If I Knew Then: Karl Belizaire

Karl Belizaire, Director, Social Enterprise Works

Social Enterprise Works is a development agency based in Bristol city centre, providing training, consultancy and practical business advice and support to prospective, newly-formed and established social enterprises. Karl is a director responsible for strategy and business development. He is also a social enterprise and community business advocate, adviser, consultant and trainer, who is passionate about supporting social entrepreneurs to start well, scale up and thrive.

How did Social Enterprise Works start? 
Social Enterprise Works was set up in 1993 to serve the needs of the local community. In our early years we were known as the Bristol Area Community Enterprise Network (BACEN). Over the last 22 years we’ve been able to create, develop and sustain successful social enterprises that improve the lives and environment of communities across the city.

If you knew then what you know now, what mistakes might you have avoided? 
When I started my first business, I set up a community project with three friends. Each of us had very similar skills and abilities which meant that our team had big skills gaps in our expertise. Now I always try to ensure any project group I work with has a diverse skillset across the team in order to be most effective and successful.

What advice would you have given yourself when starting out?
I think it’s important for anyone starting out to find a good mentor or trusted advisor who has already been on a similar journey. They can help to refine and develop the idea at an early stage in order to identify and hopefully avoid any pitfalls or obstacles in the future. Also, don’t be afraid to fail, as long as you fail fast and fail forward.

If you knew then what you know now, would you still be sitting there? 
Yes, absolutely. I can’t think of any better way of spending my time than inspiring and supporting others to make a difference in the world.

What do you know now that you didn’t know then? 
A wealth of information and knowledge, mostly from learning things the hard way! Crucially that you shouldn’t let your fears stand in the way of your ambition, and you shouldn’t let your ambition be constrained by what others consider to be achievable.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received so far? 
My dad always used to tell me ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ – which as a mantra has served me well over the years. Also, trust your instincts and always believe in yourself.

What is your business highlight? 
Sharing the journey with people I’ve supported at an early idea stage who go on to start up, grow and make a big impact. That, and helping secure Bristol as one of the UK’s first social enterprise cities.

What is your business low point? 
Despite all of the amazing things the people we support are doing to positively impact society, we are still yet to have the important contribution that the social enterprise sector makes recognised as a priority locally. I repeatedly and frustratingly encounter senior decision makers and influencers who still ask me ‘what is a social enterprise?’!

What keeps you awake? 
Mostly our six-month-old baby at the moment.

What’s changed from when you started out? 
The lines between public/private and civil sectors are increasingly blurring. We receive lots of interest from charities who need to be more enterprising and private businesses who would like to have more of a social impact. It feels that we are heading into a new era for organisations who collectively want to make money and make a difference at the same time. 

What’s still on your to-do list? 
Our vision is to be a catalyst for social and environmental justice and to create a more equitable society for all, as you can imagine we still have a lot to do for this vision to be realised!

What’s next for Social Enterprise Works?
Our mission is to enable a strong social economy sector and ecosystem to thrive in the West of England and beyond, so we are working with like-minded organisations to make this happen.

www.socialenterpriseworks.org

Photo by Tom Glendinning