What Makes Crowdfunding a Vital Tool for Social Entrepreneurs?

Though an early-stage social enterprise should prioritise bootstrapping as its means of financial sustenance, for some, this is not always a viable option. Converting some ideas into businesses can be capital-intensive, particularly those dependent on expensive production, research and development. This is why crowdfunding is becoming the go-to option for so many entrepreneurs, including those launching a social enterprise.  Traditionally, …

5 Social Impact Companies Making a Difference Through Blockchain

Michael Pisa, a fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., warns to be cautious about considering blockchain a “silver bullet” to the world’s problems. “This imbalance has led to unrealistic expectations about what blockchain solutions can do, how easy they will be to implement, and how quickly they can scale, if at all. The result has been …

What You Need To Know About Ethical Supply Chains

While traditional supply chain management involves minimizing total operating expenses to maximize gross profits, businesses must increasingly invest in ethical supply chains to engage with today’s consumer. With the traditional equation to develop an optimal supply chain, the company or supply chain management organization considers a number of factors including central purchasing (for price savings and product standardization), inventory, risk …

The Social Enterprise Industry Needs More Muslim Fashion Brands

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In 2013, the fashion industry saw one of the worst tragedies in history – the Rana Plaza complex, a garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed and took the lives of 1,134 garment workers and injured 2,500 more. The factories operating in this building made clothes for well-known international brands. This devastating incident accelerated the rise in a new movement — the …

How UpEffect is Helping to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Development Programme outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. And, these goals are interconnected in that tackling one often leads to making progress on another, working to make the right choices to improve life for future generations in a sustainable way. …

Build a Business, Not a Startup

For the longest time, I bought into the “exciting” startup life — colossal valuations, 80–100 hour work weeks with no time for interactions with family or friends, seed rounds, Series A, B, C investments, burnt out founders, no sleep, no time to eat, unnecessary hires, beautiful offices with “incredible team culture”, the same culture that disappears when you’re offered a …