The business of doing good: How to start a social enterprise

Gone are the days when people only set up businesses to make money for themselves; thousands of individuals are now starting companies which primarily benefit social and environmental causes. Dan Martin, BusinessZone.co.uk editor, examines what it takes to become a social entrepreneur.

The social enterprises sector is not as small as you might think. There are around 55,000 such operations in the UK with a combined annual turnover of £27bn. They account for 5% of all businesses with employees, and contribute £8.4bn per year to the UK economy.

And it's not just small community groups. Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant is a social enterprise, as is The Big Issue, Café Direct and the Eden Project.