The Social Business Hub Styria is an independent, non-political and proactive social & green business incubator and the Styrian competence center for social entrepreneurship. Under the leadership of the dedicated management team Kirsten Tangemann and Rüdiger Wetzl-Piewald, social and ecological innovations are developed, specifically promoted and sustainably supported. Ambitious founders and established social and green entrepreneurs can draw on specialist expertise and competence in theory and practice. In addition, a positive environment is created for this sector through qualified networking and event activities as well as ongoing public relations work. The aim is to continuously increase the number of newly founded social business enterprises in Styria and to support them in terms of quality and competitiveness.
The low-threshold design of the offers is particularly important to the organization. Anyone with a good idea for solving a social or ecological challenge will find a contact point here to develop a viable business model and subsequently implement it as a growing company. The foundation of this work is the Social Business Hub's comprehensive expertise. Together with the founders and entrepreneurs, they work on their vision of an economy for the benefit of all.
In addition, the Social Business Hub Styria focuses on raising awareness among the population. The main aim is to make social entrepreneurship tangible and feasible for a wide range of target groups: For people who want to set up or further develop their own company or who are committed employees in companies who focus on social or ecological innovations. The topic becomes tangible, for example, with the report on surveying the Styrian social business sector, which provides an overview of the range of fully sustainable companies in Styria every two years. In the course of this publication, social enterprises are specifically presented, but also interesting background information on current developments in the social business sector in Styria is provided.
What is a social business?
Social entrepreneurs have identified a social or ecological problem and implemented their solution to it in a business model based on an entrepreneurial approach. They bring services or products to the market that benefit people and the environment. Their main goal is to achieve a positive social and/or ecological impact. Social business therefore leads to added value for society in an entrepreneurial way, turns ideas for solutions to social challenges into concrete, practicable business models and combines a contribution to a better future with financial returns. The achievement of social/ecological impact and financial profit are on an equal footing.
Well-known examples from the 160 or so companies in Styria listed in the report surveying the Styrian social business sector include the sustainable and fair chocolate producer Zotter, the IT refurbisher Compuritas, which has received numerous awards for its social impact, the environmentally friendly food delivery company Velofood and the travel provider Weltweitwandern, which promotes cultural understanding and ensures respectful and careful treatment of local people and resources.
What is the difference to other business incubators?
"While the ecosystem for tech-savvy company founders in Austria has developed considerably over the last two decades, there is still a lot to do for impact-oriented social entrepreneurs and their lobbyists. This is where the Social Business Hub Styria comes into play: "With the establishment of the Social Business Hub Styria, social & green entrepreneurs will be professionally supported from the foundation to scaling with their own start-up and growth program," explains board member Kirsten Tangemann. In order to master this challenging task, additional or different partners and support systems are required than "classic" start-ups need - the ecosystem is still developing and is made up of other players. For this reason, the Social Business Hub Styria also works closely with the Social Entrepreneurship Network Austria (SENA), which campaigns for better framework conditions for social entrepreneurship at a national level.
Foundation program
In the Social & Green Business start-up program, prospective founders receive extensive support to successfully develop their activities. They receive individual advice and expertise for up to 12 months and benefit from professional workshops on a wide range of topics such as "Legal issues surrounding start-ups", "Storytelling" and "Public relations". Further advantages are the extensive network in the ecosystem and the contacts in the social business community that all participants can access. The welcome infrastructure includes an office workspace at the Unicorn Startup & Innovation Hub. The main aim of the start-up program is to found a company, develop a product and place it on the market.
Twice a year, jury meetings are held to decide on the inclusion of projects in the start-up program. To prepare for this pitch in front of a jury, interested parties are recommended to take part in the Impact Basic Training, which also takes place twice a year. In workshops lasting several days, participants develop a coherent business model that is optimized for positive social/ecological impact. Through the exchange with other participants and the know-how of the experts, the (prospective) founders critically review their concept and develop it further. The aim is to create a solid foundation for setting up a business. The Social Business Hub also advises on the application for registration as a Verified Social Enterprise (VSE).
Growth program
With its expertise, the Social Business Hub supports both budding founders and established social entrepreneurs on their entrepreneurial journey. As part of the growth program, for example, the specific analysis and measurement of the social and ecological impact achieved is addressed. The Social Business Hub Styria team offers this target group specialist workshops and individual coaching sessions.
"Fortunately, there are those among us who proactively face the challenges of our time, find innovative solutions and implement them with intrinsic zeal. While for a long time, such activities were the domain of volunteering, more and more people are now placing the well-being of society and the environment at the center of their professional activities. For these and future social entrepreneurs, we offer a point of contact to actively support them in realizing their vision of an economy for the benefit of all," says Social Business Hub board member Rüdiger Wetzl-Piewald.
Offering
- Free impact training (impact lab & impact basic training)
- Social & Green Business Start-up Program
- Workshops for social entrepreneurs
- Individual consulting for social entrepreneurs
- Impact growth program
- Extensive network (stakeholders, multipliers, social ventures ecosystem)
- Making the Styrian social business sector visible to the public
- Ideas competition
- Networking events
- Advice on the application process for Verified Social Enterprise (VSE)
