Save on Meats is a social enterprise located in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver. This restaurant serves meat dishes while also providing jobs to people who need them. Mark Brand is the owner of this meat butchery/cafe. This social entrepreneur recognized the problems of homelessness in the Vancouver Eastside area and decided to use entrepreneurial principles to make a social change. Save on Meats currently provides 65 jobs to employees who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to find one due to reasons such as addictions, or mental disabilities.
This is just one example of the many social enterprises out there that are very successful. It shows that you can still run a well functioning business while also making a social change in the community. Brand marketing is done through presentations or through television specials but Brand only allows them to go through if his social message is presented. This shows strategic planning as well as resourcefulness which are both important in maintaining a social enterprise.
Save on Meats have attracted many potential business partners such as Arlene Dickinson from the tv show Dragon’s Den which could help expand its potential and overcome some financial and consultive hurdles.
More on Save on Meats: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/11/12/save-on-meats-subject-of-cbcs-big-decision/