Top 5: Up-and-Coming Blogs for Social Entrepreneurs

By Tara Lane, Staff Writer

Along with sustainability and green living, social entrepreneurship is quite a hot topic. One way people can recognize their own potential for social entrepreneurship is by reading and following the works of those who are at the forefront of the movement. Social entrepreneurship is a grassroots effort that has picked up steam with the help of blogs and bloggers all over the world. By using their resources – the Internet and various social media platforms – they’re spreading the word in a way that stays true to their convictions, and still getting the message across to millions. These leaders are smart, successful, and have a great deal of insight into the constantly changing world around them. In this week’s top five, we’re exploring some of the best blogs for budding social entrepreneurs. These blogs help inspire other entrepreneurs to make a difference

1. How to Change the World

Popular social entrepreneur Guy Kawaski’s blog “How to Change the World: A Practical Blog for Impractical People” is a go-to for any social media savvy entrepreneur. Guy provides simple, sensible ways to improve business using social media in a straightforward way. The author of nine bestselling books, Guy has has been ranked in the top 100 blogs by Technorati, has more than 170,000 followers on Twitter, and has started the successful site Alltop.com, which lists popular blogs in a variety of categories. As a successful venture capitalist and entrepreneur himself, his insight into the world of entrepreneurship is hard to match.

2. Treehugger

Treehugger has been ranked as the top social entrepreneurship blog to watch for 2009, and we have to agree. As a site developed by the Discovery Company, Treehugger has all of the resources a green social entrepreneur could ask for, ideas for improving and implementing sustainability efforts, news on the latest green initiatives and environmental issues, and much more. Their goal is to make sustainability mainstream, while being the go-to resource for green enthusiasts everywhere. It covers topics from science to fashion and travel, and provides a forum for interacting with others seeking to make a difference as well.

3. Social Entrepreneurship @ Change.org

Change.org covers topics from animal rights to human trafficking. Their section on social entrepreneurship focuses on non-profit efforts, and strives to create awareness of the issues facing the industry. The site states that “Perhaps … social entrepreneurs tend to desire not only to meet a specific social need, but change the way those needs are met, in general.” Staying true to their goal, the blog also features current hot topics facing the non-profit sector, while providing readers with ways they can go out and help in their communities by employing business strategies for social change. Their “Take Action” section features a number of petitions members can sign to start making a change today.

4. Global Voices

Global Voices takes a worldwide approach to social entrepreneurship by creating awareness of issues that are happening across the globe. More than 200 bloggers and citizen journalists volunteer by translating articles from a variety on languages to put on the site in order to truly make others aware of the hardships others are facing that may not be reported in the mainstream media. The site also collects self-published writing, video and photography from around the world. Through Global Voices, social entrepreneurs can better educate themselves on the issues and seek out those projects in need of the most help.

5. Have Fun – Do Good

The author behind Have Fun-Do Good is Britt Bravo, a strategy consultant who helps businesses and individuals realize their visions—and helps them to implement them. On her blog, Britt gives tips and advice for how to effectively bring businesses into the world of social media, and also ways to stay sustainable in business. While she focuses on small business and non-profits, the ideas can be applied to any business or individual interested in social entrepreneurship. She brings attention to ideas that are not as mainstream, such as encouraging entrepreneurship in inner cities, and also features interviews with influential social entrepreneurs both on her blog and her podcast.

These five blogs are just a sampling of the many social entrepreneurship blogs out there encouraging and implementing change and new ideas in business, the environment and social media. They are seeing a problem and taking action while making it beneficial and accessible to all. Having a social mission is becoming increasingly more important, and with the tips and tools provided by these blogs, it can be easier than you think to start something new.

The header is the Treehugger logo

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