Financial Viability of Social Entrepreneurship: A Case Study

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21319805

Abena Engmann¹ and Collins C Ngwakwe² (Student and Community Affairs Department, Academic City University, Accra, Ghana, West Africa¹ and Faculty of Management & Law, Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership, University of Limpopo, South Africa²)

This paper evaluated the importance of financial breakeven for social entrepreneurs to remain viable and socially inclined using a case study approach of a company located in sub-Saharan Africa. A major challenge for social entrepreneurs is financial sustainability while simultaneously making social impact. To maintain this balance, some social entrepreneurs achieve this through diversified income streams and funding sources. The results indicate that delivering social impact and financial success simultaneously is difficult but extremely rewarding. Fruits on Wheels realized that providing holistic value beyond revenue necessitates making unpleasant trade-offs at times. With a focus on lean operations and strategic resource allocation, the startup prioritizes investments in key areas such as procurement, production, and marketing, while keeping administrative costs low. Future research could explore strategies that can help it to scale, remain sustainable and continue to make social impact.