Entrepreneurship generally refers to starting and running a new venture. Business entrepreneurship (often simply “entrepreneurship”) is usually defined by creating economic value – launching companies to profitably supply goods or services. For example, entrepreneurship is described as “the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail… risk”. An entrepreneur is someone who starts and runs a business, assuming the risks and rewards of the venture. In contrast, social entrepreneurship is an approach in which individuals or organizations develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural or environmental problems. Social entrepreneurs blend business methods with a mission to improve society. They may run non‑profits or for‑profits, but always with the primary goal of generating a positive “return to society” rather than just profit.

Goals and Objectives

The goals of social and business entrepreneurs differ in motivation and outcome. Social entrepreneurs are chiefly motivated by a social or environmental mission. Their goal is to create social value – that is, to improve community welfare, education, health, environmental protection, and so on – often alongside any financial sustainability. As one educational source explains, social entrepreneurs aim “to create social value as well as, or instead of, profit,” defining social value as a contribution to society’s welfare. In contrast, business entrepreneurs primarily aim for financial success.

They focus on identifying market gaps, innovating products or services, and scaling up the business to maximize profit and growth. For example, traditional entrepreneurs seek to expand market share and revenues, and their success is typically measured by indicators like profitability and company growth. In practice, social enterprises blend these objectives: they “blend profit with purpose” by running enterprises that solve social or environmental problems while generating revenue. Nonprofit social ventures may rely on donations and grants, whereas hybrid social enterprises use market mechanisms to sustain their mission.

Value Creation

The type of value created by each model is different. Business entrepreneurs create economic value: they innovate new products or services, generate jobs, and increase economic output. For instance, entrepreneurship is classically linked with “creating or extracting economic value” and fueling economic growth. Companies like Apple or Tesla (founded by business entrepreneurs) primarily aim to grow profits and market value. In contrast, social entrepreneurs create social value – improvements in societal well‑being or the environment. They may generate economic benefits as well, but those are a byproduct.

As noted earlier, social value means contributing to society’s welfare. Social enterprises typically work in areas like poverty alleviation, healthcare, education or environmental sustainability, trying to deliver benefits that would not otherwise exist. For example, a clean‑water venture (social enterprise) measures its value by how many communities gain safe water, whereas a tech startup (business venture) measures value in market share. Social ventures often quantify their impact using metrics like Social Return on Investment (SROI), which captures social and environmental outcomes in addition to financial results. In summary, business entrepreneurship creates economic/profit value, while social entrepreneurship emphasizes social and environmental impact.

Funding Sources

• Social Entrepreneurship: Social ventures commonly rely on a mix of charitable and impact‑focused funding. Early-stage social entrepreneurs often start by bootstrapping or using family and friends’ support, and they frequently seek grants and donations from governments, foundations or philanthropy. Impact investors (who expect a social impact alongside financial return) are also key funders, as are corporate or individual philanthropists. Crowdfunding platforms are increasingly popular for social causes. In short, social enterprises often raise funds through grants, nonprofit donations or impact investment, and they may only later develop earned revenue streams.

• Business Entrepreneurship: Business startups typically use more traditional financial sources. The most common sources are personal savings (bootstrapping), loans or lines of credit, and outside investors. Early-stage companies often begin with the founders’ own money or help from friends and family. As they grow, many entrepreneurs turn to angel investors or venture capital for large-scale funding, giving equity in exchange for capital. Bank loans and credit are also major sources for startups. In recent years, crowdfunding has become a viable option for both social and business ventures to raise money from the public. Overall, new businesses are funded by a combination of personal funds, debt financing, and equity investors.

Performance Metrics

• Social Entrepreneurship: Success is measured by social impact and sustainability. Social entrepreneurs track how effectively they address the targeted problem. Common metrics include numbers of beneficiaries served, improvements in quality of life, or environmental outcomes. Importantly, many social ventures use Social Return on Investment (SROI) or similar frameworks to quantify impact beyond dollars. For instance, an education program might measure success by student graduation rates, not profit margin. In short, social enterprises emphasize outcomes (people helped, tons of emissions reduced, etc.) over purely financial results.

• Business Entrepreneurship: Success is gauged by financial performance and growth. Standard measures include revenue, profit margins, return on investment (ROI), market share, and shareholder value. As noted earlier, traditional entrepreneurs “often measure performance using business metrics like profit, revenues and increases in stock prices. For example, a startup’s success may be judged by its annual sales, market valuation, or rate of growth. While maintaining profitability is also important for social ventures (to remain sustainable), business entrepreneurs prioritize financial indicators as their primary metrics of success.

Challenges Faced

• Social Entrepreneurship: Social ventures confront unique obstacles in balancing mission and viability. The biggest challenge is often funding. Many social entrepreneurs struggle to secure investment because donors and investors may be unsure how to evaluate hybrid models. Furthermore, measuring social impact is difficult; impact assessment is still “a crude and inexact science,” making it hard to prove value to funders These issues also slow growth: social enterprises frequently find a gap between small seed funding and large-scale investment, hindering their ability to scale up. Regulatory barriers, limited infrastructure, and the complexity of social problems add to the challenge. In summary, social entrepreneurs often battle funding shortages, impact‑measurement challenges, and scaling limitations.

• Business Entrepreneurship: Traditional entrepreneurs face more conventional startup challenges. Financing and cash flow are common problems – for example, a small business can fail if a big client doesn’t pay on time, as many stories attest. Entrepreneurs also struggle with intense market competition, rapidly changing technology, and economic uncertainty. Recruiting skilled employees is often a hurdle, especially against larger companies; one report notes that many small businesses have trouble filling job openings with qualified talent. Additionally, regulatory and economic shifts (like inflation, tariffs, or labor policies) can pose risks. In short, business entrepreneurs must manage financial risk, secure capital, assemble a capable team, and adapt to market forces and regulations.

Examples

• Social entrepreneurs: Well-known examples include Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS Shoes) and Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa (co-founders of Warby Parker). TOMS made a name by its “one‑for‑one” model – donating a pair of shoes for each sold. Inspired by that, Warby Parker launched a “buy one, give one” program for eyeglasses; the company has donated millions of glasses to those in need. These entrepreneurs demonstrate mission-driven business models aimed at societal impact. (Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is another classic social entrepreneur, having founded Grameen Bank to alleviate poverty through microloans.)

• Business entrepreneurs: Classic profit-oriented entrepreneurs include Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Steve Jobs co-founded Apple and Pixar and is celebrated as “one of the most influential business people ever,” focusing on technology innovation and profit. Elon Musk (co-founder of PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX) is a prominent entrepreneur who drives growth in multiple industries; Britannica describes him as an American entrepreneur who cofounded PayPal, SpaceX and led Tesla. These figures exemplify traditional entrepreneurship – using innovation and risk-taking to build successful companies and generate wealth.

Conclusion

Social and business entrepreneurship differ mainly in purpose and impact. Social entrepreneurs focus on solving social or environmental problems and measure success by community impact. whereas business entrepreneurs focus on profitability and economic growth. Each model faces its own challenges and uses different strategies. However, they are increasingly converging: many businesses now incorporate social goals (through corporate social responsibility and shared-value approaches), and some social ventures become financially self-sustaining. Ultimately, both forms of entrepreneurship play important roles. Social entrepreneurship directly addresses societal needs and promotes welfare, while business entrepreneurship drives innovation, creates jobs, and grows the economy. Together, they help shape a more inclusive and prosperous society.