Business School

  • Would your social enterprise fail this two-number sustainability test?

    EXPERT INSIGHT: Although most social enterprises think they’re financially sustainable, most of them are not, argues Thaddaeus Hubbard. He has devised a simple sustainability test.

  • When your living room is a micro-art gallery: How South African townships are building a community-owned creative economy

    EXPERT INSIGHT: The Maboneng Township Arts Experience has flipped the extractive tourism approach to retain visitors’ spending in their host communities. It’s a generation’s work, explains Siphiwe Ngwenya.

  • Cathy Benwell, founder of A Good Thing: ‘Every donation creates a relationship’

    Good Leaders Podcast: Could every unwanted laptop, pillow or sofa spark something bigger? A Good Thing’s co-founder Cathy Benwell tells Tim West how her circular economy social business turns would-be waste into social impact.

  • Social enterprise and impact investing events in 2026 and beyond

    Ready to network, learn and get inspired? Don't book your diary without the Pioneers Post roundup of impact economy events coming soon – for social entrepreneurs, impact investors and all those working within the global impact economy.

  • Pioneers Post Business School: How to do good business, better

    The tools and insight you need to do good business, better. Get expert advice, practical insight and frontline examples on key business management topics from our network of social business practitioners and advisors. 

Chess board

The balance of power

It's not just the job of investors to assess the capabilities of social enterprises seeking investments, the enterprises themselves also hold substantial power – they just don’t all realise it yet. 

Paul Robinson

Investor Profile: Paul Robinson

CEO of disruptive asset management firm Alquity and co-founder of One Water Paul Robinson explains why responsible investing and investing in the people at the bottom of the pyramid makes business sense.

Tightrope walker

Treading the tightrope between risk and return

An informed attitude to risk could prove highly advantageous to enterprising charities willing to consider the potential impact social finance could create, argues Eddie Finch from UK chartered accountants Buzzacott.

Collection: Critical Mass
Flirting

Get your game face on

With an attention grabbing title, a workshop called 'The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Flirting' let Critical Mass delegates know how to be a hit at conferences. Networking knowhow followed...

Typewriter

Are you contract ready?

How do you know if your social venture is ready to tender for contracts? Paul Henry at Inspire2Enterprise tells us what you’ll need to consider.

maze

Do you know your IPS from your CIC?

The way your social enterprise is identified in the eyes of the law can fundamentally affect the business. We went to Myles Cooper of Inspire2enterprise for some clarification.