In the Netherlands the Oranje Fonds – one of the Foundations connected to the Dutch royal family – has indicated through advertisements that they want to get in touch with ‘social entrepreneurs’. McKinsey has just completed a study about the feasibility and viability of social entrepreneurship in the Netherlands; ENVIU (‘innovators in sustainability’) recently successfully obtained crowd funding for some of its start-ups. Some Dutch Non-Governmental Development Organisations that have acted as funding agencies for decades are transforming themselves into social enterprises (with business units) and investment bankers.

In a number of cases, however, the term ‘social enterprise’ is used too loosely. Different archetypes of businesses can be distinguished:
- Traditional ‘for profit’ business, mainstream market company with   emphasis on shareholder satisfaction;
- Traditional business with a link to a charity foundation;
- Business with ‘weak corporate social responsibility’ (‘do not too much harm’)
- Business with strong corporate social responsibility (‘do good for people planet and profit as long as this does not affect the financial return on investment’);
- Shared value creation: ‘The concept of shared value creation can be defined as policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in which it operates’ (Porter & Kramer, HBR, January 2011).
All these business forms have their own characteristics, legitimacy and business logic but …. do not have much to do with what may be considered as ‘social business’.

The essence of a social business is creation of value(s) that are relevant for society as a whole - such as social change, improved environment, shift in power relations, social justice - and that subsequently leads to more than financial returns. Lynch and Walls define a social business as: ‘A business that seeks, above all, to make a better world – a business for a common good’. Other succinct definitions of a social business are:
• ‘A social enterprise is an organisation that is run like a business but that has a social purpose’ (ILO);
• ‘Use market based business models for social change’ (Jay Naidoo).

Especially shared value creation has off late become popular within the corporate sector; it has its own value, but has actually not much in common with real social business. In the case of shared value creation ‘competitiveness of a company’ and shareholder satisfaction remain the primary purpose of the business. The primary objective of a social business is about bringing changes in the life of people; shift in power equations; poverty alleviation, promoting inclusion; countering violation of human rights. Social political change is therefore the ‘core business’. In regular businesses – including those which nowadays promote shared value creation - the focus is on shareholder satisfaction, maximising profits. In a social business, emphasis is on maximising impact, e.g. social change, environmental improvement, shift in power equations, cultural, …. Social businesses promote a social economy in an attempt to transform capitalism, as indeed ‘It does not have to be like this’.