HarvindHave you ever wondered what it would be like to pursue your passion?
You’re not alone. For many of us, the opportunity to pursue our passion is the ultimate dream. 39% of entrepreneurs started their businesses because they wanted to pursue their passion. They made concrete decisions to turn their dreams into reality. Since you’re reading this post, we’ll assume that your passion is creating a positive social impact.
As every entrepreneur out there can tell you, starting your own business is no easy feat. While the same holds true for social franchising, it comes with an added advantage. You’re now starting out with a proven model that is replicable. There are some steps you should take before you jump in with both feet though. Check out our guide on starting your own social franchise and tips on avoiding common social franchising mistakes before you get started.
Social franchising allows passionate leaders of change to create a positive social impact. If this is your first foray into the world of social franchising, we’re sure that keeping your eyes on the prize is your priority – as it should be! While each new day is another step towards achieving that goal, it’s sometimes important to take a step back and reflect on the other areas of impact that come with starting a social franchise in your city.
Let’s explore some benefits of social franchising that social entrepreneurs might sometimes overlook.
1 ) Increasing Employment Opportunities
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
Have you ever gotten a job through a referral? Perhaps you know someone who got their dream job through a recommendation? Referrals have become one of the most popular recruiting strategies. 88% of employers say that referrals are the #1 best source for above-average candidates. When you’re looking for an employment opportunity in the market, the math is simple. The more people you know, the higher your chances of learning about an exciting new job opportunity.
By starting a social franchise in your city, you will be setting the groundwork for new connections to be created. This will allow you to open doors for those who need them. Local events and collaboration are some of the most effective ways of getting people from different backgrounds together. You might help connect someone to their dream job, present an interesting candidate to a manager looking to fill a gap in their team, or help someone who’s been job-hunting for the past 6 months finally get an inroad to an employment opportunity.
Employers hire referrals 55% faster than via a career site. This speed to hire is particularly important in providing companies with a competitive advantage. This means your efforts won’t just increase the likelihood of someone getting hired, it also helps them get hired quicker.
2) Improving Mental Health & Well-being
Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels
I remember when I was sitting at a coffee shop watching a football game. It was late and there weren’t many others around. I saw someone sitting two tables across from me wearing the jersey of the team I supported. We both cheered every time our team scored. After the second goal, I went up to him and introduced myself. He invited me to sit with him and watch the game together. Our team won the game in a thumping fashion and we engaged in deep conversation about tactics, players, and everything football-related. We kept in touch and started watching football games together at our local coffee shop.
Since then, the group kept getting bigger through similar interactions at that coffee shop. At one point, we had close to 20 excited people sitting across joined tables watching the Champions League final at 3 in the morning!
Meeting new people, making new friends, and even talking to strangers have many positive effects on your mental health. Some of the benefits include an increased sense of belonging, a reduction of stress, increased happiness, and improved self-confidence. One of the best ways to make new friends is through meeting people who share similar interests at local events. By organizing social events in your city through your social franchise, you will be helping improve the mental health of yourself and others through new connections and shared interests.
3) Harnessing The Power Of Collaboration
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
When it comes to creating social impact, collaboration is a powerful tool to help you move the needle. By sharing ideas, information, and resources with your peers and partners, you can increase shared knowledge about an issue and spread awareness at a higher rate compared to going at it alone. Collaboration is increasingly recognized as necessary for making progress on systemic challenges.
As a social entrepreneur, there are many forms of collaboration that you can leverage to help you create impact. It could be through collaboration efforts between your social franchising team members, partnerships with local businesses, or even ambassadors in your community. When various stakeholders share a common interest and vision for the problem you want to solve, powerful collective action can be achieved.
Your persistent efforts as the leader of change in your community will unlock the latent potential of collaboration between stakeholders and drive your social impact efforts.
4) Promoting Social Integration For Migrants
Migrants who arrive in a new country tend to settle close to their former compatriots. This gives them a sense of familiarity while they acclimatize to their new surroundings. It’s more pronounced when they don’t speak the local language and have difficulties interacting with locals, whose roles are equally important. Social integration is only attainable once immigrants are accepted as members of the society in their new city.
Social integration refers to the inclusion of individuals in a system, the creation of relationships among individuals, and their attitudes towards society. When successful, social integration leads to better social cohesion and provides great economic implications. It is the result of motivated interaction and cooperation of individuals and groups.
By setting up your social franchise to tackle these issues in your city, you can come up with creative ways to promote the social integration of immigrants. They can join language groups and learn the local language, or even attend events with a mix of attendees from various backgrounds. This works on multiple fronts, helping both newcomers and locals interact with each other to promote social integration through the sharing of languages and culture.
Why Social Franchise Is For You
Starting a social franchise in your city is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding path to take. With the right combination of passion and persistence, you will be able to see the fruit of your labor materialize as you create a positive social impact in your community. Enjoy the journey and treasure the new connections you’ve made and enabled every step of the way.
If you’ve always dreamed about creating a positive social impact, here’s your chance to turn it into reality. Help us create inclusive cities where everyone feels at home and where diversity is championed.
At SPEAK, we bring together newcomers and locals living in the same city through community-led language groups and cultural exchange events. If you are passionate about diversity and committed to making your city more inclusive, you can start your own SPEAK chapter and we are here to support you every step of the way!
Find out how you can Take SPEAK to Your City. We’d love to hear from you.
One Reply to “4 Unexpected Benefits of Starting a Social Franchise”