Key characteristics of community enterprises are that they aim to be
community owned--assets belong to the community and cannot be sold off for private financial gain
community-led--people who are local stakeholders in the area of benefit play a leading role in the enterprise
community controlled--the local community is represented on the Board of Driectors and makes sure that the enterprise is accountable to the community
able to generate profits or a surplus that can be re-invested or distributed for community benefit
socially and environmentally responsible--the tackle social and environmental problems in their area
financially self-sustaining--or on the way to being so
Community based enterprises are also called social enterprises