Social Business

Social Business

Our leadership likes to claim that the Mac House is a Social Business.

What is Social Business you ask?

Wikipedia calls it a non-loss, non-dividend company designed to address a social objective.

We call it a form of capitalism that serves others instead of maximizing material wealth. Some claim any form of capitalism is wrong, and that "good" forms of capitalism are even worse because they perpetuate the binding chains of capitalistic greed.

We see it as making the best out of the current situation we live in. We know it would be too hard to re-create the wealth distribution at a macro level, so instead, we create a business at the local level, within the existing economic construct and make that business serve the common good. In his book, Creating A World Without Poverty, Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunnus claims that a Social Business maximizes SOCIAL BENEFIT instead of being a PROFIT-MAXIMIZING scheme.

So what does this mean? It is a company that pays fair wages (or no wages, depending on the framework), the leadership thinks how this company serves the world, instead of only making a profit. And as all successful businesses, it should be sustainable and make money and not have to rely on donations. However, this does not negate the need for non-profits and fundraising, it is merely opens the world to a different kind of business.

It is fair to say Social Business should use some best-practices of a typical profit maximizing company to make it effective, but the framework is shaped such that all the lives of the individuals being affected by the business are being improved.

How does the Mac House attempt to do this? Ask us and we will be happy to share!

Some great examples in Cincinnati:

Venice on Vine - Pizza Shop - 1301 Vine Street, 45202

Building Value Cincinnati - Reuse Store - 4040 Spring Grove Avenue

Park + Vine - Eco- Store - 1202 Main Street

Street Vibes - Newspaper

Nehemiah Manufacturing - Hires returning citizens from prison for good manufacturing jobs

And then are the many Social-Benefit maximizing Coffee Shops:

Choices Cafe - Community Coffee Shop - 1506 Elm St.

Refuge Coffee Bar - Profit Giving Coffee Shop - 5010 Glenway Av 45238

Rohs Street Cafe - Community Coffee Shop - 245 W. McMillan 45219

There are also great co-operative businesses in Cincinnati as well!

IFBB - Janitorial Co-op + Community Blend Coffee Shop

Mobo Bike Co-op - Fix up an old bike!

As consumers, it is our choice where we spend our expendable income. We can choose a profit maximizing company, or we can choose a social-benefit maximizing company. You choose.