By Shaina Bauman, JVA Consulting

We will be highlighting different social enterprises on our blog from time to time. Our first interview is with Sarah Ray. Sarah Ray is the co-founder of Yobel Market, a fair trade boutique located in Old Colorado City in Colorado Springs. We asked her to share a bit about her thoughts on social enterprise in general and how Yobel fits into the emerging social enterprise movement.

What is your definition of a social enterprise?

For me personally, social business has been a means of accomplishing work that traditionally has been done by NGOs and nonprofits while funding it in a manner not dependent on grants or fundraising, but instead from sustainable business revenue. My favorite definition actually comes from another of my favorite social enterprises, Sseko Designs, who claim to be a “non-just-for-profit-business.”

Why do you think social enterprise has become such a hot topic?

That depends on your audience. For the starry-eyed idealist, social enterprise is a way to take your hopes of making the world a better place and give it a platform within both the business sector and the general marketplace. This has the potential to expand your reach, your funding, and eventually your mission in a very different way than nonprofit work.

Utilizing Yobel Market as an example: Yobel is a fair trade boutique located in a well-trafficked shopping district of Colorado Springs. Yobel’s mission is to alleviate poverty and unjust labor throughout the world by fostering ethical business opportunity overseas utilizing equitable trade standards. Practically, the market sells fair trade goods from a brick-and-mortar location to a fairly broad demographic of both locals and tourists.  Some of those purchasing from this locale are informed of what Yobel is doing and appreciate the opportunity to support the broader mission. Others are unaware of the greater purpose behind the goods they are purchasing; however, they love the beautiful products. Either way, Yobel’s work is able to advance.

For the NGO worker overseas seeking to empower a local community, social enterprise can be a way of employing people without necessarily securing a grant to do so and encouraging long-term sustainability. For the ethically-minded business owner, social enterprise is a way to value the triple bottom line of increasing profits in a way that values both the environment and humanity. For the conscientious consumer, purchasing goods and services from these businesses allows the peace of mind that they are impacting their global community in a positive manner rather than a potentially exploitative one.

How does Yobel fit into the world of social enterprise?

Yobel didn’t actually know that it was beginning as a social enterprise. I think we only realized this identity a couple of years ago. Yobel began as a means to see marginalized communities in the developing world have a dignified and empowering means of exiting a life of poverty or exploitative labor. We began with a small community of displaced men and women in Northern Uganda who were victims of Civil War, human trafficking and genocide.  As they were beginning their lives over, we wanted to find a way to help them learn skills that would allow them to generate more income than they were achieving via subsistence farming. So, Yobel provided a small micro-grant of $700 to pay for materials, tools and a trainer to teach the community how to make traditional bamboo jewelry. A few quality control lessons later and Yobel began to import and sell this jewelry, paying artisans a livable wage and sharing profits back toward building a Primary School for their children. Four years later, Yobel partners with 20 different NGOs and organizations seeking sustainable business alternatives, has invested in another micro-loan to a community in Juarez, Mexico, and is supporting many other community development projects globally with our profits.

Any advice for those looking to be in the business of social business?

Ideas are a dime a dozen, but one in a million actually act on them. Take it one step at a time and believe you can do it! Just as it takes a village to raise a child, no business can be successful without the support of friends, family and community. Engage those around you, ask for help, allow others’ strengths to bolster your weaknesses and walk forward.

To learn more about Yobel Market and to check out their products from around the world, find them online at yobelmarket.com or visit their shop in Colorado Springs (2528 West Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80904).