Robert Stebbins

You want to make a difference in the world, but you don't know where to start or feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done. Here you find a list of ideas for social enterprises — problems needing to be solved, issues needing to be addressed. When you have the passion, translating that passion into a plan can be broken down into manageable steps.

If you feel like you need to do something to make the world a better place, but you aren’t sure what that should be, consider the following four areas. Each of these is a critical issue currently boiling up in importance globally, nationally, and, in many cases, locally: The environment: Whether it’s industrial or agricultural pollution, carbon dioxide or methane emissions, the disappearance of rain forests, or the draining of your local wetlands, the environment is under siege just about anywhere you look.

You have the drive, you have the compassion to help the world — so how do you turn that energy into a successful for-profit or nonprofit enterprise? Here are five steps for transforming your vision into reality: Identify a social problem that you’re passionate about and feel a sense of urgency for. What excites you, ticks you off, makes your conversation animated and vehement?

Each successful social entrepreneur is unique, and they all travel their own particular paths to success. However, research has uncovered many traits shared by most if not all of them. Cultivate these qualities in yourself and your organization to boost your potential success: Achieve a clear understanding of the problem in question and formulate a clear mission with which to solve it.