It all began when, as a public organization, we repeatedly ordered merch for various events and projects. We constantly experimented with designs — overall, there were five or six different designs in the youth center’s 10 years of work. There was huge demand for the last two or three designs we ordered for ourselves. People asked us to make more because they actually wanted to wear this clothing. I, for example, have a whole shelf at home filled with various merch — it’s a pity to throw it away because it’s a memory, but it’s not comfortable to wear every day. At the same time, we realized we needed to find resources to develop the center. So when we heard about this opportunity, it was like a light bulb went on in my head.

They helped us work out a business plan step by step. It was also very valuable to learn about different examples of social enterprises from practitioners, to know and understand the real challenges from life.

When you plan social entrepreneurship, you need to clearly answer for yourself where its ‘social’ aspect lies. You can create an enterprise and produce goods that people simply need. People will buy those goods, but the clients won’t realize that there’s any kind of social story behind it. Or, you can integrate some social mission into your enterprise — an element that will help solve a social issue.