SW Intrapreneurship or SW Entrepreneurship: You Decide

Many individuals have dreams and aspirations of one day owning their own business and this is no different for professional social workers. Social Workers are skilled in the science of collaboration, resource allocation, and problem solving. Effective critical thinking is the cornerstone of our education and fear is typically not in our lexicon. Social Workers understand the influence of social and economic issues and the impact on human functioning. We are often economically conservative (frugal) and skilled practitioners in the art of stretching limited funds for the greater good. These are tremendous attributes to have as social entrepreneurs.

Even though economic challenges continue to persist on a local, national and international level, this uncertainty presents a multitude of opportunities for Social Workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Social Work profession is expected to increase by 25% by 2020. While Social Work is one of the fastest growing careers, Social Workers have not been exempt from layoffs, downsizing, mergers, and organizational closers. Economically challenging times, such as those we currently live in while unpredictable and a bit scary at times, are fertile grounds of opportunity for Social Workers.

Social Workers are well suited for roles in social entrepreneurship given our group work skills (networking), innate creativity, understanding of ecological and economic systems, and genuine desire to e/affect change. If you are a Social Worker interested in becoming a social entrepreneur, and you are currently employed, I would first strongly encourage you to spend some time honing your skills as an Intrapreneur. An Intrapreneur is an individual who is currently employed by someone else (this person does not yet own their own business), but in their current position has a great deal of freedom and decision making power to a/effect social change. The Intrapreneur is able to bring creative/innovative ideas/services to their current place of employment, and these ideas may even produce additional income. An Intrapreneur applies many of the same skills and acumen a sole business owner would, except the Intrapreneur is not the owner of the business.

For example, as a Social Worker within a college setting I have been afforded a great deal of freedom to create products, services, and activities I believe will enhance student life. The products and services I tend to create focus on enhancing students' quality of life on campus, but at the same time have the potential to make money (intrapreneurship). One of the products I developed and test marketed on campus was a motivational line of greeting cards for college students. Some of the money I generated from  greeting card sales was donated to one of the student organizations I worked with, which is social intrapreneurship. I even successful negotiated with our college bookstore to carry my line of greetings cards. Regrettably, before I could get my cards on the shelves of the bookstore its parent company terminated contracts with its greeting card vendors. While this relationships was not to be, it confirmed the idea of social intrapreneurship is a viable one that is easily transferable. 

If you are interested in entrepreneurship, my advice is to use your time wisely. If you are currently employed by someone else use this time to test market your ideas and risk tolerance. Do not compete with the services/products your employer offers, but instead seek opportunities to hone your skills and test market your ideas under the umbrella of social intrapreneurship.
  
You might be surprised, social intrapreneurship may not only enhance the social functioning of others, it might also lead you to a lifelong opportunity you hadn't considered. Social Work Intrapreneurship or Social Work Entrepreneurship, the decision is ultimately yours. This is the beauty of social work!