Scaling up social enterprise: strategies taken from early years providers

Abstract

This paper examines the strategies social enterprises can use to scale up their impact. A traditional view has been for growth to occur through setting up new sites owned by a single organisation. This paper examines the range of other alternatives for scaling up social impact ranging from maximising the impact internally (through new activities, and more sites) to growth beyond the confines of the organisation (through social franchises, use of kite marks, training and networks). The paper is based on an analysis of case studies in the early years sector supporting children and families. The following research questions will be addressed: In what ways can social enterprises scale up their operations? What are the challenges entailed in these scaling up processes? The paper concludes by proposing a model to help define the strategies by which organisations can scale up their social impact.