Blazing a Trail to Sustainability through Social Enterprise: A Case Example

This paper explores the potential of a social enterprise strategy to develop sustainable client services. In the case of Mountain Biz Works, it involved access to market services for craft producers. It demonstrates that a social enterprise can help clients and an organization chart a path to greater gain for each.Mountain Biz Works provides financing, business instruction and on-going support to entrepreneurs in western North Carolina with the goals of increasing their income, improving their quality of life and building a more vibrant local economy. Since 2002, Biz Works has operated Mountain Made, a for-profit retail crafts store as a wholly-owned subsidiary. As Biz Works staff planned Mountain Made, they hoped to accomplish specific goals, namely, developing the store as a for-profit, generate greater revenue and achieve profitability in the third year of operations.The for-profit store was located in the Grove Arcade, a central shopping area. Factors that helped the Biz Works board and staff achieve their goals include:

• Strong commitment and leadership;
• Responsive funders;
• Supportive and capable board;
• For-profit mentality;
• Capitalizing on opportunities.