In order to balance their social and commercial objectives, community enterprises adopt a
number of strategies (Boschee, 2001). Of course, these strategies are not mutually exclusive, and
community enterprises may combine two or more of them. Some engage in unrelated business
activities, where the enterprise trades in markets that are not connected to its social mission and
uses the surpluses to subsidise the component of the enterprise which is responsible for social
outcomes. In effect, the enterprise is considered as two distinct parts, with the revenue generation
part quite separate from the delivery of social objectives, at least in an organisational sense. For
example, Riccall Regen 2000 runs a conference facility and catering service, the profits from
which are used to subsidise a range of community-focused services including literacy and
numeracy classes for adults, sports facilities and a nursery (www.riccall.co.uk).
Others rely upon affirmative businesses which are designed to provide employment,
support and/or training for excluded or marginalized groups such as the disabled, the long-term
unemployed, and homeless people. They operate in a wide range of sectors, and their social
mission is achieved through the establishment of intermediate labour markets. Trinity