. Or probably haven’t stepped up yet to make their mark? Maybe it’s you. Here are some ways to spot your local community entrepreneur or even a budding one.
The Anatomy of a Community Entrepreneur
1. Laser sharp vision
Community entrepreneurs have a clear idea of what they want to achieve, both physically and in terms of impact in the community. His vision is ambitious and innovative by any standard. Your challenge is not only to gain interest and support from the community, but to maintain the patience of the community, as all good things take time to build.
2. Mind over matter
Bringing a new idea to fruition requires strategic thinking. People can be suspicious of anything new. New ideas challenge those who are slow to accept change. From the beginning, community entrepreneurs think and plan above the fray.
By conserving energy to focus on achieving results, community entrepreneurs focus on big-picture thinking. Don’t try to get them stuck, they will find a way to move forward regardless of the obstacle.
3. The language of change
To be effective, they must be able to understand and communicate well to influence change. These groups operate within the community, so the change they are influencing affects them as well. They are already speaking the language of the community.
Their role is to motivate and lead through dialogue within the community and gain support from stakeholders and other change agents to achieve the desired results. Failure is not in his vocabulary.
4. Take responsibility
Leadership is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Along the way, others may want more control or will fade into the background when things don’t go to plan. Individual personalities can make or break a community enterprise. At some point, the group leading the project needs to step up and take responsibility, especially when it comes to finances, resources, and processes.
5. Maintain a constant balance
They leave the knee-jerk reactions to others. Negotiations require constant nerve as they walk the tightrope of change. Navigating obstacles, dodging the slingshots and arrows of the opposition, community entrepreneurs harness their vision and start with a goal and use a plan to get there.
6. Drive forward
Community entrepreneurs go places. Not looking back for them. Fueled by the positive energy that pervades the entire community, they will succeed.
The only thing stopping you is your own doubt. Groupthink can get bogged down in dogma. Break the chains once and for all and make the dream come true.
Is your group the next generation community entrepreneur? Congratulations. There is no better time to start than now. Don’t let doubts win before you start.