The Economics of Compassion

Compassion is the key

Can a business be compassionate? Can compassion lead to business success? Are compassion and commercial focus consistent? My short answer is - Yes! Here are some thoughts regarding a possible framework of Social Entrepreneurship - the four C's of social entrepreneurship:

1. Compassion

2. Conviction

3. Courage

4. Commercialization

1. Compassion: I believe that the economics of compassion is misunderstood. I believe that not only is compassion the highest form of love, it is sustainable because the return on compassion is guaranteed. The longer the time for the return the higher is the return. The return is the support of good people.

2. Conviction: Believe in yourself, my Nana used to say and everything will follow. The bigger your ambition is, the more difficult will be the path. Believing in yourself especially when there are not many followers is the key. Go on, promote yourself.

3. Courage: There will be disappointments. That's OK! Having the courage to learn from every failure and trying again and again is a good thing. You need grand courage to start again especially when you have failed to achieve success several times. When you are successful, each failure will provide you an amazing story worth sharing. 

4. Commercialization: Providing a product or a service and charging for it is the only way to rapidly grow your social enterprise. Pursuit of profit is seen as selfish and compassion is seen as selfless. I believe the ability to discern when to be selfish and when to be selfless is the highest form of strategy. 

That's why we say: Majamba, do good today!