There were a number of social enterprises and social entrepreneurial inventions showcased on the Dragons’ Den UK TV show, and I had discussed a number of them as well as the lessons learned for budding entrepreneurs.
Adventure Capitalists & Their International Businesses
Interestingly, one of the major investors from the Dragons’ Den show, Theo Paphitis, created a spin off reality TV show called Theo’s Adventure Capitalists.
Theo tags along with entrepreneurs from the UK who aim to internationalise their business operations.
Many of the entrepreneurs are just starting up their global presence, and Theo goes along with them to offer advice and to take a sneak peek into international business issues.
A Social Enterprise Startup in Brazil
One of the countries that Theo and the entrepreneurs travel to is Brazil in South America.
I was intrigued to discover that one of the entrepreneurs on the show was Peter McAteer, the founder of the social enterprise, Dreamaid.
Dreamaid is depicted in the TV show as a new internet start up business with a social mission. The idea behind Dreamaid is to help poor artists and artisans in emerging economies to sell their product to richer people around the world.
Peter McAteer & His Social Enpreneurial Idea
Just to show you that social entrepreneurs come from a variety of backgrounds, Peter McAteer actually started off his working life as a coal miner but then later retrained himself to become an engineer.
After visiting some of the world’s poorest countries in Africa, Asia and South America, he came up with the idea to help artists and artisans from those countries reach a global market via the internet to sell goods at a fair price.
It’s certainly a fabulous mission, and Peter has good intentions behind Dreamaid.
How Does Dreamaid Work?
The business works by having artists and artisans upload pictures of their products onto the website. They name the price that they want, and when the individual sells the product they receive their money via Paypal.
It’s different from eBay in that the products are fixed-price, but I’d have to say that the concept is very similar to etsy although etsy doesn’t have as much of a social mission.
There’s no fee for listing a product on the site, although Dreamaid does charge a 10% fee for any sales made.
Can an Internet Start Up Business Change the World?
The tagline for Dreamaid is: “The marketplace that makes a difference.”
The vision that they state on their website is:
“Dreamaid – its commerce with a soul, allowing customers to buy original hand crafted goods and helps artists to help themselves – we like to call it art & soul.”
Checkout the Dreamaid social enterprise today!
Big mention for Dreamaid on a global social enterprise blog http://fb.me/ux8gZ3BX
Thank you for mentioning Dreamaid! We had a pretty tough time starting as we did in the midst of the deepest recession since the 30′s. However, we knew this was a long haul but a truly worthy cause.
What wasn’t mentioned on the show is that we are seeking Corporate relationships. We work with BP in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Cemex in a hammock making group in Merida Mexico and Premier Oil in Ho Chi Minh, Vietam supporting around 1000 orphans who are taught hand crafts to avoid poverty and abuse.
We were only six weeks old when we were on this programme and had achieved a great deal including products from 88 countries on the site and visitors from 124 countries!
If there are any companies out there who would like to work with us on the CSR projects we would really like to hear from them. Costs so little but can have a dramatic effect on the local communities.
Dreamaid started as a philanthropic venture for me but I believe that by combining the capabilities of the micro business with the power of the web, helped by large Corporate entities we can make a difference and empower others to help themselves.
Dreamaid will make money as I don’t believe that Charity alone will break the poverty cycle…
Etsy is a pure commercial site and does an excellent job. However, for us arts and crafts is the start of something larger. We are now building a site using the same architecture in the busines from which I originate – oil and gas. This will enable stronger support for Dreamaid as we lead by example.
Thank you for referencing Dreamaid!
Best wishes,
Peter McAteer
Hey Peter,
Thank you for sharing your insights and updates.
You were brave for having gone on the show. You also helped share what it’s like and the challenges of being a social entrepreneur. I certainly learned alot from having watched you on the show – and I’m all the way in Bangladesh at the moment.
Like you, I also believe that charity alone will not break the poverty cycle.
All the best with Dreamaid!
Matthew