Exploring the Personal Drive Behind Small Social-Venture Set-Ups in the Netherlands

Abstract

This chapter describes the development and growth of small social ventures in the Netherlands. It focusses on the motivations and purposes of owner-operator and micro or small scale social entrepreneurs creating social value in the transition of the Dutch welfare domain. Local municipalities are developing policies to support those social venture set-ups. But dealing with local policies is found not to be an easy task for small scale social entrepreneurs. Two aspects of the hindrance for social venture start-ups are elaborated: the hybridity of social entrepreneurship, combining social value logic and the logic of entrepreneurship; and the difficulties of dealing with different aspects of policies of cities in the Netherlands. An ecological system supportive for small social venture creation respecting the personal purpose of social entrepreneurs is outlined.