Social entrepreneurship can also be attributed to the strategy of small actions, within the framework of which each person, to the best of their ability, changes the world for the better. Its characteristic feature is manifested in the fact that the business is aimed at socially useful activities, provides employment for vulnerable categories of citizens, produces goods for them or helps in the sale of their products.
In Moscow, a third of these companies work in the field of health and social services, and one in four – in the field of education. 9.4% of the companies are dedicated to production, 8.7% to culture and sports and 7% to communications and telecommunications. And in Moscow, 48.6 thousand companies, by the nature of their activities, can potentially receive the status of social enterprises.
– We help companies to enter the list of social enterprises of Moscow: we advise, accept documents for preliminary examination, provide targeted assistance in the selection of city support measures and training. MBM specialists are ready to answer questions from social entrepreneurs in person, online, over the phone. In addition, within the framework of various formats, MBM provides active media support aimed at promoting social business goods and services, – said the head of the State Budgetary Institution “Moscow Small Business” Stanislav Ivanov.
How to officially become social?
Entrepreneurs submit an application and a set of documents for inclusion in the list of social enterprises either in one of the Business Service Centers (except CUB MIFNS No. 46) or on the mbm.mos.ru portal by filling out a form specific. . In addition, each document must be signed with an enhanced qualified signature.
By registering the status, social enterprises gain access to all support measures of the city. This includes consulting, business education, helpful services, and promotion. The GBU “Moscow Small Business” (MBM) and the Fund for Support of Social Projects (FSSP) are responsible for comprehensive support in Moscow.
Thus, MBM pays special attention to educational support for social entrepreneurship. Events are held regularly where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with social business best practices, as well as learn how to apply for social business status and where to contact if questions arise.
Support Resources
In order to simplify access to support measures and help social enterprises to develop their business even more effectively, the MBM has developed a special project “Social Entrepreneurship: special attention from the city”.
The project page contains detailed instructions for obtaining social business status. Individual requirements are explained for each category.
Here you can get advice, submit documents for preliminary verification, apply for inclusion in the list of social enterprises, choose useful online services, free products in Business Box.
Among the most popular are an accounting service, a CRM system, an online checkout rental service, website conversion growth and analytics services, and more.
And the “Moscow Showcase of Social Enterprises” presents an online catalog of social enterprises that produce goods or provide services needed by large families, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Now there are 90 of them.
In the online storefront, companies can not only demonstrate their activities, but also use the city’s resources for further promotion. Since the beginning of the year, the project has received more than 21.5 thousand visits.
And entrepreneurs can also participate in the “Small Business – Big Stories” media project. Thanks to him, businessmen share their experience and achievements with a wide audience, talk about their company with the help of MBM resources and the mainstream media. Entrepreneurial support is implemented within the framework of the national project “Small and Medium Enterprises and Support for Individual Entrepreneurial Initiative”.
Here are some of them.
Adaptive clothing. Photo from the personal archive of Ludmila Archvadze
Lyudmila Archvadze dreamed of becoming a fashion designer at school. She trained as a seamstress and worked her way up to a decent job in a Turkish-American factory in Chisinau. And when her special son Daniel was born to her, she had to forget about her favorite business for several years.
Lyudmila remembers that her special joy was to dress Daniel with a needle. But due to the gastrostomy that was installed, there were problems getting dressed as it. Of course, she came across on the Internet adapted clothes for a variety of children, but then Lyudmila thought: why not start sewing for her son and children with special needs? Now her company is called Danylino, in memory of her son, who helped fulfill her dream.
– I had a sewing machine and could invent clothes – all this gives crazy energy. For example, it is difficult to dress a child with contractures, skin lesions. But moms take action and tell me online exactly what can make the dressing process easier for both child and parent. The image forms by itself. I will not hide it, it is difficult to work, because “special” mothers do not have money for expensive things. But in the spring, I registered the status of a social enterprise in the MBM for assistance from the city, I regularly turn to specialists for advice, – says Lyudmila.
Rehabilitation center. Photo from the personal archive of Xenia Zenina.
Ksenia Zenina, a speech pathologist by education, in 2019 directed the Bright World ABA Center to support children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. It just so happened that her friend and business partner of hers has a special son. And together they decided that a center was needed. Ksenia had no idea how to register an organization, but she was trained at MBM Startup School, which teaches a 5-day step-by-step business creation course.
Now the Novogireevo center accepts special children. His card is published in the Showcase of Social Enterprises of the City of Moscow, and materials about him were published as part of the MBM information support project.
– Our specialists not only do ABA therapy with children, but also work with the whole family. In the next 10 years, we dream of doing assisted living for children with various disabilities, where they will be under the supervision of specialists all the time, continue to study and do not lose their acquired skills. And we will also try to launch a job placement project for low-functioning people so that they benefit society and parents are calm about their future. Now we are only looking for city premises for this, says Ksenia.
Products for children. Photo from the personal archive of Ekaterina Vishnyakova.
Ekaterina Vishnyakova was the co-owner of a large company for more than 20 years and worked with international brands, but the desire to do something of her own relentlessly pursued her. This is how the Moscow brand “Solnyshko Art” appeared. Educational coloring books and board games are produced under this brand, so loved by teachers and parents, because for children this is not only entertainment, but also a way to develop important skills. Coloring pages not only develop fine motor skills, form perseverance, but are also an important step before learning to read and write. Also, coloring is a good way to switch the child’s attention, distract him from a stressful situation.
– Basically, we work for a two-year audience. “My First Coloring Pages”, “My First Dominoes”, “Letter Dominoes” and “Math Dominoes” are designed for preschoolers, and even adults buy complex art coloring books for them. Each of our products is assembled from the laws of developmental psychology, perception, memory, emotions, thought and neuropsychology. Now we are looking forward to the next support package for social enterprises, because recently we had to move the rate of return a lot to maintain prices, – says Ekaterina.
