Stakeholder Segments highlighted on the canvas
In order to better satisfy customers, a company may group them into distinct segments with common needs, common behaviors, or other attributes. Some examples of different types of segments include: mass market, niche market, segmented, diversified, and multi-sided platforms/markets...[continued below]
Social enterprises can have at least two different (though potentially overlapping) categories of customers - those wanting to purchase their goods and services (i.e., commercial customers) and those wanting to support the social impact that they generate and/or potentially benefit from this impact (i.e., the impact customers). Understanding these two key customer segments is critical to understanding a social enterprise business model. It can be helpful to distinguish commercial and impact customers to see a full range of possibilities, test assumptions, and design for innovation... [continued below]
Stakeholder segments:
d.light sells solar energy solutions to populations without electricity in 60+ nations. See project description and its Impact BMC
Stakeholder segments:
Equal Opportunity Schools helps minority and low-income high school students succeed in AP and IB courses. See project description and its Impact BMC
Their needs require and justify a distinct offer
They are reached through different distribution channels
They require different types of relationships
They have substantially different profitabilities
They are willing to pay for different aspects of the offer
It is important that clients, beneficiaries, or constituents are co-creators of solutions. If government funders and philanthropists are customers, then we will need to be clear about the value proposition we are putting forward to them and to build a relationships with them that ensure their ongoing custom.
For some businesses the social benefit generated accrues to others than customers willing to purchase services. Recipients of free or heavily sponsored products or services are an obvious example. All stakeholders present an opportunity to provide social value: volunteers, employees, local communities, suppliers, philanthropists, government structures.