| Many will view the world of entrepreneurialism as a | | | | least one children's book |
| means of developing a business to supply the | | | | The entrepreneurs at First Book have worked to |
| financial requirements of household needs. The | | | | provide new children's books for less than $2.00 per |
| prevailing dream of most aspiring entrepreneurs is to | | | | copy to programs dealing with low-income children. |
| work for themselves without the need to answer to | | | | Because First Book is able to sell in mass quantities to |
| a boss. | | | | grateful literacy programs they have a significant |
| There is, however, a culture of entrepreneurs who | | | | budget that allows them to provide books to |
| not only seek to become self-sufficient in the | | | | severely disadvantaged children at no cost. |
| business ventures, but they also seek to be agents | | | | Reports indicate First Book has given away more |
| of societal change. | | | | than 43 million books since it's inception in 1992. |
| The Schwab Foundation awards 30 international | | | | First Book has shown it is possible to develop a |
| entrepreneurs with a Social Capitalist Award for not | | | | business that allows you to do what you love and be |
| only succeeding in their profession, but also providing | | | | paid to do so. They have also shown that they can |
| a sense of positive societal change. | | | | take the passion of an entrepreneur and combine it |
| The 2006 American Social Entrepreneur of the year | | | | with a desire to affect future generations in a |
| winner was Kyle Zimmer and a company called First | | | | positive way. |
| Book. This company has a desire to see low income | | | | Finding the right business is discovering an under |
| children have every opportunity to read and own | | | | served market and developing a solution to needs |
| books of their own. | | | | that haven't been addressed elsewhere. |
| Statistics indicate... | | | | There are thousands of global social entrepreneurs |
| 61% of low-income families have no age-appropriate | | | | who are giving back to their local, national and global |
| books in the home | | | | communities. |
| 80 percent of preschool and after-school programs | | | | In an era of governmental cutbacks and reduced |
| that serve this group have no books at all for these | | | | budgets many of these social entrepreneurs are |
| children | | | | finding great satisfaction in contributing in a |
| There are 181,500 such programs in US cities with | | | | meaningful way to the things they are most |
| populations exceeding 50,000 alone | | | | interested in. The prospects are limitless and often |
| The children's book market is a $27 billion industry | | | | provide a greater sense of satisfaction to those who |
| with over 460 million books sold annually | | | | include 'others' as part of their business plan. |
| In 2002, just 34.5 % of US households purchased at | | | | |