Some basic criteria that an enterprise should meet in order to be considered as social is the participation of partners as employees and volunteers and of course, the provision of services that promote social values (e.g. protection of the environment, cultural environment conservation, welfare for sensitive social groups, development of local communities). There are several types of social entrepreneurship in modern societies, yet they all meet common characteristics:
Continuous production of products & services
High autonomy relied with high economic risk
Combination of paid and unpaid employment (volunteerism)
Rise of the social welfare that derives directly from the societal groups (both work and promotion)
Even/equal decision making rights among the owners and the workers.
More equal distribution of the profits.