
Smart Start Network is an important factor that contributes to the promotion of a more favorable environment for social enterprises and CSO's with economic activities, according to positive standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
The network was founded in 2016 through the Smart Start project initiated by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society in response to the organization of the existing state of social entrepreneurship in CSO's in WB and Turkey and identifying the needs of CSO's in the area of sustainability. The basis on which the network is to open conversations about new ways of organizing the civil sector and satisfying the needs of the users through atypical ways of financing with the goal of achieving social influence and change, freeing the spirit of creativity, entrepreneurship and good economy in 5 countries.
Social entrepreneurs are passionate about work on solving social problems in BiH, leading and nurturing entrepreneurial solutions. Network members are organizations that focus on mutual support for social enterprises and economic activities of CSO's in the earliest stages of SE model development.
Membership in the Smart Start network is called SMART Pact and can be full membership or associated membership.
(1) Social entrepreneurship is like any other entrepreneurship where a particular product / service is placed on the market and creates profit. However, this profit does not serve solely to increase the property of the owner, but is invested in improving the quality of life and the welfare of people in the community. Social entrepreneurship does not serve as a solution for increasing profit.
(2) Social entrepreneurship is a way of doing business in which the primary goal is not to maximize profit, but to fulfill a clear goal that contributes to the community. Social entrepreneurship combines business activities, social engagement and social services. Social enterprises operate according to market principles like all other companies and are trying to make a profit, and what distinguishes them from commercial enterprises is a way of distributing profits. The profit of social enterprises serves to fulfill a clearly defined social mission rather than increasing the individual's assets.
Social enterprises achieve their balance of economic, social and / or ecological goals by the way they conduct their business. Social enterprises recognize social problems and use entrepreneurial principles in order to achieve positive changes such as environmental protection, creating new jobs, meeting cultural, public and health care needs, involving the most vulnerable members of society, and such. The success of business is measured by a successful level of social and environmental change.
CSO economic activities are those economic activities that are realiesed to reduce uncertainty in business and enable long-term sustainability of programs and activities. Organisations put realization of their activities in the comunity as their primary goal and use business approach to solve certain social and social problems through market-oriented business.
Good economy is an economy that supports the quality of life in the whole community, the one that creates a multitude of opportunities and possibilities to meet the needs without endangering others, one that fairly uses and shares resources, accepting responsibility and nurturing solidarity as well as respecting sustainability of the ecosystem. Good economy doesn't insist on a single correct model that must be followed blindly but respecting local uniqunes and social context gives the choice of plenty of models and possibilities.
Social enterprises most often start from the defined need of CSO's for:
The way social enterprises operate is to direct the surplus of income over expenditures to cover the costs of CSO's that fail to be covered by donor funds (administrative costs), developing new development projects, educating employees and members of CSO's.