SOCIAL BUSINESS

“Young people have to know about it, they should learn that there are two kinds of businesses in the world. One is a business which makes money and the other solves the problems of the world. It’s an academic exercise and what they do with that in real life will depend on them, what kind of life they would like to choose”

Muhammad Yunus
Nobel Peace Prize for the efforts through microcredit

Social business is not the golden solution to poverty, but it is an opportunity given to entrepreneurship, to contribute to the social and economic life of a marginalized community.
We have tasked ourselves to create a positive model of how the garment industry in Albania can be more social, offer better working conditions, better treatment and better opportunities to its employees and more positive impact to the community.

Gjergji Gjika
CEO of CityTex

CityTex project for social business garment company, which is an unique implementation in all Balkan area and Southeast Europe as well, be implemented in Former Metallurgical Plant in Elbasan area, as a need to foster the employment and improvement the social and economic situation of Elbasan community due to the high number of unemployed women and youths in Elbasan area taking into consideration the unemployment rate in youths that counts 35,3% and also to maximize the social and economic impact of this social business in all this area. Employment of women and youths in Elbasan area is a social business that involves women and youths. This social business will achieve its social objective to employee women and youths from Elbasan area and at the same time will cover all costs and will have its social impact through a revenue model.

The success of this business is not measured by the amount of profit made in a given period of time from the company, but of the social impact of the business will achieve for women, their families, youths and all the community in the town of Elbasan. The investments in this social business support the accomplishment of a social objective such is improving of the lives of the women and youths and their families in Elbasan area. Employment of women and youths in the garment industry, is a need for improving their life in a social business and will be created to solve the problem of unemployment and in the same time to reduce social and economic problems in Elbasan area.

BUSINESS DESCRIPTION

Social Business Concept

The main goal of this social business is not the profit but the ongoing involvement in employment and social activities or other activities that has as main aim the employment of women and youths. Assets and profits are used for the activities of the social business. Also, the social business offers activities for the benefit of its employees and the community in general. The social business: Employment of women in the garment industry in Elbasan area aims to employee in a short period of time ( till the end of year 2016) 120 women and youths and in mid-term period there will be employed around 200-250 women and youths (within 2-3 years) in Elbasan area in the garment company which will produce T-shirts, Polo-s, pants and work wear mainly for foreign clients and also for the domestic market.

Objectives of this social business are to:

Ø Promote the social integration of women and youths in Elbasan area and reduce the poverty problems giving access in education, health services, technology.
Ø Offer real employment opportunities for women and youths in order to support the needs of their families, their children, youths and support them to achieve financial and economic sustainability in their families.
Ø Create comfortable working place for the employees, fulfilling the sanitary and occupational – safety conditions at workplace.
Ø Give the employees their wages including social and health insurance for their position in the company.
Ø Creating a familiar atmosphere in the workplace among the women and the youths.
Ø Contribute in the economic and social situation in the area of Elbasan through the support of the all the chain of retail shops (small markets in Elbasan area) for several items (food, spare parts, gas stations, bakeries, butchers, fruits and vegetables, furniture, etc.)
Ø Reduce the problems with high impact in society such are: criminality, alcohol abusing, school abandonment.
Ø Help to protect the environmental through usage of the eco-friendly materials (fabric, yarn and accessories) and also eco -friendly technology such are sewing machines, ironing equipment’s etc.
Ø Improving the life of the community dedicating them budget for kindergarten, schools, farms, sanitary and water supply, religious monuments reconstructions every year. The above-mentioned objectives address both bottom lines—business and social—of this enterprise and can be divided into two categories: social impact objectives and financial sustainability objectives.

Regardless of type, objectives of this social business are SMART:

Specific — well-defined and clearly stated – improving the social and economic status of the community in area of Elbasan (especially women and youths).
Measurable — quantifiable or absolutely calculable – this social business in the short-term period (till the end of 2016) will be employed 70-80 employees and in the mid-term, period will be involved till 200-250 employees)
Achievable — realistic under the circumstances – taking in consideration the experience of the staff and the circumstances where this business will be established, the cooperation with the local government and sharing information with them, makes this project realistic and achievable.
Relevant — supporting accomplishment of the mission and contributing to realizing the vision in the long term for social impact of this social business in the lives of community of Elbasan area – improving of the social and economic situation in the Elbasan area is very relevant.
Timebound — time based (corresponding to the period of the business plan)- the project implementation will pass in short and mid-term phases.

MANAGEMENT TEAM

The structure of the management team is composed of the persons as follow:

Ownership of SB
General Manager of SB
Quality Control Manager of SB
Financial manager of SB
Designer of SB

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The main goal of this social business is not the profit but the ongoing involvement of community in employment and social activities or other activities that has as main aim the employment of women and youths. The social impact of this social business there will 120 women and youth’s employees till the end of year 2016 and in the mid-term period there will be employed around 200 employees. This employment will bring directly a social and economic impact in the families of employees and indirectly will improve the economic situation of Elbasan area. The main social goal of this social project is: to promote the social integration of women and youths in Elbasan area, to offer real employment opportunities for women and youths in order to support the needs of their families and their children, creating a familiar atmosphere in the workplace, socializing atmosphere among the women and also to support and improve all the chain of retail shops in Elbasan town. Regarding the environment, the technology, fabrics, threads and other accessories used to produce these products are ISO certified and will come to Albania from the clients, the sewing machines are environmental friendly and energy saving. Industrial sewing machines companies such are Pfaff, Juki, Typical, try to be aware of the impact their business has on the global environment and promote activities designed to minimize any impact. They fulfill international standards, relevant laws and agreements, the guidelines of the industry, which are related to environmental protection and also, they contribute to society through excellent environment-conscious products, and also through the development and provision of services.

Who is the target group?

Women and youths in Elbasan area are the main target of the project. Actually Municipality of Elbasan counts 46,652 inhabitants facing with critical social and economic situation for the families there. Except public institutions, in this town there are no other companies that can offer employment opportunities for this community.

How will your social business answer this need?

Improving the life of women and youths in Elbasan area will come through employment in the Social Business garment company. This place will be not only the place to work and to spend 8 hours but also will be the place where the women can be integrated in the life, can discuss and share ideas with the staff of the social business and also with the other women and youths.

Who will benefit from your business?

The main beneficiaries are the women, their families and especially their children who need their care more than the others. Through this social business, the children will have the opportunity to go to the kindergarten, to attend the school and to accomplish the daily needs for food and medical care. Also, will be reduced the number of unemployed persons impacting (reducing) the budget for social help from the Municipality of Elbasan. A better economy means fewer social problems in the family and also less problems in the terms of public order.

What differences will your business bring?

The differences this social business will bring are social and economic nature. Social differences: social integration of women and socializing atmosphere among the women. Economic differences: capability to support everyday needs for food and medical care for the family and especially for their children to go to kindergarten and to attend the school.