If you are wondering what a business is, I am sure many of you know how to respond. But if you are wondering what a social business is, you probably won’t know how to explain it. When you think of business and what it means, you think of the money, the economic revenue that comes from it, and a gentleman at the top to count them. But when we think of social business, money and economic income are returned to the community. Persons who stay at the top do not just count the money, but count the benefits to society and how much the people in need are being helped.

Maybe you’ve already figured out what a social business is, but let’s understand it better by getting the definition of Yunus Social Business: “A Social Business is a company that either creates income for the poor or provides them with essential products and services like healthcare, safe water or clean energy. They operate exactly like normal companies except for a few small differences: The primary aim of Social Business is to solve a social problem. Unlike a charity, a Social Business generates profit and aims to be financially self-sustaining. Removing the need for fundraising allows social businesses to reinvest profits back into generating impact”.

In synergy with the EU-funded “Employ yourself” project which is being implemented in 8 countries in the region, the guidance counselors of “Your Job” project participated in study visit in Turin, Italy to learn about best practices of social enterprises. During their three day- visit, from the 18th to the 20th of February, they saw a lot of different practices. The “Innovation Center” on the 31st floor of Bank Intesa Sanpaolo was one of the examples which achieves its mission through supporting the country’s economy, by providing financing and services for businesses and families. The Humus Project, was also an example of connecting people trough job-sharing in agriculture of rural areas.

District Barolo with the “Housing Giulia” was an example on housing, hosting and accompanying through social inclusion and helping of people in momental difficulties. Another visit was to Agricultural social enterprise “La cascina del Mulino” which is an example that shares a series of paths on Social Agriculture that is considered innovative and for which it has received several national prizes and awards.

The concept of social entrepreneurs is an innovation in Albania, though it has continued to spread throughout the territory. We have a good example of the ELBA project implemented by Caritas Albania, the social enterprises “Kolping” and “Te Mullini”, in Shkodra, Albania.