This is the question we get asked time and time again when we talk to businesses and public sector customers that want to buy from or partner with social enterprises. And the answer? "We don't know exactly, but you can start by looking at the various membership directories." It's hardly the most helpful response we could give to an organisation that is ready to open up its supply chain and contract with social enterprises up and down the country. But the reality is, if we don't know where they are, how are consumers supposed to find them?
We could see this was a real problem in our local area, the West Midlands, and talking to colleagues around the country, we were not alone. Waving the flag for social enterprise amounts to little if they are not easily accessible and visible. So, about 18 months ago, we decided something had to be done. It was no longer good enough to make the customer do all the running around, and by the way we know that "almost two-thirds of the British public would prefer their local services to be delivered by social enterprises." (Social Enterprise UK, via a commissioned YouGov poll) we had to find a solution that would make it simple and straightforward to locate social enterprises anywhere in the UK.
Earlier this year we unveiled BuySe – the first UK wide social enterprise directory. BuySe is open to all types of social enterprises, regardless of what they sell and where they are based, and we hope, it finally provides a central destination for everyone looking to buy from the sector. It provides a cost effective route to market for businesses, enables customers to source potential suppliers easily, and with the due diligence undertaken, have confidence that directory members are all social enterprises. And it is this that makes us different from other directories. We only list social enterprises, and individually check each new registration for eligibility.
Consumer friendly features have been incorporated into the site, such as customer reviews and ratings, visually appealing profiles and comprehensive products and service search categories. Plus there is an added bonus for Social Enterprise Mark holders, who can display the logo on their profiles, and benefit from additional search filters.
The most important thing of course is that social enterprises are businesses. They need to have a product, a market and customers who want to buy what they sell. We want consumers to buy these products and services because they are good. Good value, good quality, delivered well with great customer service and in addition the purchase from a Social Enterprise makes a difference. Not for shareholders but by creating more jobs.
BuySe has been developed by the sector, for the sector. It has the support of regional social enterprise networks in England, national trade bodies, and forms part of the Society Profits campaign launched by Social Enterprise UK, encouraging more people to "Choose SE and Buy SE". This is the most exciting aspect is the directory's potential - to connect with consumers and the general public. Earlier this year, the Fightback Britain report found that the most common source of income for social enterprises is trade with the general public. This finding bodes well with our ambition for BuySe – to enable social enterprises to grow by reaching new customers every day.
Supporting the call for consumers to choose social enterprise Nick Hurd, Minister for the Civil Society said "Like all businesses, social enterprises are judged on the quality and value of their product and services. However, when a customer chooses to buy from a social enterprise they create additional social benefit, and it's important that people are made aware of this and understand the extra value that social enterprises provide."
In the wider context of helping to grow the civil society we hope government will welcome BuySe as a market driven solution that will help public sector organisations to meet their commitments to working with social enterprises. Large private sector businesses looking to use their corporate social responsibility programmes to be supportive of social enterprise have long been calling for such a directory to be created.
It's still early days for BuySe, and populating the directory is our immediate priority. Members of social enterprise networks across the UK (including Guardian social enterprise network) can claim a free 12 month listing (worth £99) until 31 December 2011. Anyone can sign up to a free e-newsletter which will provide a summary of what's new on buySe on a regular basis.
By 2015 our aim is to have 10,000 social enterprise listings on BuySe, but we need the sector to get behind it and get listed so that the social enterprise marketplace can grow for everyone.
Social Enterprise West Midlands is a social enterprise and, like many reading this article, we saw an opportunity to develop a solution to a problem we all face. We are open to ideas about how to develop BuySe further and welcome opportunities to partner and collaborate. We are also working with the Guardian Social Enterprise Network demonstrating that it is possible for organisations both large and small to support each other and work together in the interest of shared goals.
And so if you are a social enterprise training provider in Leeds, an IT business in Belfast, a farm shop in Shropshire or an accountants in Birmingham we want the world to be able to find you.
Here's to a future where at least finding what you want and making the choice to buy SE is just one click away.
Melanie Mills is chief executive at Social Enterprise West Midlands CIC
This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the social enterprise network, click here.
