Developing a purchasing directory of Australian Social Enterprises

We all need a bit of help to find businesses that sell the goods and services that we need. Can you imagine life before the yellow pages phone directory was invented? Now we have green pages which is a guide to buying green products and the ethical consumer guide which is a hard copy product on ethical purchasing. Overseas there are social enterprise guides and purchasing portals in most developed countries. In Australia we are still faced by the challenge that, despite the fact that there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of social enterprises in Australia, even well connected people struggle to name more than fifty, so that when we want to get catering for an event in Glenelg in South Australia most people will have no idea if there is a social enterprise that can fulfil this need, let alone their contact number, operating hours, their menu and their reputation as sited by other users.

Over 2009/10 Social Traders will be working with partners to develop a web-based purchasing directory which will build on the outcomes of the Finding Australia’s Social Enterprise Sector (FASES) project. The directory will be designed in consultation with social enterprises. It will be a marketing tool for social enterprises and it will be a social purchasing directory for those wanting to buy from social enterprises. We think that if set up with a promotional manager it could become a powerful tool for promoting social enterprise and informing the purchasing behaviour of companies, government and households.

Further details will be provided on the web site as the project develops. If you wish to discuss the purchasing directory please contact Mark Daniels mark.daniels@socialtraders.com.au 0414 241 766